The Myth of Settlements

One of the things you always hear from administrations that are not favorable to Israel, is discussion of stopping "settlements".

Bet you didn't know that there hasn't been a "settlement" built in more than 15 years.

Did you also know that at it's widest, Israel is only about 10-12 miles?

That Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, it's two major cities, have become so overpopulated and expensive that a new city has been literally built from nothing, in between these two metropolis' (inside what anyone agrees is Israel proper), which were already only about 1/2 hour apart?

That the Hebrew word for "town" yishoov, is what is also translated as "settlement" and that is why this is so often mistaken.

So why talk of stopping new settlements?

Because it is a canard. The only thing that has happened at settlements since the Oslo accords of the early 1990's is the natural population growth. Of which Israel's is the lowest in the region.

The only action on settlements in the last two decades has been the DISMANTLING of ALL OF THE GAZA SETTLEMENTS. And the relocation of the entire Israeli population of Gaza. Most of whom, like the Katrina victims, are still homeless.

In addition, several so called settlements in the West Bank have been dismantled.

However, Gaza is instructive. It took 60,000 Israeli troops to relocate several thousand Gazans.

How much of a disruption would it be to relocate everyone living in the Jerusalem suburbs - which is what they mean when they say settlements?