What do you think about Middle Eastern relations?

[nicky g]

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The settlements have not significantly expanded since Oslo and the government is actively preventing growth outside of already existing settlements.



The settlements have approximately doubled in population size since Oslo.


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In population size yes. Absolutely not in physical size - its my mistake, I should have been clearer. The land settelments are built upon makes up approximately 2% of land in the West Bank and approx. 80% of the settlement population live in settlements contiguous or extremely close to the 67 border. Much of the population growth is natural growth (birth rates tend to be relatively high, 4.8/female in 2003 - dont have more up to date stats) and within the boundaries of pre existing settlements. Some "natural growth" of the physical size of the settlements has of course occured. I agree that some other growth has occured.

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13 years of representation by the party that rcognised Israel and supported a two state solution got them nowhwere. Even when Arafat, whom Israel blamed for everything, was replaced by the ultra-compliant Abbas, there was no movement - not even basic negotiations. Not to mention terrible Fatah misgovernment. Hardly surprising that Palestinains opted for change of tack - what would be the point in voting for Fatah whe it had a terrible track record on both gaining them a state and was absurdly corrupt and falling apart?

Even then, I remember polls showing that a third or so of people voting for Hamas still favoured a two state soltution (and Hamas actually won the popular vote by a very small margin, while most voter of Fatah can be presumed to have supported a 2-state solution). Futhermore, support for a two state soltution was much higher when it actually looked like a realistic prospect.

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If you believe that Arafat and Fatah supported a 2 state solution, please see my previous post - I dont think they did. Please show me any concrete steps that Fatah made to prepare the population for a 2 state solution - after all, the population had been indoctrinated to fanatically support Israels' destruction for decades before. What was done to change this in the education of children, the media, religious circles? Its widely documented that the education of children to see martyrdom as the highest calling, the total insistance on the right of return, etc... was actually what happened.

"Hardly surprising that Palestinains opted for change of tack"...

The change was nothing to do with the lack of a political solution and Abbas was and is so weak to be insignificant. And what a change of tack! Just as Israelis were opting for Olmerts Kadima, elected on a platform of withdrawals, the Palestinians decided Hamas was where their future lay. Ironic. Still, if thats their choice, thats their choice. They will have to live with it.

Hamas won 76 seats as opposed to Fatahs 43. Not close.

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Doubling the population size of the settlements does not exactly demostrate good will or the intention to establish a Palestinian state. The infrastructure grew as well, looking at the physical size of the settlements themselves doesn;t tell close to the whole story, because regardless of that more and more land became of limts to the Palestinians after Oslo. But most importantly, freedom of movement virtuall disappeared following Oslo. Self rule over cities was granted, but you could barely travel between those cities. Conditions actually got substantially worse in the West Bank in the post-Oslo years.

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he population had been indoctrinated to fanatically support Israels' destruction for decades before. What was done to change this in the education of children

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The occupation regime was in chare of the education of children "for decades before"

"@Hamas won 76 seats as opposed to Fatahs 43. Not close."

Do me the courtesy of reading and respodning to what I actually wrote. In terms of votes case, Hamas won 44.5% of the vote, while Fatah won 41.5%; close to an even split. Itwas the waythe electoral system worked that gave Hamas more seats. Other parties including ones that supported a two state solution split the rest.
2006 PA election results