The creation of the new settlement “Maskiot “ in the Northern Jordan Valley Region of the West Bank proves the fatuity of the so-called ‘good will gestures to the Palestinians’ which Prime Minister Olmert is trumpeting in an effort to impress Israeli and international public opinion" says Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc. These “gestures” consist of removing 27 of the 400 army road-blocks throughout the West Bank, which strangle the daily life of the Palestinians and destroy their economy; returning a hundred million dollars, which are only a small part of the Palestinian monies which the state of Israel has robbed in the past year; and a planned release of a handful of Palestinian prisoners, equal to the number of Palestinians kidnapped from their homes in a single week of Israeli army raids on the West Bank cities.

A leader who offers some lame “gestures” to the Palestinians and at the same time builds a new settlement on Palestinian land and even fills it with settlers removed from the Gaza Strip thereby testifies that he does not seriously intend to end the occupation and dispossession of the Palestinians – but rather to put some make-up on the hideous face of the occupation. In this way it is impossible to reach peace, or even a temporary calm or a stable cease-fire. The inhabitants of bombed Sderot, as well as the Palestinians groaning under the yoke of the Occupation, will continue to pay the price.

For further info: Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson adam@gush-shalom.org