Netanyahu is waiving our rights to Judea and Samaria

Ted Belman

Dore Gold explains in The Berlin Wall of Mideast oil comes down explains that over the next 10 years, the Arabs will gradually lose their oil weapon.

Strangely, when making the argument, he doesn’t factor in Israel’s huge off shore gas reserves which are expected to be onlne next year and her huge oil shale deposits which are expected to be producing oil within the said 10 year period.
Even so, he writes:

Israel needs to reach peace treaties with its neighbors. But the terms of any agreement should not be influenced by Western dependence on Middle Eastern oil, which undoubtedly prompted the international diplomatic pressures on Israel in the past. There is no reason why Israel should feel compelled to race back to the 1967 lines, but rather should protect its legal right to defensible borders, without the sword of Middle East oil hanging over its head.

Notice that he only references Israel’s right to defensible borders. Like the GOI, he never mentions our legal rights to J&S. In part, They do not want to allege rights that might be questionable and in part they have no intention of keeping the land.

Those who advocate our legal rights include, first and foremost Howard Grief, and Eli Hertz and Salomon Benzimra.

I always assert our legal rights not because I believe our case is unassailable but because I want to claim J&S as ours under colour of right. The matter will never be adjudicated upon, so there is no harm in asserting such rights. By doing so I provide a justification for our extending sovereignty over such lands. Other justifications include, we need it for defence, we have the historical right to it, we won it in a defensive war, it is needed to establish peace and finally, because we want it.
The GOI has no intention of keeping the land beyond keeping the settlements blocks for which it will give Israeli land in exchange. That is why Gold and the GOI never assert our legal rights even if they believe we might have such rights.

That is why Netanyahu keeps begging for negotiations. No, he is not just going through the motions. That is why Israel allows the Arabs to take over “Area C” by hook or by crook. He sees no alternative to cutting a deal. I recently noted that the EU is putting “Area C” in play.

Not everyone agrees. There is a strong movement on the right to extend our sovereignty to J&S. But it must be stronger if it is to succeed.