Observation: The Zionist Response To Terror - Settlements

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 23 September 2013

Historically, settlements were considered the "Zionist response to terror."

A look at the map of modern Israel finds it sprinkled with the names of
settlements named in memory of the victims of various Arab attacks.

Today's terrorists are popular folk heroes in Palestinian society. The cost
to the Palestinians of terror, in the form of restrictions on movement and
commerce, may be painful, but the pain is temporary in nature. Large
terrorist attacks may postpone what the Palestinians see as the ongoing
capitulation of Israel either at the negotiating table or via unilateral
withdrawals, but, again, these are temporary setbacks.

Terrorist attacks may, in fact, be viewed in the long run by the
Palestinians as serving their interests by softening Israel's resolve.

Last night Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the murder of Sgt.
Gabriel Kobi in Hebron by ordering the immediate resettlement of Beit
Hamachpela, a Jewish owned building near the West Bank city’s Tomb of
Patriarchs which was previously boarded up by order of the Defense Ministry.

PM Netanyahu declared that "Those who attempt to uproot us from the city of
our forefathers will achieve the opposite effect. We will continue on one
hand to fight terror and to harm terrorists and on the other hand to
strengthen settlements."

Hopefully this marks a return of the Netanyahu Administration to the
"Zionist response to terror."

It should be made clear that the next murder of Israeli "X" won’t lead to
the resettlement of a Jewish owned building but the settlement of a new
neighborhood.

Sure, the Palestinians won't be pleased to learn that the "Shchunat X"
neighborhood is being built in the memory of "X". But will the murderers
still be the same heroes they were before their action lead to the building
of yet more Jewish homes?

The "Zionist response to terror" has another benefit. Besides deterring Arab
terror, it would serve to bolster the morale of the Israeli public by
offering it a positive emotional outlet through which to respond to Arab
terror. By establishing living memorials, Israel would be effectively
saying: "We are on the map. Terror will not vanquish."

It is said that the Arabs decided to make peace with Israel when they came
to the conclusion that they could not destroy the Jewish State on the
battlefield. By the same token, settlement activity today may very well
convince the Palestinians that they must compromise now or face the
prospects of a considerably worse deal in the future.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il