Mr 'Shameless' is at it again and his effort once more makes me want to puke.

Some translations if I may;

For “Area C has remained under the total administrative and security control of Israel for the last 45 years.” read - Israel has illegally occupied this land for 45 years.

For “located in Area C which comprises about 60% of the West Bank - but where only 5% of the current West Bank Arab population live” read - Israel has placed nearly 60% of the West Bank off limits to Palestinians, an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian's own land.

And get a load of this “The erection of illegal Arab structures has gathered pace in Area C as the Palestinian Authority pursues a policy of encouraging illegal land grabs, settlement and building on state lands in Area C.”

Here is a supporter of the illegal and therefore criminal acts of the Israeli Government through slimy semantics declaring Palestinian construction on their own land is an 'illegal land grab'.

The Greens have gotten up my nose in recent times but on this issue they have my full support.

The international community rightly continues to regard Israel's occupation and settlements in the West Bank as illegal. What is almost as criminal is that people like Mr Singer should escape being more forcibly challenged in this country. What is happening in the West Bank should offend any of us who claim to have even a modicum of those traits we hold as an essential Australian values, the notion of a fair go and support of the underdog in their battle against a vastly more powerful bully.

What the Israeli government is doing in the West Bank isn't fair, nor is it just nor is it legal and should be an affront to all right thinking people.

C. Steele, I applaud your comment. The Singer cares not who he offends with his boring stream of lies and fanciful Israeli propaganda.

Perhaps we could all put in a few dollars and buy him a one-way ticket to Israel.

Of course, Julia would probably bring him back to torture us yet again!

Dear David G.

<<The Singer cares not who he offends with his boring stream of lies and fanciful Israeli propaganda.>>

Wrong! This is pure anti-Israel propaganda - it portrays Israel as cruel, greedy and stupid. Holding those territories and maintaining the occupation, is AGAINST the best true interests of Israel.

(the ongoing occupation is, however, in the best interest of Iran, Hamas and other fanatic Islamists)

David Singer still does not understand that it is the jews from around the world who are the squatters.

Look I'm sorry, but I to have to point this out. The "West Bank" is Jordanian territory captured during one of Israel's many responses to Arab aggression. It was never part of anything called Palestine.

The whole of the what is now Israel, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt were part of the Ottoman empire for nearly six hundred years. Learn your History!!

Dear Jon R,

You had better tell that to the author, he believes very much the opposite. In fact his blog 's title says it all. http://www.jordanispalestine.blogspot.com.au/

Whom do I believe?

To csteele:

Sorry this article makes you "puke".

Quite frankly your continuing failure to answer the following questions specifically addressed to you makes me puke:

1. "Do you know the term "Palestinians" does not include Jews,non-Arab Christians and any other secular non- Arab citizens?

2. If you do - how can you object to my use of the term "Palestinian Arabs" to clarify and identify who the "Palestinians" are?"

3. Do you consider the following article 20 of the PLO Charter to be racist?

"The Balfour Declaration, the Mandate for Palestine, and everything that has been based upon them, are deemed null and void. Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history and the true conception of what constitutes statehood. Judaism, being a religion, is not an independent nationality. Nor do Jews constitute a single nation with an identity of its own; they are citizens of the states to which they belong."

4. What is the area that is controlled by the PLO or Hamas or the Palestinian Authority that "harbours" 500000 Jews and what rights have been conferred on those 500000 Jews by the Palestinian Arabs?

5. What is the area of the State of Palestine?

6. Who is the current Prime Minister of Palestine?

7. What is the capitol of Palestine?

8. If there is a state of Palestine - why are the Palestinian Arabs still claiming to be stateless and homeless?

After your latest effort continuing your on going refusal to deal with the central theme of this article or my earlier articles - you might like to also answer the following additional questions:

9. Do you support the Australian Government and aid agencies squandering millions of dollars funding illegal building activities in Area C of the West Bank?

10. Do you agree it would be more prudential and responsible for the Australian Government and aid agencies to to fund legally approved building activities in Area C of the West Bank?

Can you address these issues - not me?

#To Marilyn Shepherd

The Jews aren't squatters.

They were given the legal right to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in Palestine pursuant to the San Remo Conference, the Treaty of Sevres, the Mandate for Palestine, article 80 of the UN Charter and Security Council Resolution 242.

The Palestinian Arabs have never accepted this body of international law. Their decision has brought them nothing but grief.

When they do - resolving the conflict might be able to be realised

#To Ron and csteele

Believe what Arab leaders say - if you don't believe me:

1.King Abdullah - 12 April 1948:

"Palestine and Transjordan are one, for Palestine is the coastline and Transjordan the hinterland of the same country"

2. Prince Hassan - 2 February 1970:

"Palestine is Jordan and Jordan is Palestine; there is one people and one land, with one history and one and the same fate"

3. Sherif Al-Hamid Sharaf - 11 June 1973:

"The new Jordan, which emerged in 1949, was the creation of the Palestinians of the West Bank and their brothers in the East. While Israel was the negation of the Palestinian right of self- determination, unified Jordan was the expression of it"

4. Article 2 of the PLO Charter:

"Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit."

The PLO and the Palestinian Authority have been the preferred Arab negotiating partners for the last 19 years. It has proven to be a complete waste of time - and too many Jews and Arabs have been killed or traumatised by injuries in the process.

Jordan now needs to step up to the plate to decide with Israel the division of sovereignty in the tiny piece of land called the West Bank - just 1/12th the size of Tasmania - that separates them.

If you need any more similar statements to show why Jordan is Palestine and should be Israel's new negotiating partner- I will be happy to oblige.

Dear reader,

Mr Singer is again trotting out his deflection technique mainly deployed when he is face with attempting to defend the indefensible. I have found through a long period of replying to his strident demands that answering one question only invites five more in its place.

Mr Singer freely asserts the State of Palestine exists “Both Israel and Palestine have been recognized as legitimate States - Israel in 1948 and Palestine in 2011.” (Singer May 2012) but he will not acknowledge the illegal nature of the occupation or even the fact there is an occupation.

What he is essentially asking us Australians to do is to ignore the plight of the Palestinian Villagers who have already had their homes razed five times, in 1985, 1991, 1997 and twice in 2001 and face yet another eviction this year. Why? Because the settlement, while on Palestinian land, is deemed illegal, not by us mind you nor the rest of the global community, but only by a pathological Israeli government and of course Mr Singer.

Well we are capable of recognising acts of bastardry and this is a shining example. For any of us to condone the actions of the Israeli Government in this instance would bring into question our commitment to a fair go. The Australian government should be telling the Israeli Government to back off and let us tend to what we have rightly identified as a humanitarian need. Our willingness to assist the downtrodden and oppressed is part of what makes this a great nation. The likes of Mr Singer and his agenda only serve to denigrate both us Australians and the Israeli population.

To csteele

1. You make the following false and misleading statement:

"Mr Singer freely asserts the State of Palestine exists “Both Israel and Palestine have been recognized as legitimate States - Israel in 1948 and Palestine in 2011.”

What I said was:

"Both Israel and Palestine have been recognized as legitimate States - Israel in 1948 and Palestine in 2011.

What is required in international law for statehood is effective control of territory - borders are unnecessary.

I believe Palestine does not qualify to be a state because it does not meet all the conditions laid down in the Montevideo Convention 1933.

However the 194 states in UNESCO do not agree with me. So until their decision is reversed or found by a Court to be unlawful - it stands - but they must be prepared to accept the consequences flowing from their decision to achieve the two-state solution outside the Oslo Accords and the Bush Roadmap."

This is certainly not a free assertion by me that the State of Palestine exists and for you to state so is false and misleading.

2. You seem strangely silent in commenting on the Arab quotations I posted relating to Jordan is Palestine. Any reason?

3. You seem to to have answered two of my ten questions addressed to you.

It would appear that you have no objection to the Australian Government and aid agencies pouring millions of dollars into illegal building projects in Area C of the West Bank that face the risk of being demolished and when confronted with that prospect "telling the Israeli Government to back off and let us tend to what we have rightly identified as a humanitarian need."

If I have misrepresented you - please feel free to correct me.

Don't you think it would be more prudential and fiscally responsible for Australia to ensure that any projects it funds are legally approved before building commences - especially in an area that is so volatile and sensitive as Area C of the West Bank?

4. When can I expect answers to the eight outstanding questions?

The Romans left us with a problem when in the early first century they
drove the Jews out of Israel.

The Arabs say they have been there for over a thousand years and the
Jews say they have been there for three thousand years.
In one case they are claiming an area because there is a Synagogue
that has been there since something BC.

I suspect that this is an impossible to adjudicate problem and can only
be solved by force of arms.

To Bazz

I cannot agree with you that force of arms is the only way to resolve the 130 years old conflict between Arabs and Jews.

However if you are right - doesn't that make Australia's policy to invest in West Bank Arab illegal building projects - indeed in any legally approved projects - even more fiscally irresponsible?

I wonder if Australian aid monies are similarly employed anywhere else in the world. I would be very surprised if this was happening.

Seems strange that no one wants to discuss Australia's policy of funding illegal Arab building in Area C of the West Bank.

Has everyone had a sudden attack of writer's cramp?

Dear Bazz,

In Twain's book Innocents Abroad he writes of his visit to Tangier;

“Here, under the quiet stars, these old streets seem thronged with the phantoms of forgotten ages. My eyes are resting upon a spot where stood a monument which was seen and described by Roman historians less than two thousand years ago, whereon was inscribed:

"WE ARE THE CANAANITES. WE ARE THEY THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OUT OF THE LAND OF CANAAN BY THE JEWISH ROBBER, JOSHUA."

Joshua drove them out, and they came here.”

A land with a long history of dispossession.

Yet we hope that we live in slightly more civilized times and that international law might serve to protect peoples against naked aggression, occupation and dispossession. Clearly in the case of the Palestinians it and we have been found wanting.

It is interesting to note the tirades from the US about the actions of Russia and China in vetoing moves on Syria. Yet they have engaged in just such behaviour in protecting Israel from the full force of international sanction and condemnation. Perhaps that protection may well be questioned now.

Australia spends about $50 million a year in Palestine. The Ausaid site says;

“Our aid helps to improve essential services such as basic health care and food security for Palestinians—in particular refugees, women and children—and to promote democracy and good governance. Australia’s three key priorities are:

providing basic services and humanitarian and emergency assistance to refugees and other vulnerable groups

state-building and support for the peace process, with a focus on improving governance and capacity of the Palestinian Authority

developing civil society, with a focus on reducing vulnerability, particularly for Palestinian women, children and youth"

People like Mr Singer are attempting to undermine and threaten that good work by trying to dictate where we Australians should be targeting those funds with baseless claims of illegality, totally unsupported by international law. He and his ilk need to be strongly rebuked and rejected.

We should remain committed to assisting these blighted people and be proud of those efforts.

For the reader who would like some more information about the planned demolitions and to know there are some fine Australian Jewish voices countering the likes of Mr Singer here is a link to Independent Australian Jewish Voices;

http://iajv99.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/action-alert-ausaid-project-amongst-others-marked-for-demolition-in-susiya-south-hebron/

It includes the video: “A Community to be Destroyed” on the planned demolition of the entire village of Susiya.

http://iajv99.wordpress.com/2012/06/26/video-a-community-to-be-destroyed-on-the-planned-demolition-of-the-entire-village-of-susiya/

These people to me reflect a marvellous combination of an innate thirst for social justice and an Aussie sense of a fair go.

They deserve our support and donations if possible.

csteele, your quote just goes to show how useless it is to try and
find a "legal" solution to the problem.

After all there are very good legal cases to overturn the occupation
of many estates in the UK which were forcefully taken over by the Normans.
Of course before them the Celts were displaced by the Anglo Saxons.
Before them the Brits were displaced by the Celts.
And those b*#*%y Romans got involved for a few hundred years.

In other words the world is a mess.

WE have to survive with what we are handed by history.

To csteele

The material you posted makes it abundantly clear that Australia along with Germany,Poland and the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission are engaged in funding illegal Arab building in Area C of the West Bank for political rather than humanitarian purposes.

Why be shy about admitting it?

Susiya has a population of 350 people and is described as a "herding community" that dwell in basic shelters mainly tents and shacks, living there on a seasonal basis.

Where do they live out of season?

Why would any fiscally responsible Government be putting money into this kind of legal minefield if not for political reasons?

The residents claim goes from 6000 dunams to 3000 dunams to 2000 dunams and is still before the High Court of Justice to be determined.

The Organization calling on Independent Australian Jewish Voices to write to Senator Carr to protect Australia's investment is the UN Office for Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It has been caught out engaging in similar support of such illegal Arab building activities itself.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=277620

Has everyone had a sudden attack of writer's cramp? asks the Singer.

No, it's just that people have better things to do with their time than engage in trying to argue with a religious zealot who is trying to prove to us that black is white!

We are not fooled by your childish antics and semantics, Singer.

To David G

Didn't really need your lecture.

Just wanted to know whether you approve of Australia throwing money down the drain investing in illegal Arab building programs that do not have building approval and run the risk of being demolished.

Why the reluctance to express your opinion?