At the risk of stating the totally obvious:

- the objection to settlements is to Israel building settlements on land which does not belong to Israel; Beit El, like all the rest, would be fine if it were built in Israel

- the "Zionist national identity" is objectionable because it involves the expulsion, and continued exclusion, of Palestinian refugees (those whose homes were in what is now Israel and were expelled or fled the fighting in 1948)

It seems clear from the author's expression that

"the most far-reaching proposal by an Israeli leader and included the most significant territorial concessions ever offered"

in fact consisted of giving back to the Palestinians some of what is theirs, and keeping some.

'Once Israel is falsely depicted as a "colonial enterprise," instead of the result of long struggle for self-determination for the Jewish people (who came not just from Europe, but rather from all over the world - including many who are indigenous to the Middle East region), one can pretty much be certain that we are not talking about settlements, human rights or peace anymore.'

Israel IS a colonial enterprise. Zionism was a movement to colonise Palestine for the creation of a nation for Jews. It succeeded in the creation of Israel.

There is only one thing which will satisfy the Muslims in regards to Israel, it must cease to exist, exactly as stated repeatedly by the leaders of HAMAS and Hezbollah.

Muslims think that Israel sits on "Muslim land." And any backward step by Muslims is anathema to the whole idea of ever onward Muslim expansion. The "settlements" as just another excuse to get self righteous, in the same way that Muslims went berserk in Sydney over some stupid YouTube skit produced by an Egyptian in California.

Hey, these are characters who kill people over a design on a pair of Nike sneakers which looks a bit like "Allah" in Arabic.

Any excuse will do.

Islam has a very successful formula for expansion. Invade some Christian, Jewish, pagan, Buddhist, or Hindu state and force everybody to become a Muslim. As a vehicle for colonialism, it has much to recommend it.

To hear Muslims crying that they are the victims when one of their former victims returns the complement, should instil in an impartial observer a flush of annoyance, or at least leave them shaking their heads in pitying wonder.

It's always difficult to comment on some of these intractable situations in the absence of all of the facts however, the Jewish people do certainly appear to have done the wrong thing by the Palestinians, including, but not limited to, the theft of that part of the world by military force.

Recently on Al Jazeera, their was the broadcast of vast pits of hundreds if not thousands of dead Palestinian skeletons (allegedly) being unearthed. It appears that ethnic cleansing is not outside Jewish practice when push comes to shove, and the fact that the clowns in the Australian media choose not to broadcast this goes to the endemic corruption in this country and gross lack of a free press and freedom of speech.

Still, given everything that they have been through, I am of the view that the Jews are certainly entitled to their own place, where they may live in peace and happiness. In that regard, any advocate of a so called 2 state solution is no friend of Israel as far as I am concerned.

Had the Jews had the stomach last time round when there was serious military conflict, they would have blown out the back wall of Gaza and pushed all the Palestinians out into the desert and the "luving" arms of the N.G.O.'s and claimed Gaza for their own. The same goes for the rest of Israel/Palestine as far as I am concerned as unfortunately, the depth of hatred simply runs too deep on both sides for a 2 state, side by side solution and it is for the rest of the Islamic world to provide a new place for the Palestinians, instead of using them to terrorise the Jews (regardless of their errors) in the absence of the Islamic Theocracy being able to get all of its own way.

I can not believe my eyes.
Israel accepted the "partition" in 1947/1948,Israel extended a hand of friendship to other countries, Israel never attacked or threatened to attack anyone(except for self defence) ,Israel offered to give back land in exchange for ONE simple thing called PEACE, Israel offered to give Palestinians 94% of West Bank ( Gaza has been evacuated years ago),Israel froze all settlements(new & old), Israel treats their people( Jews & Arabs) alike. Israel is still waiting for us ( The Arabs ) to mature enough and stop killing "ourselves" (in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen ,Iraq ...etc..to name a few) so we can sit down and negotiate with Israel like civilised human beings.......
And now Israel is supposed to apologise for all the missed opportunities we ( the Arabs) wasted in the name of Allah, Islam, Arab Nationalism.
Please, Arabs, wake up to reality.

It is about time that those who insist that the Palestinian Israeli conflict is all about settlements took some time to learn some political history and look further for their information than the usual anti-Israel propaganda that bolsters their prejudices.

Jet and Arab make truthful and valuable comments on the Israel/Arab dispute.

The dispute is not about settlements, which comprise a miniscule part of Judea and Samaria (the so-calles West Bank). Had the local Arabs wanted to stop Jewish national development - pejoritively labelled settlement building - they would long ago have accepted various offers of statehood and enacted laws about who could build where.

The dispute is religious and there is no rational way to negotiate an ideological difference. The Jewish people from Europe and mohammedan realms rejoined those of their kin who had remained on their ancient lands for millenia. Repatriates are definately not colonisers. If there are colonisers, it is those Arabs who were labelled refugees after TWO(!!) years of residency in the British mandate of Palestine.

To underscore the religious aspect of the dispute, which polite, sophisticated, secular society laughs off, one only needs to recall that the future state of "Palestine", has been promised to be Jew free. Not very enlightened, secular or non-discriminatory like democracies should be.

If we can call Israel a "colonial enterprise" than same we should say about many another countries. For example, Morocco or Sri Lanka both have their own programs of colonization sparsely populated territories with populated by minorities.

In response to Arab:

'Israel accepted the "partition" in 1947/1948'

as a stepping stone to getting the rest of Palestine later.

'Israel never attacked or threatened to attack anyone(except for self defence)'

Wrong. Check out Norman G. Finkelstein's book "Image & Reality in the Israel-Palestine Conflict".

'Israel offered to give back land in exchange for ONE simple thing called PEACE, Israel offered to give Palestinians 94% of West Bank'

When?

'Gaza has been evacuated years ago'

Israel evacuated the settlements from Gaza, sealed Gaza off like a prison camp, and then expanded settlements in the West Bank.

'Israel froze all settlements(new & old)'

Israel continues to expand the settlements.

'Israel treats their people( Jews & Arabs) alike'

Wrong. Israel systematically discriminates against its non-Jewish citizens.

Prussia has been called "the heart of Germany". Prussia is now part of Russia. The Ivans simply annexed this part of Germany after WW 2 as a form of war reparation. They aslo annexed it in recognition that Prussia is geographically isolated from the rest of Germany by Poland, and that this fact has been one of the reasons for continuing conflict in Europe.

The Germans could behave like the Arabs and demand Prussia back. After all, the fact that Prussia is recognised as part of Germany by treaty goes back to the League of Nations. The Germans could hijack aeroplanes. Fly commercial airliners into buildings. Set off bombs. Shoot home made rockets into Russia. Kidnap Russian soldiers. Take Russian hostages.

But they don't.

The Germans are not like the Arabs. The Germans want peace while want the Arabs want war. The Arabs want war because they will never accept that a religion who's homeland they have conquered can return to its original religion. And they want war, because they want an enemy for their people to focus upon, instead of their people looking inward and wondering why Muslim societies everywhere are economic basket cases.

All of this babble about "discrimination" and "Palestinian rights" is just so much hot air. Nobody gives a ferk about "Prussian rights". The world simply accepts the status quo. Nothing short of a full scale war will return Prussia and the Prussians to the country who's territory Prussia really belongs to.

Nothing short of a full scale nuclear exchange is going to get the Jews out of Israel. But by that time, the whole of the Middle east would be a giant sheet of glass. If the Arabs were as smart as the Germans, they would accept that they will never annihilate Israel without the Israelis returning the complement.

The only difference between the Masada complex the Jewish zealots exhibited at Masada, when they all committed suicide rather than surrender to the surrounding Roman army, is that this time they will take their surrounding enemies with them.

"Double Standards"
I agree totally with LEGO but it is obvious that LEGO have a European background as he mentioned Prussia and the fact that it is a part of Russia. However, I would like, as an Arab, to add 2 things:

a) What do we (the Arabs) think of Kuwait (an Arabic/Muslim country) which was, geographically, a part/providence of Iraq ( an Arabic/Muslim country) but was annexed by the English in the 1940s (same decade of the establishment of the state of Israel)to be given to a tribe called "Sabah Salem El Sabah". When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991, not only UN nations but most of our Arabic/Muslim countries joined the coalition forces to "Liberate" Kuwait.

b) Bangladesh ( a Muslim country) was annexed to be established as an independent state in 1971 resulting in displacement of millions on both sides of the conflict. Arabic and Muslim countries accepted the situation.

So, why we complicate things when it comes to Israel? Is it our famous Arabic double-standards attitude or is it being adapted and conditioned (unconsciously) to being lead by our religious fanatics who serve only their own interests by declaring "vocal wars"......in vein?
Arab

Arab, the state of Israel was created via the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. The ethnic cleansing included massacres, rapes, forced expulsions, and the theft of the Palestinians property'. The Palestinians were left in refugee camps in poverty, or were internally displaced within Israel. None of the people responsible were ever brought to justice. In fact, a number of them become prominent Israeli politicians, including at least two Israeli Prime Ministers. It is one thing for a territory to secede and declare independence. It is another for ethnic cleansing to happen.

Also, Bangladesh got independence after the Pakistani government committed genocide against the Bengalis.

The problem goes back to the Koran.
Islamists are commanded to convert the Jews and other infidels or
put them to the sword.

It IS a religious war, not a racial war.

From 642 onwards they invaded other lands including what is now called
Palestine and/or Israel.
The Crusades were staged by European Christians to restore Christian
and indirectly Jewish control of Judea.

Ever since Islam came into existence in 642 they have been a b*&%^y nuisance.
Their war and push into Europe has been continuous since those days.
There have been at least two armed invasions of Europe by Islamists
and it is still going on. Now the tactics have changed, and it is
done now with legal and illegal immigration.

They are not shy to proclaim that Sharia Law will govern everywhere.

Fungus, as I suggested before, you should broaden your reading as it seems you are only looking at material which supports your prejudiced point of view. Your hatred of Israel stops you seeing that although tremendous problems do exist and must be dealt with, the settlements form just a part.

Also, talking of not bringing people to justice and allowing them them to become prominent politicians, take a look at Iran, for instance, where two suspects in the bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires are candidates in Iran's presidential election.

In response to jet:

Hmmm. You say I should broaden my reading on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Regarding what I have read about it, I have read books by Edward Said, Jacqueline Rose, Antony Loewenstein, John Pilger, Norman Finkelstein, Amira Haas, Noam Chomsky, and Gideon Levy.

Regarding what you call my "hatred of Israel", I don't hate Israel. I just hate the way it treats the Palestinians.

If you think I should widen my reading, then I welcome your suggestions as to what books I should read.

Hi Arab. Since when has "Kuwait" been "part of Iraq?"

The geographic area generally known through history as "Mesopotamia" has been a part of somebody's empire for 3000 years. Kuwait became a sheikdom protectorate of the British in 1899 because the sheik who's tribe traditionally claimed Kuwait as their territory feared its outright annexation by the Ottomans. Most of the Middle East was simply provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The state of Iraq (or even Syria) never even existed before the British and the French drew the lines in the sand after WW2 which delineate these states today. Naturally, the local Arabs squabbled about that, like they squabble over everything anyway. The Saudis claimed that all of Syria and Iraq was really part of Arabia, but the Poms and the Frogs were having none of that.

The point is, that somebody had to delineate where these states existed, and if the Arabs were so backward and barbaric that they did not even know what "a theodolite" was , then somebody had to do it for them. Say "Thank you, Europe."

What significance the civil war in "East" and "West" Pakistan has on this topic, you did not elaborate on.

But since you are an Arab, why don't you just do what HAMAS, The Muslim Brotherhood, and Hezbollah routinely do, and tell fungus what this is really all about? The Arabs consider "Palestine" to be "Arab" and 'Muslim" land and nothing short of the extermination of the Jewish state will satisfy you. But you won't, because you know that people like fungus may be stupid but they are useful to you. So, you will go on pandering to their childish misconceptions about "Israeli oppression" and "Palestinian victims" to enlist their support.

And as a typical racist and nationalistic Arab, you must wonder what is wrong with people like Fungus, who think that nationalism and sticking up for your own people is something that you should be ashamed of?

So, LEGO, you think I'm stupid because I am not racist towards Arabs?
And you think I'm stupid because I claim - correctly - that Israel oppresses the Palestinians? That I think the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more complicated than the simple fact that there are Arab Muslims involved?

You claim that the Arabs are "backward and barbaric", and that they should thank Europe for modern technology. Yet, when Europe was in the Dark Ages, the Arab world was in what is known as the "Islamic Golden Age", in which they were studying philosophy and science. It was the Arabs at this time who translated the ancient Greek texts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_golden_age

Fungus wrote: " It was the Arabs at this time who translated the ancient Greek texts."
It sounds respectful and quite politically correct but do you mean that, say, Byzantine scholars of that time whose native language was Greek (and their western neighbors) had real need in such courteous help of the Arabs who got the "ancient Greek texts" by conquering and plundering of the old Greek cultural seats in Egypt and Syria? ;

'With the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD, Europe entered a new and tumultuous phase. Many of the old Greek and Roman medical texts were misplaced or destroyed and medical education in Europe progressed little. But elsewhere Arabic scholars kept the Greek and Roman writings alive and wrote new material to supplement them.'

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/775187_4

Well put. And I even partly share your point. I've just intended to emphasize that the real picture of interaction between medieval Westerners, Byzantines, Arabs and so called "Mosarabs" (partly assimilated by Arabs autochthonal population of Near East, Spain and Northern Africa) was much more complicated than simple "saving by Arabs the old European culture".