West Bank
The Challenge of SovereigntyTuesday, April 16, 2013 by Michael B. Oren | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
On the eve of Israel's independence, David Ben-Gurion sat alone, questioning whether a people so long accustomed to being the victims of sovereign power could take responsibility for themselves.
Israel’s GatekeepersThursday, April 11, 2013 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Gatekeepers is not a history of Israel's security service, its operations and directors, but a political plea for the evacuation of the West Bank, the creation of a Palestinian state, and the suppression of Israeli’s religious settler movement.
Why Israel’s Gaze Has Turned InwardThursday, January 31, 2013 by Yiftach Ofek | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
“It takes two to tango,” goes the oft-quoted idiom. Without a reliable Palestinian partner, the Israeli public seems to have chosen to dance with itself.
Justice in a Gray WorldMonday, December 31, 2012 by Robert Nicholson | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Law In These Parts, a new documentary that places the blame for Palestinian woes on Israel's military lawyers, exhibits scant awareness of history—and limited knowledge of law.
What are Israel’s Rights in Judea and Samaria? Two ViewsThursday, August 9, 2012 by JHH Weiler, Yaffa Zilbershats, and Avi Bell | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Two differing views of a controversial report on the legality of Jewish settlements in territories seized in the Six-Day War.
Terror Out of ZionTuesday, December 6, 2011 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
There is no love lost between the British Foreign Office and Israel. In a report to parliament last month, Foreign Minister William Hague condemned Israel for building in Jerusalem, being in the West Bank, and treating the present Gaza regime like the enemy it is.
Frail Reeds?Wednesday, February 2, 2011 by Elliot Jager | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Observing Egypt's current upheaval, a writer for the Hebrew daily Makor Rishon has ventured the thought that whatever happens there, and no matter who takes power, "the lesson for Israel is clear: Arab regimes cannot be trusted."
Who’s Against a Two-State Solution?Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by Efraim Karsh | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
"Two states, living side by side in peace and security." This, in the words of President Barack Obama, is the solution to the century-long conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs in the Middle East. Washington is fully and determinedly on board. So are the Europeans. The UN and the "international community" vociferously agree. Successive governments of the state of Israel have shown their support for the idea. So far, there is—just as there has always been—only one holdout.
Editors' Picks
Are the Settlements Illegal? Michael Curtis, American Thinker. The Geneva Convention provides no clear determination as to who has rights of sovereignty over the West Bank.
After Fayyad Elliott Abrams, Weekly Standard. Salam Fayyad's resignation as Palestinian prime minister signals the failure of his proactive approach to state-building—and the return of corruption and mob rule.
Meshaal, the Moderate? Alan Johnson, Prospect. Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal rejects peace with Israel, refusing to "relinquish an inch" of land. But Egypt has guaranteed his re-election in the hope of avoiding war.
Arafat's Intifada Jonathan D. Halevi, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. A recent Israeli documentary argued that the Second Intifada was a spontaneous uprising, not instigated by the Palestinian Authority. But substantial testimony from the PA at the time shows otherwise.
Levittown on the Jordan? Armin Rosen, Atlantic. Rawabi on the West Bank will be the first Palestinian planned community. If it succeeds, it will show that Palestinians already have considerable power to shape their own future.
Polling the Palestinians Rick Richman, Commentary. Over half of Palestinians would oppose a two-state solution, even if Israel withdrew from 97% of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to a recent opinion poll.
Washington Post Says "Settlements" Rhetoric Overheated , Washington Post. Almost all of Israel's recent post-Oslo settlement construction is located in areas that a two-state solution would cede to Israel. The real roadblock to peace is Abbas.
Not So Fast Alan Baker, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Now that the dust has cleared after the Palestinians’ recent UN status upgrade, it is clear that they remain in no position, politically or morally, to declare statehood.
Exit Left Josef Olmert, Times of Israel. Despite the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank has remained quiet—in part thanks to the PA. Does this mean that once the dust settles, Netanyahu will be expected to make concessions to Abbas?
1979: What Are the Settlements For? Yaacov Lozowick, Israel State Archives. Minutes of Israeli cabinet meetings from October 1979 reveal a dispute between Ariel Sharon and Ezer Weizman as to whether West Bank settlements were a security necessity or a liability.