An important note I should share, I am no expert on these issues but will try to share what I’ve learned in a way that I think helps others understand, while still struggling to understand the issues.
This post is dedicated to my Uncle Jerry who asks many important and difficult questions about who the fundamentalist Jews are, how the settlements are funded, and Prime Minister Netenyahu’s recent order to demolish some settlements.
Who are the fundamentalist Jewish settlers?
We tried to get into a settlement for a tour but were not able to see one from the inside, unfortunately. What we heard from Israelis, Palestinians, and Internationals living in the area is that the largest population of fundamentalist Jews is from America (Brooklyn, specifically). We also heard that a large population comes from France.
Additionally, we've heard that a lot of the economically-motivated settlers are from Ethiopia and Russia.
How are the settlements funded?
We heard from several organizations that the settlements are heavily subsidized by the Israeli government. In an earlier post I wrote that the Israeli government pays for the settlements but I should clarify, they don't pay 100% of the costs. According to an article released while we were in Jerusalem, the Macro Center of the Israeli European Policy Network reported that settlements receive 57% of their funding from the Israeli government. (In contrast, Israeli municipalities receive 35% funding from the government.)
What about the recent news reports that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered the demolition of several settlements?
Israel has been pressured by Internationals to stop construction of new settlements and we heard news that Netanyahu announced his plans to bulldoze 12-20 outposts that were not approved by the Israeli government. People we spoke to had bittersweet reactions to this news. On one hand, it shows the value of International pressure and influence on the government. On the other hand, there is fear that this is a political move that will appease Internationals but that no real change will come from it. One of our CPT guides took us to an outpost that had been identified as one planned for demolition and it was a tent that housed a synagogue outside a settlement. No one lived there and it was not even a building, compared to the large settlement community of houses and buildings a few blocks away. I’ll post a picture when I have my memory card back. It is my understanding that the many of the outposts ordered for demolition are “political settlements” and few, if any, people actually live there.
A "settlement" outpost ordered for destruction in Hebron.
Posts
I know it is complicated. Thank you for helping us learn, Greta. I think that good questions are where we start.
ReplyDeleteHi Greta - I really enjoyed our long conversation. I remain facinated by the one-state proposition that you say is the "talk on the street". Thank you for all the time you spent here responding - your insights are really valuable. All I want is... MORE! of your insight and experience! And I agree with ivcolga - good hard questions are the best kind.
ReplyDelete