+972's Person of the Year: The Settler

[azurnoir]

The settlement movement registered major victories this year on various fronts. Its representatives are reaching new heights in politics, the judiciary and the media. One out of five residents east of the Green Line is a settler. The expansion of settlements continues unabated, and – most importantly – settlers are in full control of the Israeli national narrative. In 2012, as more and more observers declared the death of the two-state solution, the settler became the new normal.

For decades, the settler movement and Israel’s secular, largely Ashkenazi urban elite have been playing a game of “pretend.” The secular political elite claimed the settlers were religious ideologues, obstacles to peace and not representative of mainstream Israeli society. The settlers, meanwhile, charged that an effete minority ruling class ignored their contributions and commitment to the state.

But all the while, successive governments headed by secular, purportedly liberal leaders tacitly expedited settlement growth even as the secular, purportedly liberal judiciary handed down rulings that effectively sanctioned settlements, which are built in contravention of international law. The settlers, meanwhile, became increasingly confident as they rose to occupy important positions at the highest levels of the state’s key institutions – the legislative branch (Knesset), the executive branch (the governing coalition), the judiciary and the army.

In 2012, the game became reality: The settlers are the new ruling elite of Israel.

http://972mag.com/972s-person-of-the-year-the-settler/62756

[PDJane]

1. Yes.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. From the article.

With the rise of the settlers, the once-radical idea that Israel should annex or maintain its military occupation of the West Bank indefinitely has gained new currency in relatively mainstream circles. Government approval for settlement expansion continues unabated.


Sad.

Settler is just a nicer way of saying invader.

[AverageJoe90]

3. Sad but damned true.

I seriously can't understand why anyone in their right minds would even THINK about supporting these settlers when the Palestinians in that region are clearly suffering from maltreatment, property theft, etc. from this shit. Hell, it kinda reminds me of what happened to the Native Americans of the old Plains, the Sioux, Pawnee, etc. and how they were screwed with, persecuted, and even slaughtered by gun-crazy madmen and other morally corrupt individuals.

[Scootaloo]

4. People support it for the EXACT SAME REASON they supported the efforts against the Indians

Because they hated Indians and wanted them cleansed from "our territory"

[oberliner]

5. Off the charts

This is not in any way a reasonable analogy.

[delrem]

10. No it isn't.

It's a fair analogy.
Except for the term "hate". I don't think the correct term is "hate". I think it's more like "totally disrespect, as humans" or some equivalent that includes "puts their human plight out of mind, as being inconsequential".
"hate" implies a heat that I don't think exists in Netanyahu's mind, or in the minds of most of those who support the settlement movement. Sure, some youths from the settlements go on rampages - but that's just youthful hijinks.

[oberliner]

13. Alrighty then

Somehow I am not surprise to see you respond that way.

[oberliner]

6. Do you work for 972mag?

Do they pay you for every article you post here?

[azurnoir]

7. lol of course not however as most of Ha'aretz is now behind a paywall

+972 is another progressive Israeli alternative, why do you seem to have such a problem with it?

eta it's somehow reassuring to know that no good deed goes unpunished though

[oberliner]

14. It's not what you think it is

It's certainly no Ha'aretz.

[azurnoir]

16. no Ha'aretza is commercial enterprize +972 runs largely off donations

from foreigners much like B'tselem

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. Do you work for PressTV? *nt

[oberliner]

9. Would that the poster felt about 972mag the way I feel about PressTV

However, I think the opposite is, in fact, the case.

[azurnoir]

11. why? +972 in no way resembles PressTV

and I am sorry that you feel the way it seems you do about Israeli progressives

[oberliner]

12. They are exactly the same

And neither has anything to do with "Israeli progressives" - I daresay you've never actually met one.

[azurnoir]

15. no PressTV and +972 have very little in common

as to Israeli Progressives actually I have met several but they are living in the US

PressTV prints antiIsrael and antiSemetic woo and is state run +972 does not they print what is currently happening in Israel from a progressive POV most of its writers are Israeli Jews and the Israeli government does not control their content