Settler's
Bust
By Michael Dahan
28 October, 2004
Countercurrents.org
Much
has been written in support of and against Sharon's planned disengagement
from the Gaza Strip, to include the dismantling of the settlements in
the Gaza Strip, isolated settlements in the northern part of the West
Bank, and the redeployment of the Israeli army within the Gaza Strip,
yet one crucially important aspect has been overlooked by most commentators:
the precedent of dismantling settlements and its potentially transforming
and cathartic affect on Israeli society.
Since 1967, Israel,
under both Labour (the first settlements in the Gaza strip were established
by Labour in 1971) and Likud governments has gone to great pains to
populate the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with illegal settlements,
investing roughly 100 billion US dollars in this illegal enterprise
over the course of 38 years, resulting in the presence of approximately
240,000 Israeli settlers in these occupied territories (roughly 3.5%
of the Israeli population). The settlers themselves and their representatives
have accrued a disproportional amount of political power (perceived
and de facto) over this time period, often being seen as second only
to the Israeli army in their political power, prowess and influence.
The settlers and
their political collaborators on the right have managed to reach positions
of influence within the Israeli public sector, particularly in the government
units responsible for land administration within Israel proper and the
territories (hence, for example, the difficulty in receiving hard data
regarding the actual numbers of "illegal" outposts in the
West Bank). In addition to this, many of the senior and middle level
positions within the civil administration of the territories are held
by settlers.
Indeed, over the past five years the settlers and their cohorts have
taken over more than a third of the Likud party central committee in
a concerted effort to take full control of the party.
Since the early
90s, the settlers and their supporters have waged what can only be termed
a psychological war against Israeli politicians on the left and right
as well as the Israeli public. The purpose of this psychological war?
To strike fear and uncertainty into the hearts of Israeli citizens and
decision makers, preventing them from reaching the only logical solution
to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict - the dismantling of settlements,
a return to the 1967 borders, a just resolution of the Palestinian refugee
issue and the creation of a viable Palestinian state.
More recently, as
the Knesset vote on Sharon's disengagement plan drew near, central figures
among the settlers have been threatening civil war if Israel withdraws
from the Gaza Strip. What is more, many prominent Rabbis on the messianic
religious right [1] have called on religious soldiers in the Israeli
army to refuse to participate in the Gaza redeployment and the dismantling
of settlements there and in the north eastern West Bank. Doing so, according
to these figures, will lead to an irreparable rift within Israeli society
and to civil war. In reality, this is not the case.
The withdrawal
from the Gaza Strip will not lead to civil war, nor will it lead to
a rift, irreparable or otherwise, in Israel proper. All the polls and
figures point to the fact that the disengagement plan is supported by
at least 70% of the Israeli public. Indeed, there are few issues on
the public agenda in Israel which receive such wide support. Just as
Israel did not suffer from civil war with the dismantling of the settlements
in Sinai it is highly unlikely that this will be the case with Gaza
and the West Bank. Indeed, Israel has only gained in the past by relinquishing
conquered and occupied territories and will continue to benefit from
such actions in the future.
What frightens the
settlers is that after 38 years of occupation their bluff is about to
be called. Oddly enough, they are being forced by their former patron
and supporter, Ariel Sharon, to show their hand to the Israeli public
- and that hand is empty. For 38 years the settlers have managed to
paralyze political leaders seeking to divest Israel of the settlements.
Their supporters assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and they
are now threatening Sharon with physical violence. Following the disengagement
vote in the Knesset last night, graffiti appeared in Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv calling for Sharon's death. For 38 years the settlers and their
cohorts have managed to prevent the single most important decision facing
the Israeli public and the political leadership of the country: To divest
itself of the occupied territories.
Thus, the disengagement
plan threatens to tear away the mask of the settler's mythical power.
It will put to the test the settler's threats, and as in the fairy tale,
it will quickly become clear that the emperor is naked. Once this is
internalized by the Israeli public and the political leadership, the
perceived political power of the settlers will dissolve like mist. Once
the public and the political leadership see that settlements can be
dismantled it will likely serve as a domino effect and the settlers'
house of cards will quickly crumble. The settlers will then be forced
to decide where to place their loyalty - with the messianic vision of
"Greater Israel" and its attendant occupation and subjugation
of the Palestinian people or with the state of Israel with defined borders
minus the moral, ethical and political quagmire of the occupation. Yet
it remains to be seen whether Sharon will actually move forward with
the redeployment and dismantling of settlements and whether his government
will be able to withstand the expected political upheaval in the coming
months.
Former Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Barak likes to credit himself with exposing Arafat's true
intentions, rightly or wrongly. Ironically enough, Ariel Sharon, patron
and key architect of the settlement enterprise will be able to credit
himself in the future with exposing the true face of the settlers and
their perceived power, and will make it easier for future Israeli leaders
to dismantle the settlements and move forward towards a political agreement
with the Palestinians.
[1] The settlers have adopted a peculiar messianic form of Judaism similar
in many ways to millennial Christians. Menachem Begin, prior to the
withdrawal from Sinai noted that the settler's judgment has been clouded
by messianic visions - a statement quoted by Sharon in his speech prior
to the Knesset vote on the disengagement plan.
Writer is an Israeli-American
political scientist and university lecturer living in Jerusalem. He
can be reached at [email protected]