Netanyahu plans to unveil a new peace plan early next month, just before he is scheduled to address both Houses of Congress in Washington. According to reports, the plan will suggest a transfer of additional territory in the West Bank to “full Palestinian control.”
Meanwhile back in the real world, Israel’s Ministry of Housing has just announced plans to build a new neighborhood of 800 housing units south of West Bank settlement Givat Ze’ev. Peace Now correctly points out that these plans represent the true intentions of the Israeli government:
It is a strategic plan, that is meant, from the one hand, to create a territorial continuity between Jerusalem and Givat Zeev, and from the other hand to create a barrier between the Palestinian communities south-west of Ramallah, and the heart of the potential Palestinian State in East Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The construction in the “Settlement Blocs” is more of a threat to the two states solution than in the other settlements, because it creates facts on the ground that will be much harder for Israel to remove, and it limits the ability of the negotiators to find potential land-swaps that would be necessary for an agreement.
Just bear this in mind when Netanyahu unveils his latest “peace plan:” actions on the ground speak much louder than his words.
It’s been the Israeli tactic / strategy / defacto reality for 40+ years now to talk about all kinds of possible withdrawals, concessions, etc, while all the time expanding and more deeply entrenching Israeli control. What you describe, Brant, is exactly that — a continuation of every past government’s approach to appeasing critics while continuing to do exactly what they say their not doing.