Palestinian in Exile

In the new Peace Now report about how much of the Israeli settlements (colonies) in the West Bank are built on Palestinian private land, the numbers have changed. The most significant number is the most crucial one: in the earlier report, the group said that 86 percent of the land on which Ma'leh Adumim is built is privately owened by Palestinians.But the Israeli government and the majority of Israelis have convinced themseleves that Ma'leh Adumim is not a settlement, but a suberb of Jerusalem. It even has an ACE hardware store there. They made clear that this is the kind of settlement they will not give up.So Ma'leh Adumim's numbers change.what are the new numbers? (oh, take a wilde guess!).54 percent.Where did Peace Now get this number?From the Israeli Civil Administration.This is the problem with Peace Now. They buy into the world of make believe that their government creates. They are up in it to their necks. As one of them says, he can't prove that the numbers are wrong and the data base is manipulated. God forbid that they ever talk to the Palestinians and see what they have because their frame of reference is their government and the laws of their government--the unjust laws of their government.But why even talk to the Palestinians. Whether the settlements are built on private Palestinian land or state land, they are illegal according to international law. It is illegal for an occupying force to change facts on the ground in the land it occupies. But Peace Now is not concerned here about international law, but about Israeli law. Private land is not good, but state land is kosher.Although I'm desparate for any sign from the Israeli side of real support for Palestinian rights, I can't get excited over what's coming out of Peace Now.As to this New York Times article about the new report, forget it! It will only confirm the average NYT's reader's view that things are "unclear" and "messy" and "complicated" when it comes to Israeli settlements so one is better not get too overexercised morally about it all and just hope the Palestinians appreciate how much the Israelis are agonizing over all of this mess that they just "found" themeselves in! In short, leave it to the Israelis. They'll do what's best.