Jewish West Bank settlements a bad mistake

Possible solutions

Ideally, most if not all of the West Bank settlements would be dismantled. However, most Israelis and even many leading Palestinians concede that this objective may be unrealistic. The political challenge is prohibitive, and the cost of evacuating all the settlers is estimated at more than 250 billion shekels.

The best outcome that can probably be hoped for is a two-state solution which involves the evacuation of many settlers, and the permanent retention of the larger settlement blocs within Israeli territory in exchange for land inside Green Line Israel. The final adjusted borders would need to ensure the creation of a viable, contiguous Palestinian State, and should be accompanied by an explicit amendment to the Israeli Law of Return designating that it does not apply to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In the current context, these plans may seem like a pipe dream, but they have already been discussed at length in previous peace negotiations. For example, during the January 2001 discussions at Taba, Israel proposed to annex the suburbs of Jerusalem, the Etzion Bloc and the town of Ariel, and evacuate 75,000 settlers.

Similarly, the unofficial 2003 Geneva Peace Accord stipulated an Israeli annexation of 2.2 per cent of the West Bank including 21 settlements and 140,000 settlers close to the Green Line. All other 100-plus settlements including the city of Ariel and about half the settlers were to be evacuated.

It is also significant that the amended security fence line (as per February 2005) annexes 8.6 per cent of the West Bank including 49 settlements and 190,000 settlers. That leaves more than 70 settlements and about 70,000 settlers on the eastern Palestinian side of the fence who may be ripe for evacuation.

There are currently a number of political initiatives in Israel to encourage those settlers east of the fence to return home. For example, a number of public figures established an NGO called One Home to lobby for a fair evacuation compensation law to encourage the evacuation of settlers.

An associated parliamentary bill drafted by Knesset members Abshalom Vilan of Meretz and Labor's Collette Avital would buy the properties of settlers located east of the security fence for around $200,000 each. Vilan commissioned a poll which showed that half the 80,000 settlers on the Palestinian side of the fence would return if offered adequate compensation.

The bill has the support of both Labor Party leader Ehud Barak, and Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon of Kadima. Only time will tell whether such measures are successful.