Kind of you to suggest post number answered my question but unfortunately it did not. My question did not concern the historical-legal arguments of the situation. The question concerned the present situation and was much simpler: if it is alleged that the Arab inhabitants of the West Bank are 'illegal squatters' then why not challenge this in the courts? A simple answer is all that is required.

I answered your question but Y-Net didn't publish it. The answer is that there is no venue, no jurisdiction where Israel could get a fair hearing of the facts. The UN is mostly anti-Semitic and Israel has been arguing the legal points for years and it is totally ignored by the international community. It is the League of Nations and the United Nations which made the resolutions that Israel uses as evidence and it is still unheeded. Perhaps Y-Net will see fit to publish this and it will at least open a debate on the subject and posters Y-Net likes can take it from here.

only fuels arab agression. Land surrenders do not ease murderous arab Jew-hatred, they only hamstring Israel's ability to defend itself. Just look at the disasterous failure of past surrenders. The only peace is through strength.

It's fine to believe that the WB is Israel etc, but there is a practical reality. What to do with the at least 1.5 million Arabs. Some suggest they repatriating them to Jordan. 1) Jordan does not want them. they have given up claims to the WB since 1987, when Shamir nixed the Peres-Huessin agreement. So it's unlikely they are to return there. 2) The logistics of the task is enormous. If you thought removing Jewish settlers from the GS was difficult, just wait and see. they have no love for us; it will be brutal. So that leaves us where? establishing some sort of autonomous region: likely not going to work either. at one point, this will look like SA. This is reality. Stop dealing in fantasy. Everything has a cost.

I will answer your questions and use simple terms so that you understand. First there is no court in the world with the authority to hear such a case. Second we do not need any such court because our ownership of the land is beyond any sort of doubt. Every single international law and treaty states it. Furthermore the Arabs do not have a single legal claim. Third the ICJ already ruled that Jordan was not allowed to strip the Arabs of citizenship - that violated international law. Did you understand that or do I have to use smaller words for you?

OK, I just want to clarify this. You are saying that Israeli governments agree that the non-Jewish inhabitants of the West Bank are 'illegal squatters' but the UN does not accept this. They have stated this - yes?

Okay,okay, folks, we are forgetting why Israel is "occupying" the territories, in part or whole? Michael Ofen gives a factual explanation in "Six Days of War". His last pages refuse to predict what if, what if the 6 Arab countries had WON? I recall the shouts of Jihad from Algeria to Iran..in 67. Israel offerred Jordan relief from the war if only. The Arab League answered afterwards with 3 nos. Nothing has changed there but the players, except the Pales are much stronger witgh Hamas/Hez. Syrias termois does not bode well guys. Egypt is problematic. Iran again threatened Israel's existence, responding to Israel's concerns over nuke sites. Legally, the W. Bk has no soverienty..nor does it belong to any country. It's sort of in limbo. Jordan's occupation was never accepted by the world AND it doesnt want it now. (Why should it?). Sooo, Abbas again tries the UNSC (GA). Hes playing poker with the US elections and a weak Bibi govt (thanks Kadima and the ultra). Everything is topsy, turvey..except the arming of Israel's enemies. Is the US really committed to stopping Iran? If so, when??? Should Korea be an example of US DOUBLE TALK..all talk and no action? The US, 67 years after WW2, is still in Japan with air bases, etc., and Germany. The Allon Plan, adjusted (for Jerusalem) is still Israel's best bet..Arab control over their lives..within borders secured by Israel. NOTHING else will work in the area. Peace is simply not attainable ( Look at Syria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon.). The W. Bk AND E. Jerusalem over the greenl lines bldg may be legal,,,but what matters is politics.TO ISRAEL: do not annex the area..you dont need 3m more headaches. Their birthrete is 5 times yours...AND the Charedi are eroding your security big time, with no remedy in sight. In an army, your right hand man guards you and vica verca. The Chardi think studying Torah is what it is allabout. G-d will protect Israel, as it did in Auschiwitz Ask the 9,000 SS in that camp and 2m dead, including 11,000 French children.. Bottom line: legal or not, its moot. It's the Arab attitude that counts.

Reading books about our fight in Iraq/Afghanistan...no one in our govt considered that Democracy is just not realisitic in countries with their centuries old history. Iraq is 3 or 4 nations..as we know. Afghanistan is made up of tribes See Pashtun and Northern Alliance. The mistake we made was in thinking defeating Sddam/the Taliban..would stabilize 2 dysfunctional socieits. The Ruskies found out. ( what will change but who occupies the palaces?). The Arab League has 22 nations..arsenals of weapons and millions under arms..Where were they in all this, except to fault the US for supporting israel (existence)/? Israel will never be at peace with its Muslim neighbors,, never. The 100yr old conflict goes on. Even Daniel Barnenboim's much heralded orchestra..has a high attrition rate with politics galore, still. All his efforts (with Edward Said) for naught. Bottom line: Sons of monkeys and daughters of whores..still Arab beliefs..who read Mein Kampf for starters. Give the Arabs autonomy in Arab dominated neighborhoods, under Israel security. Restrick any new outposts or settlements...bargain existing with equal land swaps..if the Pales refuse..tell them to take a hike. I mean, whose afraid of the big bad wolf, (UNSC), Iran and Syria arent.

I will let you in on a little secret - we don't give a flying fuck what the UN accepts or doesn't accept. They are an racist apartheid organization that has no say in the matter. It's our land and the rest of the world can go fuck themselves if they don't agree

This sounds like some factless article that would be posted on Ha'aretz. This is the most biased information ever! What give citizenship to people that want to kill you or give them an authority that premotes hatred and violence! Eretz Yisharel Shelanu!

They are already legal. The correct term is Authorizing outposts.

You should read the Levi report again as I understood that he wrote about international law.

I am not interested in your view of the UN. My point is: does the Israeli government (and previous governments) agree that the non-Jewish inhabitants of the West Bank are 'illegal squatters' and, if so, where is it stated? I can't seem to get response to that.

The facts are and remain as follows: by betraying the League of Nations as well as the Jewish People, your country, Britain, created an artificial country, today called Jordan, on 77% of the territory destinated to be the Jewish National Home, the Jewish State. Jordan attacked twice the State of Israel. Now that Israel got hold of Judea and Samaria, in total accordance with International Law, as stipulated in the "Mandate for Palestine" and reaffirmed by the United Nations by Article 80 of its Charter, you, Bertram, you seem very concerned about the Arabs of the so called "West-Bank". You just want to forget that most of them have the Jordanian nationality, while Jordan would never accept one Jew in its "boundaries". I suppose this is for you an acceptable situation, that Jordan should remain "Judenrein" (free from Jews), while Israel should integrate a Jordanian population. Well, it isn't ! At a certain moment a solution will have to be worked out, and Jordan will not be able to escape being involved.

My previous post was intendet to you Bertram 43 and not 39. Sorry.

No need to argue the case in court. Israel acquired Judea and Samaria in the course of fighting a defensive war against Jordan. Courtesy of Jordan's 1954 Citizenship Law, all the Arabs in Judea and Samaria are Jordanian citizens. Israel can annex Judea and Samaria, and then promptly repatriate all those illegal Arab aliens to the country of their citizenship -- Jordan. Where's the problem? The Court in The Hague has consistently refused to allow Jordan to revoke that grant of citizenship, rightfully ruling that an irrevocable grant of citizenship is precisely that -- irrevocable. No need to go to court, honey.

I asked a simple question. You respond with verbiage instead of answering the question. I guess you can't.

Then, given my question at no 43 and repeated at no 47, why doesn't the Israeli government do just that?

Because we have a bunch of spineless leftists running the government. They listen more to people that hate us than the people that voted them into office. Legally we have the right, morally it is the correct thing to do. We just need a real JEWISH leadership to end the farce

The current gov't (probably the most right-leaning in Israeli history) doesn't consider the Arabs illegal squaters. The idea that the Palestinians can easily be ethincally clensed is a fantasy of the far-right fringe. No Israeli gov't would take this to court because (a) they'd lose but more importantly (b) because they have no desire to.

I realise that I might not have been sufficiently explicit. So, here is the question: given you are correct in what you say why, in nearly half a century, hasn't the Israeli government already annexed the territory and expelled the non-Jewish inhabitants?

You say 'we have a bunch of spineless leftists running the government' whereas no. 51 considers the current government 'probably the most right-leaning in Israeli history'. I am very confused, unless you mean by 'leftist' anyone with a view marginally more liberal than that of Genghis Khan.

Judea and Samaria legally belong to Israel. This has been proven incontrovertibly by countless international law experts. Even the terrorist P.A. won't publicly debate the issue; as MK Danny Danon challenged it to. The answer is simple. Israel should annex Judea and Samaria. Pay Arabs to leave; as the vast majority have told pollsters they want to. It's win/win for everyone.

Just because some foreigner thinks that the government is "probably the most right-leaning in Israeli history" doesn't make it so. In a way he is right it is the "probably the most right-leaning in Israeli history" and it happens that it is to left of Odumba and his socialist crowd makes us both right. Sad commentary that we keep electing people claiming to be on the right and at best we get is a leftist

about Gili Haskin's wise words. There is a reality that can not be changed; Arab population into West Bank. Whether they are, or not, Jordanian citizens, it doesn't care, because it will be impossible to expel, or repatriate them, to the neighbor Haschemite State. Violent and unfair acts against common people are incompatible with the good principles that come from Israel's founding fathers. As a true friend, I repeat. The only solution means redrawed secured borders among your State and a demilitarized Arab Palestine, whose creation demands full respect for Israel's sovereignty and her Jewish Democratic identity. Beyond it, all people that choose to be Israeli must declare and uphold its loyalty to David Star. Firmness and moderation have to walk together. Renewed salutes.

Well, there appears to be so much confusion and 'treachery' within Israel there is no need for 'foreigners' to sow dissent.