Unless you can supply proof of the opposite, it's not "stolen". When residential developments are built on land belonging to others that hasn't been recompensed, in accordance with standards established world wide under the laws of eminent domain, then it should be considered stolen but an assertion that this is the case is not proof. Indeed, most of the land claims made against Jewish land ownership are based on similar evidence that you raise, which is to say, no evidence other than somebody said so. Rather, the facts are in the vast majority of these cases that these communities were built either on land whose title belonged to the Ottoman Empire (land whose title is conveyed to the new sovereign power, the State of Israel), land that is settled with the agreement of its owner (such as some Jerusalem leases on church lands) or built on lands that were once owned by others and recompensed, or owners that can't be found and the value of the land is held in escrow for when they reclaim the equivalent worth. The fact is that regarding the national aspects of this issue, it's not a matter of being "stolen", but a matter of an international border dispute that hasn't yet been resolved. When it is resolved, facts and not mere "claims" such as yours are of necessity going to be the basis for resolving the dispute, and "ownership" will not be the issue, but rather "sovereignty". You can't steal sovereignty.

The first poster says the land was stolen. Stolen from whom and for what reason I ask? Why did not the Palestinians protest when Jordan attacked Israel in 67, even after Hussein was encouraged to stay out of the fray with Egypt and Syria. Why does not this poster mention that everything Jewish was destroyed after 48 and all Jews made to leave areas they had lived for generations? That is too much to admit, for anyone who thinks the land was stolen. Give me a break. Oh btw, there is UN 242 which allows Israel to keep land (which the so-called Palestinians rejected as part of the petition), if for their security. The real problem in this conflict is the Arab propagandists, and their ilk who continually lie to the world. Isn't it time we look them square in the eye and tell them what we think? Its time to put them on the defensive, lies and all.

If they choose to live there, sooner or later they will have to leave it again in any peace deal and move back to Israel's proper! Those bright settlers must understand that unless they choose to live in Israel proper they will always be moved out! Sure if Sharon (the settlement’s God Father) concluded that settlements should be removed from Gaza will soon come to an understanding to remove those illegal settlements in all of West Bank and East Jerusalem! The bigger the settlements in those occupied territories become the harder and more expensive it is to evacuate and dismantle, at the end this is no one business but the State of Israel and only Israel should bare its expenses!

ISRAEL AS AN OCCUPIER DOES NOT HAVE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WEST BANK AS IT IS CONTROLLING BY FORCE. UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW ALL SETTLEMENTS ARE ILLEGAL. IF ISRAEL REALLY BELIEVES WEST BANK BELONGS TO IT THEN WHY WAS IT NOT ANNEXED TO ISRAEL PROPER AND INSTEAD WAS KEPT UNDER ARMY CONTROL FOR THE LAST 38 YEARS?

dear abdullah in kuwait, i find it highly ironic that you, living in "stolen Iraqi land" - according to another pro-Palestinian former dictator by the name of Saddam Hussein - argue that certain israeli settlements in large blocs that have become 'too large to uproot', are illegal. with the amount of relativism you demonstrate, you sound almost as if you're a citizen of ... France. just remember who it was that saved Kuwait from being "liberated" by Saddam in the 1990-91 Gulf War. and please remember how Kuwait "treated" its "Palestinian brothers" after that war: Kuwait deported them, for supporting the lying tyrranical regime in Baghdad. Maybe it is time Israel follow Kuwait's lead on deporting the Palestinians. or at least shunting them to Gaza, which after all, is being fully evacuated by Israel. Shalom.

What a wonderful thing it would be if the residents of the SLUM that they have created for themselves in Bnei Brak would move to the West Bank... the further east, the better.

WHY DO YOU SHOUT? is it so that people like me, and the those who wrote 2 & 3, who actually know the legal status and facts on the ground CANT ANSWER YOU. Shouting is the tactic of THUGS who don't know what they're talking about. Get a life and learn your facts SHMUCK.

The communities of Gush Etzion are a continuation of those Jewish settlements of the 1920s and 1930s as early part of the Zionistic settlement that existed till 1948 and were wiped out in 1948 war of independence. These settlements were reestablished after 1967 . As such , they are it is time for Israel to unilaterally annex the area of Gush Etzion which is contiguous with the Green line. For full history of the period see http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_independence_war_atrocities_arab.php

Spare me the rhetoric please! The fact the State of Israel decided to allow its citizens to settle in a land that is occupied by force makes it a sole responsibility of Israel and the fact that it has become a large illegal blocs still is insignificant to the status matter!

At the time the land was occupied in '67 by Israel, it was occupied while Jordan still laid claim to the land. Since the treaty, Jordan has given up all claims to the WB, so doesnt it stand to reason that at best, whats left is disputed land that needs to be negotiated over? The 'occupation' per se ended when Jordan washed their hands of the whole situation, no? I dont remember them signing the land over to the PA; They simply stated that they are no longer claiming it for their own. Anyone she more light on this?

Osama, is that you?

It is exactly as you say. The Land was occupied by Jordan. Jordan attacked Israel and was driven out in defeat. Jordan subsequently relinquished any claim to the Land and redefined its borders. The West Bank then became ownerless and occupied by Israel and local Arabs who adopted the name Palestinians. Those Arabs then claimed that the Land was theirs and the Israelis in turn claimed that they had an historic right to the Land. The Palestinians claim was that they were already living there, and Israeli claim was based on the fact that in ancient times it was Jewish Land. Therefore, in every sense of the word, the West Bank is DISPUTED LAND.

If Israel occupies Palestinian land by force, so then did Egypt and Jordan when they "occupied" it. In the case of the Palestinian claim, "occupied status" is one applied without legal precedent, as there was never a Palestinian country before that, and the whole definition had to be twisted to include them. The fact is, though, nobody complained when Egypt and Jordan "occupied" that land because you were just that one step closer to obliterating the rest of Israel's "occupation" of "Palestinian land". Now that the Arab League, which was founded with the objective of getting rid of Israel, has lost that foothold in 1967, it uses the invention of a "Palestinian people" distinct from the Syrian, Jordanian and Egyptian people that these people were originally associated with as a means to wedge Israel out diplomatically and by terrorism from that foothold, so that you can "by stages" disengage us from "Israel proper". The "dispute" that you raise from a "civil law" dispute to one of "sovereignty" is one between the Israelis and Egypt/Jordan, and if the latter in league with the Arab League have assigned their claim to the Palestinians, another invention without clear legal precedent. It's obvious that it's an extention of "war by other means", or "diplomacy". As far as the "Palestinians already living there", some were there no doubt, but a UN recognitition of the status of "refugee" being any Arab (not Jew) who lived in this area since 1946, a mere 2 years prior to the founding of Israel, is a specious claim for the kinds of sovereign rights Palestinians claim. Surely, a very good many of Palestinian Arabs were here no longer than the Jews they claim have no right to be here.

You are the best, you are the super race, you can build the wall, kill children and blow up houses of Kamikazi and their families, your IDF can shoot anyone and the killer gets his upgrade, you can occupy the land of all arabic countries and rebuild your dream temple in Al-Quds, you can rebuild you dream wonderland from the nile to eufrates and then Jesus will come and so the end of this world but but ... wait We are not in a hurry to see the end of this world just because of a bunch of crazy fanatic ultraortodox Jews, so take a break and relax as we are going all to die one day, no need for so much hate just to win gods blessing for paradise. relax and nothing else is gona happen. Shalom ... salam ... peace ... pace.

the Land of Israel, I'd call on my chareidi brethren to be a bit more understanding to the plight of Gush Katif refugees. As to the comment that Beitar Illit is nowhere near close to any Arab refugee camps, please note that the Aida refugee camp in the Bethlehem area is not too far away at all from Beitar Illit. Who knows what will happen to Beitar? We hope it will flourish, but one day they may also be thrown out like dogs. Where is your passionate sense of compassion for yidden in trouble, chareidim?

The international criminal court should issue arrest warrents for these war criminals. They should all be in jail for war crimes under the Geneva convention.