Settlers clasg withsecurity forces in Beit Aryeh
Photo: Avi Zur
Big show underway
Settlers, government put up show in West Bank for benefit of US audience
Dozens of settlers
as well as Civil Administration officials presented the play known as “Inspector, I’m unloading a caravan” across Judea and Samaria this past week.
The show, which portrays the issue of the settlement construction freeze in a comical manner, is mostly aimed for the American audience. It is meant to convince the viewers that the Netanyahu- Barak government is doing everything in its power in order to halt construction in the settlements.
This includes asking the settlers, personally, to stop doing it! Imagine that.
Authorities are proceeding with this effort even though the settlers are giving them a very hard time (this includes actually screaming at the inspectors!), and keep in mind that things are difficult as it is for the government at this time, with winter and the swine flu outbreak and all.
Each party in the show played its role very nicely: The inspectors presented a determined façade, the settlers looked concerned, and Defense Minister Barak was photographed wearing a windbreaker.
Playing for the same team
Indeed, this is yet another show depicting the government and the settlers fighting each other, even though in reality they have been playing for the same team for years now; in fact, they have been cooperating outside the American window just like a kid with a stone and the glazier called in to fix the damage later.
The ongoing debate over the temporary construction freeze, which does not include Jerusalem, is convenient for both the government and the settlers. In any case, it does not quite matter what they go ahead and build (or not build) at this time. Rather, what matters is what they will be dismantling later on, in line with the final-status agreement.
In this respect everyone is well coordinated and everyone will do everything in their power in order not to get to that point.
Yet the truth is that it does not quite matter what people in Judea and Samaria say. What truly matters is whether the American audience members will continue to buy tickets to this play, or whether at some point in time they will get sick and tired of the show.
