What is the best defense of the apartheid-like system Israel enforces in occupied/settled/disputed territories?

[Max_S]

@Smapti

You know, now that I’m thinking about it, ISTR that a long time ago (like maybe 20+ years ago) we had an AMA thread started by a person who actually was a West Bank settler. I’m going to have to try and dig that up and see what they thought of the situation, and whether they’re still around and if so whether their opinions have changed with time.

I just read Shinna Minna Ma’s thread from 2010, and was not surprised to learn he moved to the West Bank for religious reasons. If I may appropriate Lemur866’s remark:

@Lemur866

And of course, the problem with annexing the West Bank is that you’d either have to expel all the Palestinians, or allow them to stay but without civil rights, or make them citizens. Expelling them is gonna be a bit tough and would lead to regional war. Making them non-citizens gives you the status quo, so what’s the point? And making them citizens means that Israel isn’t a majority Jewish country anymore.

So either Israel has to abandon the West Bank, or abandon its majority Jewish identity, or abandon democracy. If I were an Israeli I know which option I’d choose.

Add orthodox Jewish beliefs:

@Shinna_Minna_Ma

Why move to another country if you could have had the same quality of life in the one where you already lived?

Because as Orthodox Jews, we feel we belong in Israel. It felt hypocritical, to me, to pray every day about returning to Israel without doing it. This is where we belong …

@Shinna_Minna_Ma

@Baboonanza

So, do you believe that settlements past the green line are legitimate parts of Isreal? If so, why?

I believe in the greater biblical Israel, so yes.

And more generally, are you happy for the Palestine ‘problem’ to continue indefinitely? If not, what would your solution be?

I would be most happy if it would end. How that would happen, I honestly can’t say. I think what happened when Israel gave back Gaza and ended up with years of rocket bombardments proved that Palestinian leadership can’t be trusted. What happens if we give back the Shomron, and rockets start falling on Tel Aviv? What does Israel do then?

As part of the failed Oslo accords, the PA agreed to take care of Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem/Nablus. Yet, it was almost destroyed. What guarantees are there that the same thing won’t happen in Chevron/Hebron?

So, I don’t have any solutions. I am not a Meir Kahana fan, so I don’t advocate moving the Arabs out of Israel.

Taken together, these all but ensure “democracy” must give way, justifying the dual apartheid-like system that persists to present day. But note: this is not an ideal outcome for anybody. (Meir Kahana advocated for outright ethnic cleansing.)

~Max