# Will Israel dismantle unauthorized settlements? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 2, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-israel-dismantle-unauthorized-settlements/498504 "2009-06-02T20:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 113
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-israel-dismantle-unauthorized-settlements/498504/113 "2009-06-16T14:22:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Part of the problem is seeing their neighbors, their fellow human beings, as “wolves”, innit? :dubious: What kind of response can they expect from that? It’s a metaphore for the situation, not a commentary on their humanity. :rolleyes: Further, I’m not addressing the Palestinians in person and I’m not an Israeli. > [@](#): > > It’s all well and good to point out the difficulties in finally achieving the two-state solution that has seemed so obvious and necessary ever since the partition, but not, as you seem to be implying, as making it impossible. Statecraft tackles the hard problems, it does not merely wring its hands and claim there is “no end game”. Statecraft first starts by dropping the antagonisms that underlie such things as thinking of the people with whom you have to deal wild animals who have to be kept behind a wall. Then “statecraft” has a lot of work to do. Pie in the sky optomism pales when confronted with real-life problems involving actual humans. How exactly do you propose that the Israelis go about “dropping antagonisms”? > [@](#): > > Honesty first, yes, of course, as Obama says and Gordis concurs, among many others. But then acceptance of responsibility must follow. That has to include dropping the settlements, not simply calling them “regrettable” and inventing excuses to continue them anyway. Honesty involves honestly facing the situation. We agree that dropping the settlements is a good idea, they are an impediment to any proposed solution, but unlike you I am under no illusions that it will “solve” anything. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-israel-dismantle-unauthorized-settlements/498504)._