Nahost-Blog | Transatlantikblog

Jüdische Siedlungen in der von Israel seit 1967 besetzten Westbank und Ost-Jerusalem sind ein umstrittenes Thema. Viele Regierungen und Institutionen werten den Siedlungsbau als schädlich für den Frieden in Nahost.
Es gibt aber auch Gegenstimmen.

Februar 2013 – Gideon Levy, Journalist der Ha’aretz

Israelis love to love the settlers. They have replaced the kibbutz and Palmach, on whose values Israelis have been raised. The settlers are not Diaspora-like, like the ultra-Orthodox. Their violence and extortion are accepted with inconceivable tolerance; after all, they are considered to have the highest values of anyone.

Dezember 2012 – Note der britischen Botschaft in Israel

The recent Israeli government decision to build 3,000 new housing units threatens the two-state solution and makes progress through negotiations harder to achieve. We have called on the Israeli government to reconsider.

Dezember 2012 – Saeb Erekat, palästinensischer Chefunterhändler

[building jewish settlements in area E1 / Westbank] destroys the two-state solution, (establishing) East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and practically ends the peace process and any opportunity to talk about negotiations in the future

Dezember 2012 – Benjamin Netanjahu, israelischer Premierminister

We will carry on building in Jerusalem and in all the places on the map of Israel’s strategic interests.

Dezember 2012 – Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, spanischer Außenminister

These are not steps towards peace, these are steps towards the extension of the conflict.

August 2012 – Rabbi Eli Sadan (Siedlung Eli), über die Strategie der Siedler künftig die Staatsanwaltschaft auf die eigene Seite zu zwingen

Every lawyer belonging to the national camp must vie for every legal position in the civil service. That way, in 10- to 15 years, there will be a significant cadre of right-wing legal experts and the left won’t control the State Prosecutor’s Office anymore.

August 2012 – Pinchas Wallerstein, ein Siedlerführer, angesichts der Räumung der kleinen Siedlung Migron

The personal pain is terrible. But history showed that the evacuation of Sebastia led to the establishment of Elon Moreh. In the end many Migrons will arise.

April 2012 – William Hague, britischer Außenminister

Systematic, illegal Israeli settlement activity poses the most significant and live threat to the viability of the two state solution.

The Israeli government’s policy is illegal under international law, counterproductive, destabilising and provocative.

Dezember 2011 – Shimon Peres, israelischer Staatspräsident, nach der Brandstiftung einer Moschee durch jüdische Siedler

What these guys are doing is very serious.
Israel has always been proud of protecting all of the holy sites.
Today, when the Muslim world is where it is, to give them justification to attack Israel is a disaster, it’s crazy and it must stopped.

September 2011 – Joe Walsh, republikanischer Kongressabgeordneter, zur möglichen israelischen Übernahme der palästinensischen Westbbank

We will respect Israel’s right to annex Judea and Samaria.

Juli 2011 – Henry Siegman, 16 Jahre lang Vorsitzender der Lobby  American Jewish Congress (AJC)

If there is anything to be learned from years of disappointment and failure, it’s that the so-called peace process is simply a vehicle for Israel to pretend there is some potential for progress even as on the ground they are making it impossible because of their settlement project.

There is a basic dishonesty here.

Mai 2011 – Danny Ayalon, stellvertretender israelische Außenminister unter Avigdor Lieberman

The conflict has never been about territory so the basis for negotiations should not be territorial.

Februar 2011 – Hillary Clinton

I think it is absolutely clear to say, number one, that it’s been American policy for many years that settlements were illegitimate and it is the continuing goal and highest priority of the Obama administration to keep working toward a two-state solution with both Israelis and Palestinians.

Dezember 2010 – Yigal Palmor, Sprecher des israelischen Außenministeriums, in Reaktion auf den Brief von 26 ehemaligen europäischen Führern, die Sanktionen angesichts des fortgesetzten Siedlungsbaus forderten:

It is difficult to see how the call for sanctions and Israel’s isolation will promote peace, but clearly this will diminish the EU’s capability to play a constructive role in promoting peace in the region

Dezember 2010 – Hillary Clinton

We do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.

We believe their continued expansion is corrosive not only to peace efforts and two-state solution, but to Israel’s future itself.

November 2010 – Desmond Tutu, ehem. Erzbischof von Südafrika, heute Vorsitzender der Eminent Global Groups / The Elders

What is Washington thinking? Settlements are illegal; they contravene UN Resolution 242 and violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The resumption of direct talks cannot be based on one side negotiating its way out of an important question of international law.

November 2010 – Gro Harlem Brundtlandt, ehem. norwegische Ministerpräsidentin, nun Mitglied der Eminent Global Groups

During the Oslo process in 1993 Israel promised to stop settlement expansion pending the outcome of final status negotiations.

November 2010 -Mary Robinson, ehem. irische Präsidentin, nun Mitglied der Eminent Global Groups

We heard repeatedly across the Arab world that the United States is no longer seen as an honest broker: Washington is perceived to be too close to Israel.

This effort [of president Obama]  to do a short-term deal on settlements to restart direct talks is desperate and wrong. It betrays international law and the entire family of nations – not to mention the Palestinians.

September 2010 – Naftali Bennett (Generalsekretär der orthodox-nationalistischen Siedlerorganisation Yesha Council)

Our policy now is to resume a natural pace of building.

September 2010 – Nazmi Salman (Bürgermeister von Deir Istiya – Westbank -)

The most crucial thing is settlements, for me and the majority of Palestinians.

All Palestinians know [there will be] no peace with settlements.

September 2010 – Catherine Ashton, Außenbeauftragte der EU

[...] more than anything, we would like to see, of course, the moratorium on settlement building continue, [ to ] see the opportunity for President Abbas to stay in the [ peace ] talks and for them [ the Palestinians ] to move forward to a successful conclusion

März 2010 – Benjamin Netanjahu, israelischer Premierminister 1996-1999 und seit 2009

The building in Jerusalem – and in all other places – will continue in the same way as has been customary over the last 42 years.

For the past 40 years, no Israeli government ever limited construction in the neighborhoods of Jerusalem

März 2010 – US Präsident Obama, nachdem das israelische Innenministerium den Bau weiterer 1600 Wohnungen just zu dem Zeitpunkt angekündigt hat, zu dem Vizepräsident Joe Biden zu Besuch in Jerusalem war:

The actions that were taken by the interior minister in Israel weren’t helpful to that [peace] process

März 2010 – Jonas Gar Store, norwegischer Außenminister

Norway deeply deplores Israel’s expansion of its settlement in East Jerusalem.

The peace process is in a critical phase, and Israel’s decision is jeopardising the process.

März 2010 – Stephen Smith, australischer Außenminister

I share the view that this is a bad decision at the wrong time, and it’s not a helpful contribution to the peace process

März 2010 – James Baker III., US-Außenminister, im Rückblick:

Republican and Democratic administration have always said that settlements are an obstacle to peace

September 2009 – Bernard Kouchner, französischer Außenminister

It will be more difficult or even impossible to reach an agreement [on peace talks resumption] if there is no agreement on freezing the colonization

September 2009 – Europäische Union

The European Union expresses its serious concern over Israel’s approval of additional settlement construction.

Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace.

The European Union reiterates its call on Israel to immediately end settlement activities, including in East Jerusalem and including natural growth, and to dismantle all outposts erected since March 2001.

Mai 2009 – Hillary Clinton, US Außenministerin, mit ihrem berühmten dreifachen “Nein”: Keine neuen Siedlungen, keine sogenannten Vorposten, kein “natürliches Wachstum”

He [ President Obama ] wants to see a stop to settlements —

not some settlements,

not outposts,

not ‘natural growth’ exceptions

That is our position. That is what we have communicated very clearly

Mai 2009 – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, deutscher Außenminister

Der Siedlungsausbau und -neubau in der Westbank und in Ost-Jerusalem ist für uns nicht akzeptabel

April 2009 – Hillary Clinton, US Außenministerin, nach einem Gespräch mit Ägyptens Präsident Mubarak:

We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity. Ending all settlement activity current and future would be preferable [...] we would like to see everything [ i.e. settlements ] ended forever

Februar 2009 – Hasdai Eliezer , Bürgermeister der in der Westbank gelegenen jüdischen Siedlung Alfei Menashe

the settlement blocs are not up for negotiation

Februar 2009 – Ehud Barak, israelischer Verteidigungsminister

the settlement blocs are an inseparable part of Israel in all future negotiations with the Palestinians.

The Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea are regions that are dear to my heart.

Dezember 2008 – Gordon Brown, britischer Premierminister

Everybody now sees the contours of what a two-state solution would look like …

One of the blockages to that is clearly the settlement issue.

We have consistently said – and I’ve said this to successive Israeli prime ministers and presidents when I’ve met them – we’ve consistently seen that as a barrier to reaching the agreement that everybody thinks is possible

Juni 2008 – Condoleezza Rice, US Außenministerin, angesichts der fortgesetzten israelischen Verletzung der im Jahr 2003 vereinbarten Road Map, in der u.a. der Bau weiterer Siedlungen in umstrittenem Gebiet ausgeschlossen sein sollte:

I’m very concerned that at a time when we need to build confidence between the parties, the continued building and the settlement activity has the potential to harm the negotiations going forward [...]

We’ve talked a great deal about road map obligations, and this one isn’t being met

April 2008 – Ehud Olmert, israelischer Premierminister

There is a certain contradiction in this [settlements issue] between what we’re actually seeing and what we ourselves promised.

[Background: Israel has long maintained that it has the right to continue building in existing settlements to account for ill-defined "natural growth" of the existing settler population — something the "road map" explicitly bans. But in his interview with The Jerusalem Post, Olmert acknowledged that Israel was not honoring its commitments.]

März 2008 – Sergej Lavrov, russsischer Außenminister, nach einem Besuch von Palästinenserpräsident Mahmoud Abbas:

We are worried by the Israeli settlement activity and urge Israel to end it

Februar 2008 – Bernard Kouchner, französischer Außenminister

We are totally against the settlement policy. There can’t be a trust between the two sides while settlement activity is going on

Juli 2007 – Ban Ki Moon, UN Generalsekretär, nachdem während den Friedensverhandlungen von Annapolis weitere Siedlungsbauten angekündigt wurden:

The UN position on the illegality of settlements is well known [...]

This new tender for 300 new homes in east Jerusalem so soon after this Annapolis Middle East peace conference, I think, is not helpful

2007 – Danny Dayan, Vorsitzender des Siedlerrats in der Westbank (Yesha Council)

Any attempt to evacuate even one prefab home must be met with massive, determined resistance from our side.

We must rejuvenate our ties with the settlements and bring masses of people everywhere ….
We are certainly calling on the [West Bank] residents to oppose in the manner that we know.

März 2006 – Jimmy Carter, US Präsident, in einem Artikel,der in weltweit 70 Zeitungen gedruckt wurde:

Israel’s occupation of Palestine has obstructed a comprehensive peace agreement in the Holy Land [...]

Although president Bill Clinton made strong efforts to promote peace, a massive increase of settlers occurred during his administration, to 225,000, mostly while Ehud Barak was prime minister. [...]

Palestinians must live in peace and dignity, and permanent Israeli settlements on their land are a major obstacle to this goal.

August 2004 – Kofi Annan, UN Generalsekretär (Wiedergabe durch dessen Sprecher)

The Secretary-General expresses strong concern over reports of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, through the Government of Israel’s recent publication of tenders for construction of new housing units [...]

[Such activities] clearly contradict Israel’s obligations under the Road Map [which unequivocally calls for a freeze on all settlement activity, the spokesman noted, pointing out that this also covers what is called "natural growth," namely the construction of housing within the existing boundaries of a given settlement.]

April 2004 – George W. Bush, US Präsident, Brief an Israels Premier Ariel Scharon

In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers [settlements], it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities.

Dezember 2003 – Ariel Scharon, israelischer Premierminister

I have committed to the President of the United States that Israel will dismantle unauthorized outposts. It is my intention to implement this commitment.

The State of Israel is governed by law, and the issue of the outposts is no exception. I understand the sensitivity; we will try to do this in the least painful way possible, but the unauthorized outposts will be dismantled. Period.

Israel will meet all its obligations with regard to construction in the settlements.

There will be no construction beyond the existing construction line, no expropriation of land for construction, no special economic incentives and no construction of new settlements.

[Annotation: None of these promises were held.]

März 2003 – Colin Powell, US Außenminister, in einer Rede vor der US-israelischen Lobby AIPAC:

Israel has clear obligations, too.

It must take steps to ease the suffering of Palestinians and diminish the daily humiliation of life under occupation [...]

Settlement activity is simply inconsistent with President Bush’s two-state vision.

As the president has said, “as progress is made toward peace, settlement activity in the Occupied Territories must end.”

März 2001 – Israelische Regierung (Ariel Sharon)

The Government will strive to achieve the following national goals: [...]

To strengthen, expand, and promote settlement throughout the country.

September 2000 – Teddy Kollek, ehemaliger Bürgermeister von Jerusalem

We failed in the unification of the city.

Tell Ehud Barak that I support its division.

Oktober 1995 – Benjamin Netanjahu, Oppositionsführer während der Regierung von Premier Jitzhak Rabin*

Sie, Herr Premierminister [Rabin], haben kürzlich eine widerwärtige Bemerkung fallen gelassen.

Sie sagten die Bibel sei nicht unser Grundbuch.

Ich sage: Die Bibel ist unser Grundbuch, unsere Vollmacht und unser Eigentumsnachweis.

November 1998 – Ariel Scharon, israelischer Premierminister

Ein jeder muss sich in Bewegung setzen, sputen und so viele Hügelspitzen wie nur möglich an sich reißen um die Siedlungen zu vergrößern, denn alles was wir jetzt erobern, wird in unserem Besitz bleiben. Alles was wir uns nicht nehmen, wird an die anderen abgetreten werden.

Januar 1992 – Yitzhak Schamir, israelischer Ministerpräsident

this construction will continue and no power in the world will prevent this construction.

Mai 1991 – James Baker III., US Außenminister unter George H.W. Bush

[...] nothing has made my job of trying to find Arab and Palestinian partners for Israel more difficult than being greeted by a new settlement every time I arrive.

It substantially weakens our hand in trying to bring about a peace process and creates quite a predicament.

I don’t think that there is any bigger obstacle to peace than the settlement activity that continues not only unabated [but] at an enhanced pace.

Mai 1989 – James Baker III., US Außenminister unter George H.W. Bush

Now is the time to lay aside, once and for all, the unrealistic vision of a greater Israel. …

Foreswear annexation.

Stop settlement activity.

Allow schools to reopen. Reach out to the Palestinians as neighbors who deserve political rights.

1989 – Teddy Kollek, Bürgermeister von Jerusalem

Jerusalem will never be divided.

We have not yet succeeded in uniting the city, but we must not speak of splitting it into two municipalities.

[...] it will take 100 years, yes 100 years, to unify this city!

September 1982 – US Präsident Ronald Reagan, angesichts der verstärkten Siedlungsaktivität unter der neuen israelischen Likud-Regierung von Premierminister Menachem Begin:

The Camp David agreement remains the foundation of our policy [...]

The United States will not support the use of any additional land for the purpose of settlements during the transition period.

Further settlement activity is in no way necessary for the security of Israel and only diminishes the confidence of the Arabs that a final outcome can be freely and fairly negotiated.

We will not support annexation or permanent control by Israel [...]

U.N. Resolution 242 remains wholly valid as the foundation stone of America’s Middle East peace effort [...]

It is the United States’ position that, in return for peace, the withdrawal provision of Resolution 242 applies to all fronts, including the West Bank and Gaza.

März 1980 – Donald McHenry, US Botschafter bei den Vereinten Nationen

We regard settlements in the occupied  territories as illegal under international law, and we consider them to be an obstacle to the successful outcome to the current negotiations which are aimed at a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East [...]

Dezember 1978 – Cyrus Vance, US Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Außenminister)

I think this is clearly covered by the provisions of the Geneva IV Convention which deals with the question of the establishment of settlements in occupied territory. We have examined this on a number of occasions and have had, through many Administrations, several administrations, a clear legal view that the establishment of the settlements is illegal.

April 1978 – Herbert Hansell, Rechtsberater im US State Departement, in einem Rechtsgutachten für den US Kongress über die Legalität ziviler israelischer Siedlungen in den besetzten Gebieten

While Israel may undertake, in the occupied territories, actions necessary to meet its military needs and to provide for orderly government during the occupation, for the reasons indicated above the establishment of the civilian settlements in those territories is inconsistent with international law.

Januar 1978 – Jimmy Carter, US Präsident

Well, I’ve covered this [issue of settlements] many times. Our position on settlements in the occupied territory has been that they are illegal, that they are an obstacle to peace.
When Prime Minister Begin was over here and when Foreign Minister Dayan was here, this question arose. And my understanding of their commitment was that no new settlements would be authorized by the government [...]

September 1971 – George H.W. Bush (sen.), US Botschafter bei den Vereinten Nationen

United States considers that part of Jerusalem which came under Israeli control, like other areas occupied by Israel in the June 1967 war, as occupied territory and thereby subject to the provisions of international law governing the rights and obligations of an occupying power. We regret Israel’s failure to acknowledge its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as its actions which are contrary to the letter and spirit of this convention. We are distressed that the actions of Israel in the occupied portion of Jerusalem give rise to understandable concern that the eventual disposition of the occupied section of Jerusalem may be prejudiced.

April 1968 – Dean Rusk, US Außenminister 1961-1969, angesichts der Erkenntnisse über eine anfängliche Besiedlung der Westbank nach dem Sechstagekrieg im Juni 1967. Telegramm an die US Botschaft in Tel Aviv:

By setting up civilian or quasi-civilian outposts in the occupied areas the GOI [Government of Israel]  adds serious complications to the eventual task of drawing up a peace settlement.

Further, the transfer of civilians to occupied areas, whether or not in settlements which are under military control, is contrary to Article 49 of the Geneva Convention, which states “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

Finally, you should emphasize that no matter what rationale or explanation is put forward by the GOI, the establishment of civilian settlements in the occupied areas creates the strong appearance that Israel, contrary to the principle set forth in the UNSC Resolution and to US policy expressed in the President’s speech of June 19, does not intend to reach a settlement involving withdrawal from those areas.

1967 – Meron Benvenisti, in einem Rechtsgutachten für den israelischen Premierminister Levi Eshkol, kurz nach Ende des Sechstagekriegs. Das Gutachten wurde lange unter Verschluss gehalten. (Anm.: Benvenisti war lange Jahre Zweiter Bürgermeister Jerusalems unter dem legendären Teddy Kollek.)

My conclusion is that civilian settlement in the administered territories contravenes the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention

* Übers. aus “The fall of the house of Bush”, Craig Unger, S. 139ff.

Related articles

• Israelis insist they have US backing to build in East Jerusalem (guardian.co.uk)
• Israel vows to continue East Jerusalem construction, despite row with US – Ha’aretz (news.google.com)
• Israel ‘plans to sell 3000 new homes in Jerusalem’ – AFP (news.google.com)
• Israeli Settlement Freeze Plan On Hold, Says Israeli Official (huffingtonpost.com)
• Israel Settlement Building Booms After Freeze (huffingtonpost.com)
• 5 Nations Summon Israeli Envoys to Protest Settlement Plans (nytimes.com)
• Israeli settlers occupy 5-story house in Palestinian area of East Jerusalem (rt.com)
• Israel says will stick with settlement plan despite condemnation (news.yahoo.com)
• Israel defiant over settlements (bbc.co.uk)
• Westbank: Siedlungen und kein Ende (Transatlantikblog)
• Australia summons Israeli envoy to protest settlement plans – Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

Quotes about israeli jewish settlements

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/it-s-the-settlers-not-the-ultra-orthodox-that-threaten-israel-most.premium-1.502508