Fateful Triangle

Israel and Palestine: Historical Backgrounds216other similar thoughts to which we return. 71 In essence, these policiesare supported by both major political groupings and there is noindication, despite the recent Reagan plan, that the American policy oflending them the required support will change. It is possible that thesame story will be relived in southern Lebanon—what some Israeli dovesnow refer to bitterly as “the North Bank”—in coming years. See chapter6, section 7.1.Danny Rubinstein points out that there has been opposition withinIsrael to the settlement policy, but it has been ineffectual because oflack of support from the United States—a complaint of Israeli doves thatwe have already noted several times. Reagan’s reversal of the earlierAmerican stand on the legality of the settlements gave a “dispensation”to the Israeli government to carry out “a massive settlement program,”building 70 settlements in place of the 10 previously announced. “Aslong as the Americans, our only friends, do not raise problems, then theinternal opposition is silent,” a “sad fact” that was also proven duringthe Lebanon war, he notes. Those who think that the Israeli governmentis bringing about a “catastrophe” for Israel are unable to make harshercriticisms than those heard from Washington. We have reached “the lastmoment” in the occupied territories, with vast resources (provided bythe U.S.) being devoted to settlement there, amounting to virtualannexation. Settlement projects are being carried out across thespectrum: by the construction company of the Histadrut Labor Union(Solel Boneh), * religious groups, Rabbi Kahane’s followers who “tell the*At a demonstration of “about 2000 Peace Now activists” protesting newsettlements, Professor Avishai Margalit, a well-known philosopher at theHebrew University, “attacked the Histadrut for participating in the massiveconstruction programs in the territories, [a stand] which went against theposition taken by most of its [Peace Now’s] members who were for a solutionClassics in Politics: The Fateful TriangleNoam Chomsky