This has been a difficult week in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a difficult week, as did the united capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. After the announcement that new homes would be built in Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden's visit, and Netanyahu's apology for the incident, it is clearer than ever that Israel has backed itself into a political corner when it comes to negotiations with the Palestinians.

Did anyone really think that a right-wing Israeli government would delay bureaucratic processes to allow building in its capital? Is it possible that after all of his Zionist speeches, Netanyahu objects to Israel's absolute right to Jerusalem?

It is impossible to escape the consequences of policies that clearly lead nowhere. Even if Netanyahu adopted a two-state solution in order to alleviate American pressure and deal with the Iranian threat, his choices have already had a negative outcome. Time after time Israel is threatened because the Palestinian issue has not been solved, and our government pays lip-service to solutions that are impossible to implement.

Any Zionist, anyone who is loyal to Jerusalem, anyone who truly wants peace in the Holy Land needs to call for a change in policies. A peace plan that is based on cooperation with moderate Arab countries, instead of our Palestinian "partner," will turn things around. Or, how about beginning to rehabilitate Palestinian refugees, regardless of negotiations? This symbolic, small step will change the equation in the Middle East, showing a solution on the horizon for a region that really needs one.

As part of our research on refugees around the world, we found an article about South Africa, where the high court of Cape town instructed to close a refugee camp in the town, as per the request of the municipality and UNHCR.

The court's ruling shows, once again, that when it comes to refugees, the world uses common sense – unless the refugees are Palestinian and under UNRWA's jurisdiction. Therefore, The Israeli Initiative sent a press release in which we described the situation and its consequences. As a result of the press release, articles were published in Arutz Sheva in Hebrew and in English, and I was interviewed on the new radio station "Galei Yisrael."

In the press release, we called upon Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, to work towards closing the refugee camps in Jerusalem. Rivlin has said many times that the existence of refugee camps in Jerusalem is an embarrassment to Israel, but he has never done anything beyond talking.

We believe that closing camps in Jerusalem will serve as a model for the correct treatment of the Palestinian refugee problem. Instead of relying on negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian authority, which lead nowhere, a solution that is fair to both sides can be promoted.

The article in Arutz Sheva:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/136263

Recently, it has been reported that religious extremism is on the rise in gaza. The Sha'aria (Muslim religious law) is spreading, and a "modesty police" makes sure that men and women are kept separate in public places.

These reports have also shown that 23% of young Gazans, and 30% of the entire population would like to move abroad. Through talks with aid workers in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Initiative found that the real numbers are much higher, to the extent that it includes almost the whole population. Don't forget, 85% of Gaza's population is made up of refugees.

It turns out that the generous donations that Gaza receives from the world do not include aid towards an important goal: emigration. The international community gives Gazans food and medicines, even weapons, but no one gives the million refugees life with hope. If an organization would allow families to leave the Gaza Strip and find a better future elsewhere, everything would look different for the Gazans and for Israel. Instead, the world and the Palestinian leadership continue to allow the Gazans to live with the delusion that they will "return" – a delusion that involves erasing the State of Israel from the map, and returning to "Palestine."

The smart and just step for Israel to take would be to fulfill the wishes of the Gazans that want to leave, and allow these refugees to be rehabilitated quickly and efficiently in different countries around the world. The money is there, but it is directed to the wrong place. If hundreds of millions of dollars sent to UNRWA each year were used to rehabilitate these families of refugees, the Palestinian problem would no longer exist, and the entire region would be calmer.

The government's decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs and the Rachel's grave in the list of Jewish heritage sites is praiseworthy, but it also highlights the anomalous situation in Judea and Samaria, the land of the Bible and the cradle of Jewish nationality.

Why weren't these sites included in the list of heritage sites to begin with? Why did the government wait for protests in order to include these sights, along with the Wailing Wall and Tel-Hai? Don't Netanyahu and his Ministers know the historical significance of the Cave of the Patriarchs?

The answer, unfortunately, is quite simple. There is no ill-intent or conspiracy. Judea and Samaria are not directly included in every plan, law or discussion of the Israeli government. The term "Israel" includes only what is within the green line, and what is beyond is referred to by a different name – the territories, the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, etc.

The law to apply Israeli law to Israeli municipalities in Judea and Samaria, which we have discussed in previous newsletters, was previously proposed by the director of the Israeli Initiative, former minister Benny Elon, and now the head of the National Union Party, Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz is seeking support for the bill. The law will put an end to this embarrassing anomaly. If the law is applied in this case, it will influence the everyday lives of civilians, who will now be equal to all other Israelis, and it will allow Israel to legally protect its bond with these heritage sites in Judea and Samaria. Today, a military officer is in charge of the ancient sites in Judea and Samaria, and the few national parks in the region are mostly ignored by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. This is an abnormal situation, which, after over 40 years of sovereignty, needs to be changed.

Last week, the law was discussed in the Minister's Committee for Legislation, where it was decided to wait three more months before voting on the law. This is the government's way of agreeing with what is written in the law, but not to promote it in any way, apparently because of the "peace process" that made Netanyahu squirm in front of American Vice President Biden.

The Israeli Initiative will continue to try to convince those with influence to be courageous and declare that the law should be applied in Judea and Samaria, not only to normalize Israeli life in the region, but also as a declaration of future policies for the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.


As always, we're happy to hear your reactions and answer your questions.

Sincerely,

Yoav Sorek
Manager, The Israeli Initiative
www.Israelinitiative.com