By Nicolas Kabat

Reuters News recently published an article entitled, "Palestinians reject any Israel-U.S. settlement deal." I find the title misleading as any casual observer would be led to believe the Palestinians are "rejectionists," a term used to denigrate any Arab state that "refuses" to negotiate with Israel.

The article is actually discussing Palestinian discontent with a recent Maariv (Israeli newspaper) report, which stated that the U.S. and Israel had come to an agreement allowing for the construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank. The U.S. State Department denied the report and Israeli officials refused to comment, neither denying nor confirming the Maariv report. Palestinians are reasonably concerned about such reports.

During the Oslo years (1993-2000), settlements increased by 71%, a previously unseen pace, from 116,000 settlers in 1993 to 198,000 in 2000, when talks broke down (this is only settlers in the West Bank, not including East Jerusalem). All this occured while the American public was flooded with reports of ongoing peace talks. The reason for such an increase in growth during peace talks is up to speculation.

Gershom Gorenberg, author of The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977, believes it is related to settlers fearing the end of settlements and thus rushing to complete construction. Israeli authorities worked parallel to the settlers to solidify West Bank land grabs and thus "change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," to quote from the Oslo II Interim agreement.

I agree with Gorenberg on why settlements have grown most prodigiously during slow-moving peace talks. We have reason to fear any peace talks which do not begin on the condition that settlement growth stops. The peace talks would serve again to deflect attention away from the issue of settlements, while settlements grow untended, and peace talks amble along.

Peace "talks," a favorite of the Western powers working to end the conflict, are never guaranteed to lead to peace (Exhibit A: the Oslo years).  Therefore it is crucial that realities on the ground are not allowed to change and that the chance for a two-state solution is not lost.

Palestinian negotiators seem to feel the same way: there can be no negotiations with Israel without a settlement freeze. According to lead PA negotiator Saeb Erekat, "There are no middle-ground solutions for the settlement issue: either settlement activity stops or it doesn't stop." Reuters has taken what is truly a reasonable Palestinian position (one shared by the US and its President) and made it out to be unreasonable, radical, and out of step with the US and Israel.

Meanwhile, the US remains clear of any criticism for its hypocritical actions, and Israel appears to be the victim of Palestinian inflexibility, asking for a reasonable exemption from their benefactor: "we only want 'natural growth', Daddy Obama." In summary, Reuters has expertly crafted another article painting the Palestinians in a negative light and avoiding strong criticism of Israeli intransigence on settlements.

One lesson for Reuters reporters:
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Nicolas Kabat is a founding member of the University at Buffalo chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (UBSJP). SJP is nationwide network of Pro-Palestinian activists working on college campuses to effect real change of the perception, and the day-to-day lives of Palestinians.  UBSJP represents students, faculty and employees at the University at Buffalo.

If you would like more information about the organization, or would like to get involved, please send an email ubsjp48@gmail.com or visit their website at www.ubsjp.blogspot.com.