My own gut morals

I know that speaking in terms of pre-1967 borders and Green line (1949 Armistice Agreements) has very little to do with a future drawing of the border between Israel and Palestine. The 1949 Armistice Agreements were intended to serve only as interim agreements until replaced by permanent peace treaties, and in the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967, the UN Security Council Resolution 242 clearly called for the establishment of “secure and recognised boundaries", created after negotiations.

Both Israel and the PA have agreed on land swapping, which means that the largest Jewish settlements along the Green line will be incorporated in Israel, while Palestine will get corresponding areas from Israeli land. Bottom-line is, that I know that not all settlements will have to evacuate, and I acknowledge a somewhat difference between people who are born and brought up in the largest well-established settlements very close to the Green line, compared to the fundamentalist youngsters who notoriously build new outposts deep into the West Bank. But what to do with a settlement like Ariel, which is so large that it is defined as a city, goes beyond my imagination, as it is situated right in the centre of the Northern part of the West Bank.

Nevertheless, every time I meet an Israeli who lives on the other side of the Green line, or a company that operates from there, I get a strong gut feeling of wrongness. I accept the complexity of the situation, and that there have been strategic security reasons for establishing some of the settlements, simply paving the way for the intentions in Resolution 242. I also know that many of these settlers will be allowed to stay after a final agreement, but my own conscience and morals would never allow myself to go and live on the other side of the Green line. Most likely not even work there. Settlement of the disputed territories is simply not something that I would like to be involved in, because every inch causes more tensions and aversion against the Israeli nation, in addition to slowing down the peace process. Fact remains that the Israelis have been able to "mark territories", while the Palestinians have not had the same opportunity. That is not fair game.

Then on the other hand, without any direct negotiations we will never get close to any final agreements, and Abu Mazen obviously has more important things on his mind that coming to the negotiation table, or to accept any offers from the Israelis. The Fatah-Hamas conflict, internal fractions in Gaza (in Swedish) and the threats from Iran and its new ally Turkey(!) complicates the question far beyond what the Israel-Palestine "experts" in far-away countries like Sweden can comprehend. Alas, no clear solution to the conflict this time either.