Jewish Settlement in Territories

During the last few weeks, Times staff writer Daniel Williams has focused a number of his articles on the issue of Jewish settlements in the territories of Judea-Samaria and the Gaza district. The following facts need to be emphasized so that the issue will be placed in the proper context and perspective.

The absence of peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab adversaries has nothing to do with the settlements. The Arabs, with the notable exception of Egypt, have refrained from negotiating with Israel because they reject the legitimacy of Israel’s existence, and in their hostility refuse to deal directly with Israel without preconditions.

When no settlements existed in the territories between 1948 and 1967 because Israel was not there, the Arabs nonetheless had a war policy against Israel. When very few settlements were established in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Arab rejection of peace continued.

Israel has not sent nor does it intend to send any of the Jewish immigrants into the territories. However, no Jew who chooses to live in those areas will be barred from doing so either. It would be inconceivable for any government of Israel to go along with the Arab policy of anti-Jewish discrimination and to forbid Jews the right to live in the one area in the world which means so much to Jewish history and the Jewish heritage--an area in which Jews had been living for centuries (even up to 1948).

Nobody has called for a freeze on Arab construction activity in the territories. Thousands of Arabs have come from Arab countries and around the world to live in these areas since 1967. Yet, that fact has been ignored by the world.

Finally, whether or not any particular government ministry in Israel may be considering plans for developing Jewish communities in the territories does not automatically make it Israeli policy. That happens only when the government of Israel decides to approve or disapprove a proposed plan. Such a decision has not yet been made.

TSURIEL RAPHAEL, Deputy Consul General, Consulate of Israel, Los Angeles