Apartheid looks like this

ISRAEL STAGES WEST BANK RAIDS

Israeli forces have launched their biggest operation in the West Bank in years. Pouring into Nablus in armoured vehicles, the Israelis exchanged gunfire with Palestinians and arrested 20 suspected militants.

The Israeli Army has imposed an indefinite curfew in the central area of Nablus, restricting the movement of up to 50,000 inhabitants. But it hasn't stopped rock-throwing Palestinians from venting their anger. Israeli media said their raids resulted in the arrest of Palestinian militants after an explosives workshop was found. Ambulance workers said at least three Palestinians were wounded from rubber bullets during an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers. While the army said two soldiers were slightly injured by a Palestinian bomb. Israeli troops announced the curfew to residents, telling them to stay indoors, and broadcasting the names of wanted militants. The Governor of Nablus called it the biggest Israeli operation since 2004. The raids weren't restricted to Palestinians or the West Bank. In Tel Aviv, police raided the offices of three companies suspected of channelling funds to Palestinian militant groups. They led away several people for questioning and seized documents. Action on the streets is a contrast to the top-level diplomacy aimed at facilitating the formation of a new Palestinian government of unity. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak hosted a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah. But the two disagree on whether restrictions should be imposed on the proposed government to make it internationally acceptable. King Abdullah believes the unity government must adhere to demands set by Quartet mediators the UN, US, EU and Russia. While Egypt said no conditions should be imposed. An Egyptian Government spokesman said the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia next month would formulate a clear position to be put to the Quartet in April.

I live in Israel and it's an unsolvable mess.

No good will gesture is large enough to calm the waters of hate towards Israelis that Arabs have been fed.

Pulling out of Gaza and Lebanon without an agreement left a fertile terrorist breeding ground for Hamas and Hezbolla respectively. Instead of leading their people to prosperity, fundamentalist leaders incite hatred for the Jews and Israelis who have left and provoke a war with kidnappings across our border (as they did this summer).

Everyone in Israel knows of the suffering of the Palestinians and the greater majority would want it to end. I sat in a bomb shelter for three weeks in Haifa with men, women and children in Haifa. I came with a few hundred yards of being blown to bits by Katyusha rockets launched by a system of greed-fueled hate. I heard no hatred for hatred from my neighbors as they were bombed and fearing for their children's lives. And certainly none came from myself. You didn't hear it in the Israeli media or out in the street. The opposite, we all knew that it was even worse for the Lebanese.

By contrast, I know that the greater majority of Palestinians and southern Lebanese celebrate every Israeli ounce of suffering and rush out into the streets handing out candies when an Israeli child is killed by terrorists.

This is the difference.

The wall is ugly and painful and I wish it weren't necessary, but it has saved more Palestinian lives than Israeli ones by preventing terror and reprisals and raids. The fact is that since it was built, terror deaths have dwindled to a small percentage of what they were.

This still isn't apartheid - it is not a racially motivated situation. It is not a profit-oriented one for Israel either. It is costing us taxpayers a fortune. We do not exploit Palestinian labor. Only about 30,000 workers come into Israel to work out of a few million. But it is a security and existential problem for us. This occupation is clearly a no-win situation for both people. We in Israel mourn their suffering. We would gladly give back the land to Jordan, who lost it to us in '67. Only, they don't want it back.

Somehow, when Israelis have to suppress Palestinians it is always front-page news, but when Arab states massacre their own people in large numbers approaching real genocide, this is largely ignored by the media and quickly forgotten. There is a media bias for this situation, that does beg some serious questions about what is a worthy story.

Because there is no industry that can compete with the funding that terrorists get from Arab states like Syria and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran, Palestinian leaders who benefit from the funding have no incentive to stop incitement and the war of terror. It just wouldn't be profitable. There is a reason that Arafat was worth a few hundred million dollars when he dies as the leader of on of the poorest people on earth. He certainly didn't inherit it.

And what about Arab aid to Palestinians? Arab diplomats from all over the world talk about their poor Palestinian brothers, but do little to help them except fund the terror cells and families of suicide bombers. When they do pledge money, they rarely deliver it. Rich Arab countries (including Saudi Arabia et al) only fund 3% of UNRWA's (SP?) annual budget. The rest comes from the West. They too have an interest in using the Palestinians in a proxy war with Israel, like Iran is doing with Hezbolla.

Apartheid is a Palestinian propaganda word that simply does not suit the situation. We have made peace with Egypt and Jordan when there was a sincere partner who was willing to negotiate with us. We have maintained peace with them and pulled out of their occupied territories. We seek constantly to deepen that peace and expand it. We will gladly do the same when terrorist funding dries up and anti-Israeli journalists stop helping them in their cause in exchange for a good story.

Related article: Apartheid looks like this ???

Although it is not a new phenomena, I am getting more annoyed of late at the one-sided portrayal of events in Israel designed to cast Israeli as the evil, apartheid, hate-driven society that seeks to oppress the peace-loving Muslims who "just want to get along".

The electronic intifada says it's like apartheid: quick, someone stop the presses!

Expanding like this?

The Supreme Planning Council for Judea and Samaria recently legalized the largest-ever illegal construction project in the West Bank. Part of the project is situated on private land, which belongs to Palestinian residents of the village of Bil'in.

This looks like it might be straightforward corruption, Keld. You're trying to make a wider point that's not there to be made.

This is an allegation of a domestic fraud and the legal due process will resolve it in the fullness of time.

And look at your source. You didn't have to sink to the depths of the Electronic Intifada for this one. It's there in Ha'aretz, because Israel is a democratic country with a free press. Keep reading it Keld, you might learn something.