Settlements no threat

The Nov. 14 opinion piece (“Israeli insults taking a toll”) and news article describing Israeli settlements as impediments to peace are way off base and beg the question: How does building homes, roads, schools, etc. in Jerusalem on Israeli soil really impact negotiations?

The simple answer: It doesn’t. This “disputed” land was lost by Jordan following their invasion of Israel in 1967. Before the Jordanians, the Ottomans controlled the region. Regardless of what revisionists claim, there is no “Arab” Palestinian legitimacy here, just another political roadblock developed during recent years by critics unwilling to recognize Israel’s existence.

Obstruction to peace? Try terrorist attacks from Hezbollah to the north, Hamas to the south, and the frothing Iranians to the east. Try brainwashing schoolchildren by demonizing Israel and offering rewards to suicide bombers. What do you call these Arab “standards” of living?

Housing construction in Israel provides jobs to Arab workers, a much better deal than U.S., U.N. and E.U. sponsored subsidies. You think they would prefer living under yet another Islamic regime instead of a democratic/capitalistic society? I don’t think so.

Heck, we could use the residential construction work here in Spokane.

Joseph Harari

Spokane