Israeli Withdrawal from Gaza Accompanied by Destabilizing Expansion of Settlements in the West Bank

Interview with Neve Gordon, of Ben-Gurion University, conducted by Scott Harris

The evacuation of some 9,000 settlers and their supporters from Israeli occupied Gaza -- and four smaller settlements in the West Bank -- was completed without the much of the violent resistance and national discord initially feared. Now that the settlers have been forced out, the Israeli army will be demolishing houses and other infrastructure left behind. The Palestinian Authority, not yet certain about the extent of their new power after the Israeli withdrawal, are making plans to build apartments for Gaza's desperately poor population on the land once occupied by Jewish settlers.

The unilateral decision by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to close the Gaza settlements, was accompanied by a parallel plan to continue expanding Israel's 120 settlements in the occupied West Bank. The current population of more than 220,000 settlers in the West Bank, not including those living in East Jerusalem, has been expanding at the rate of 10,000 a year. Israelis and Palestinians advocating a resumption of peace talks believe Sharon's policy of expanding West Bank settlements is a key obstacle standing in the way of negotiating a lasting peace agreement.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Neve Gordon, who teaches political science at Israel's Ben-Gurion University. He considers the affect of Sharon's withdrawal of settlements from occupied Gaza on the long stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Neve Gordon's article, "Will Withdrawal Make Gaza a Frontier Ghetto?" was published in the Aug. 18 edition of In These Times magazine, can be read online at www.inthesetimes.com

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://www.btlonline.org

*

"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org

*

"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

betweenthelines@snet.net

*

http://www.squeakywheel.net/

*

Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions

©2005 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.