Israeli Settlers

Ever since the Six Day War of June 1967 the question of establishing Jewish settlements in the occupied territories has deepened the Arab-Israeli crisis and has strained relations between Israel and much of the rest of the world. Parties on the right of the political spectrum maintain that Israel has a right to incorporate the Occupied Territories because of a historic legacy dating back to the Kingdom of the Jews from Biblical times. Settlers in these regions then see themselves as returning to another part of Zion and Palestinians view theme as conquerors of legitimate Palestinian territory. In his recent opinion piece, "Tyranny of the Minorities," New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman drew a comparison between Israeli settlers in Gaza and Shiite extremists in Iraq. Letters in response to this column illustrate both sides of the argument. Particularly the first letter illustrates the "Greater Israel" position that has come to prominence since the end of Labour Party dominance in 1977.