Until the murder-suicide bombings (IMHO, it is a much more accurate term than just homocide bombings) stop, I wouldn't pull the settlements out. I don't give ground in the face of such barbaric attacks, otherwise I could encourage further attacks for new demands down the road.That will probably be the approach. Even though he endorsed the statement that the settlements are illegal, the President only asked them to freeze activity....which has been requested and ignored before.It's the Palestinians' choice, but they should choose wisely.
There's no doubt that the presence of the settlements aggravate tensions that the terrorists use to advance their agenda. There's also no doubt that it's by no means entirely the fault of the Palestinians.
I'd like to see both sides back away from this mess. If the Palis only back away and the Israelis hold firm (or worse, step things up) it can only lead to disaster. The reverse is also true.
-Eric