[Johnny Shear]

Given the territory and the lay of the land and defense and security considerations ... I believe Israel should simply state that those areas are now part of Israel by virtue of their taking it in a defensive war against total agression.

Yes, but they didn't "Take it" back during the 1967 war (Not for good anyway like they did other parts of what is now "Greater Isreal but wasn't in 1948....And those territories don't even seem to be disputed now), they simply "Occupied" it, and now we have all these problems.

So, do the settlers consider The West Bank as their home? Like they do Isreal? (And I'm not talking about those who use the bible as a way to state it's always been "Their home"), I'm wondering if they are of the opinion that they "Won" the West Bank in 1967???

[Virginia-American]

Assume there is a Palestinian state. Will it allow Jews, or will it be Judenrein?

[Cachelot]

So, do the settlers consider The West Bank as their home? Like they do Isreal?

Geez. That conquest thing shouldn't really be that hard to understand :).

Thw West Bank is Israel. When the IDF crushes the next attacker and Israel takes a bit more land, that will be Israel too.

Simple stuff, really.

[Jeff Head]

I believe that is exactly the opinion, and I tend to agree with it.

I believe many in the Israel govrnment share the opinion, and that is why they do not definitively close it down ... but that is just my opinion.

Ultimately, I believe it is going to come to either that (meaning they simply annex it and end up fighting a war to defeat their enemies once again) or it is going to come to some gross compromise of Israel's security with people who have vowed to destroy them. That could lead to a much worse outcome IMHO.

There is an outside chance that over a relatively long period of time, that true moderates gain control in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and through sustained preservation of peace and destruction of the terror network that currently exists amongt them, the Palestinians actually become peaceful and the Israelis work out an agreement with them for a small "Palestinian State".

With all that has happened, I believe that is the most remote possibility ... again, IMHO.

[Alouette]

Explain to me why it's "OK" for Isreal to have settlements on The West Bank?

Explain to me why it's OK for the Palestinians to have a perfectly "JEW-FREE" state?

[Stand Watch Listen]

....they simply "Occupied" it, and now we have all these problems.

NOW have all these present day problems? Seems to me that numerous Arabs armies were allied against Israel for some time prior to 'all these problems'. Israel didn't occupy' it prior to the 1967 'war'. What would you state the problems were prior 1967?