Wednesday, May 27, 2009

My Interview Broadcast on Kol Yisrael English Radio

The transcript of my English-language radio interview on Monday (to hear my voice, click here):

Newscaster: David Zeev asked a spokesman for the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, Yisrael Medad, what the Yesha position is on the unauthorized outpost issue.

Yisrael Medad: Yesha of course is, in principal, in favor of unlimited Jewish residency throughout the territories that at the present moment are dispute, which we believe belong to the Jewish National Home. The best way would be through deliberations and negotiations, which we tried earlier last week with Defense Minister Barak, in terms of first of all, making sure that the so-called illegal communities, which actually are simply either not zoned or unauthorized, there's nothing illegal about Jews living in the Land of Israel, could be solved one way or the other. It might be, as we suggested last year that, for example, the community of Migron could be moved to a nearby area, which there'd be no legal problems what-so-ever. So I would guess, in terms of the more radical elements within the Yesha community, the council itself would be moderate, but we are not disputing the fact that there has to be an arrangement made where Jews can legally live in the Land of Israel without any problems.

David Zeev: Defense Minister Barak did dismantle one of the unauthorized outposts last week, and Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly is giving his Defense Minister his backing. Is Yesha disappointed with these latest moves?

Yisrael Medad: We're not quite sure exactly what Mr. Netanyahu's thinking is. In the past, when he was first Prime Minister the first time around, because of a misunderstanding, I think between him and the nationalist camp, he lost his prime ministership. So I think he should be coordinated of course much more with the people who can give him better political backing, rather than Mr. Barack, who already has 5 times mentioned that he's willing to jump ship from the coalition agreements he made. If that's the support Mr. Netanyahu wants, there won''t be a long-term Likud government. But I think that in between the type of viewpoints that either Mr. Barack or myself, as representing the Yesha Council hold, there is a wide area where Mr. Netanyahu doesn't have to get excited or nervous about Jews living on Judea and Samaria...(cutoff, darn)


That was recorded while I was standing in the courtyard of Jama'at A-Satein near the Tel of Shiloh.

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