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Obstacles to Peace: A Reframing of the Palestinian - Israeli Conflict

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Jeff Halper is one of Israel premier peace advocates, and his newest book is a must for anyone wishing to understand the realities in Palestine-Israel. Halper debunks Israeli mythology and carefully explains Israel ultimate goals. He does so with colorful maps illustrating the facts on the ground created by Israel in the occupied territories to exert control on the land and to prevent the emergence of a viable truly independent Palestinian state. Reading this book is the next best thing to visiting the occupied territories and seeing with you own eyes what is really going on.

Without question one of the nastiest features of the Zionist (I put it this way because hardly do all Isrealis support it) genocidal occupation of Palestinian lands has been the practice of house demolition. This book produced by The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, ICAHD (in other words, Israelis who oppose such actions) chronicles in gritty detail, replete with maps, color photos, and extensive analysis, this vicious policy and its progress since its inception (recorded as far back as 1953). "Out of a total of 12,000 Palestinean homes demolished since 1967, close to 5,000 houses have been demolished during the second Intifida (September 2000 - present ) - 2,800 West Bank, 2,400 in Gaza. 60% of the Palestinian homes demolished in the Occupied Territories were done so as part of military "clearing operations"; 25% were demolished as being "illegal", not having permits; and 15% for collective punishment (B'tselem Summary 2004:2). 15,000 houses have been damaged, 5,000 of them in refugee camps. More than 75,000 people have been affected. In addition, some 30 Mosques and 12 Churches have been destroyed, 134 water wells sealed or destroyed, 180,000 olive and fruit trees uprooted or cleared (Palestine Monitor, B'tselem ICHAD)".