Israeli Labour party leader reaffirms doubts over removing settlers

Israeli Labour party leader Avi Gabbay reaffirmed his doubts about the possibility of removing West Bank settlers, in an interview on Israel’s Channel 10 on Saturday.

“100,000 people live there [outside the so-called West Bank ‘settlement blocs’],” Gabbay told the station, “and we cannot evacuate 100,000 people”.

The Labour leader made the remarks while explaining that he would support a construction freeze outside the blocs, as part of efforts to make progress in talks with the Palestinians.

“When it comes to security issues, I stand with the right,” Gabbay elaborated. “When it comes to diplomatic issues – I believe in territorial concessions, and in negotiations with the Palestinians.”

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The Labour chair added that he believes in “a solution based on two states for two peoples”, but that Jerusalem would remain “united…under Israeli sovereignty”.

In the last few weeks, Gabbay has caused headlines by expressing opposition to the evacuation of even isolated settlements, as well as declaring that “the whole Land of Israel is ours [i.e. including the West Bank] because it was promised to Abraham by God”.