Golda Meir tog i sitt sista offentliga framträdande upp samma tema som Michael B Oren i veckans inledande artikel ovan. Bosättningarna används av den palestinska sidan som en ursäkt för att undvika direkta fredsförhandlingar:
Dealing with the issue of the newly-established Jewish settlements, Mrs. Meir said that this was not a basis for the deadlock in peace talks, but only a new excuse used by the Arabs.
“Were the Arabs prepared to talk peace before new settlements were established? Why do fine, decent, peace-loving people, not anti-Semites, not anti-Israel, find it so difficult to understand that the 1967 borders were destroyed by Egypt and Syria with the help of Saudi Arabia? Why was there a war in 1967? There were no settlements then, no occupied territories. Yes, the Arabs saw occupied territories: Tel Aviv, Haifa….”
Ur anförande som hölls vid the Council of Jewish Federations, Dallas 12 november 1977. (Notera för övrigt att 1967 års ”gränser” aldrig varit gränser i egentlig mening, utan bara vapenstilleståndslinjer från tidigare krig.)
The Wit and Wisdom of Golda