The Removal of the Israeli Settlements in Sinai: An Ambiguous Resolution of an Existential Conflict

This article discusses the nature and meaning of the removal of Israeli settlements from Sinai as required by the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The author considers the removal an ambiguous resolution of a basic existential conflict over whether Israel is a secular, “legal-rational” state versus a religious, traditional one, with the key issues being the relative importance of two Zionist values: territorial expansion and peace. Speculating that those conducting and resisting the removal actually collaborated somewhat in the protest so as to signal that the removal was not a precedent for future Israeli withdrawals, the author finds that Israel's existential conflict has only deepened and predicts that a bitter struggle will occur when peace negotiations involving the West Bank begin The article concludes with comparisons of the Sinai removal to other forms of human migration, indicating its lack of true historical parallels.