MIDDLE EAST: Beware the Ides

Land seizure sours the peace

For the Camp David peace process, and for the slow-paced negotiations between Egypt and Israel on Palestinian autonomy, the ides of March were something to beware. The Israeli government last week announced that it would expropriate 1,000 acres of land—68% of it owned by Arabs—in East Jerusalem. The expropriation plan calls for the construction of 10,000 housing units for Jewish citizens on the confiscated land. The residential complex will link two existing settlements—Neve Yaacov and French Hill—and thus complete the encirclement of predominantly Arab East Jerusalem with Jewish suburbs. At least in spirit, the seizure...