A new survey reveals that about 30% of the settlers in West Bank settlements outside the major blocs would voluntarily evacuate for compensation even if there were no peace deal with the Palestinians.
The survey, which was conducted by Macro Center for Political Economics in cooperation with the Israeli organization Blue White Future, also found that 46.5% of the settlers are willing to evacuate their settlements in the Jordan Valley. The age group of settlers most willing to relocate voluntarily before a peace agreement in exchange for compensation is 50 to 59.
Gilad Sher, Head of the Blue White Future organization, said an Israeli government-enacted voluntary evacuation and compensation law, under which up to 30,000 settlers in far-flung settlements would move within the pre-1967 borders or in settlements that will be annexed under a peace deal, would "unequivocally demonstrate that Israel is serious about seeking a two-state solution. It would also begin to create a reality of two states while the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations continue and, in fact, increase the chances of the negotiation track succeeding. It could also encourage Palestinians to reciprocate with their own constructive, independent steps."
