Ariel Sharon’s nickname, the Bulldozer, is well deserved. Under Menachem Begin’s government in 1977, Sharon adopted an aggressive and comprehensive settlement policy whereby massive amounts of Palestinian land in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem were confiscated and populated with incoming Jewish immigrants, creating prejudicial “facts on the ground.”

A total of 118 illegal Jewish settlements were built on Palestinian land during Likud’s term from 1977 until 1985, by far, the climactic era in Israel’s settlement policy.

24 years later, Sharon is in power. Sharon’s spokesman, Ranaan Gissen, stated that the prime minister-elect “…will not build new settlements…but will allow current settlements to expand according to the natural growth of the population.”

The eventual resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians will confront Sharon with the question of whether or not he is willing to evacuate settlements under a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Maintaining, or expanding, Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory violates the very spirit and letter of the peace process, and is guaranteed to plant more seeds of conflict.