Comment by shykes

> "The exception of Area C" is doing a lot of work in this argument. That's 61% of the territory of the West Bank

Area C is less than 10% of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, 6% of Palestinian population if you count Gaza. Interesting that you chose to focus on territory! Last I checked, square kilometers do not vote, people do.

In any case, you are right that Area C is more complicated, since it is controlled by Israel and there are Palestinians who live there.

However, Palestinians living in area C can also vote in Palestinian elections. So although it is true that they live in a territory governed by Israel (unlike the other 94% of Palestinians), it remains false that they are a "large part of the Israeli population that is disenfranchised" (the original statement).

> ("Judea and Samaria") (those scare quotes also doing a lot of work).

Obviously the choice of name for this region reflects a political preference. But that works both ways. I prefer to call it Judea and Samaria because that's what it was called until 1948, when Jordan invaded and annexed it. "West bank" is a relic of Jordanian occupation, chosen by King Abdullah to absorb the region into his kingdom, not just politically but semantically. Jordan hasn't controlled the region in 60 years - longer than the occupation itself. It seems reasonable to stop calling it by its colonial Jordan name.

You seem to take particular issue with my use of the term "Judea and Samaria". That is also a political preference. Do you care to explain it the same way I explained mine?

> To counter your list of things that the PA does de facto control, I will add: who controls the criminal court system?

In areas A and B, the Palestinian Authority.

> The checkpoints which lead to the outside world?

On the Israeli side: Israel. On the Jordanian side: Jordan.

> The airspace?

Israel

> The ability to import and export goods?

The Palestinian Authority, but subject to stringent security control by Israel.

> The roads?

In Areas A and B: the Palestinian Authority.

> The territorial contiguity of Areas A and B?

That was jointly defined by the bilateral agreement at Oslo. So, both sides agreed on that.

> The decisions on building new settlements?

In area C: Israel.

In areas A and B: there are no settlements (Jews are not allowed to live there).

> Israel is in de facto control of the lives and futures of all 15 million people "from the river to the sea"

We're straying from the original topic of disenfranchisement... I will just say that, in my opinion, your view is simplistic and manichean. The closest we ever got to a resolution of the conflict, in 1994, was with a bilateral agreement. Neither side is fully in control of the outcome. Denying that Palestinians, too, have responsibilities and agency, is the surest way to perpetuate this conflict.