Israel is promised $2bn of ‘Hellfire’ and air-to-air missiles plus 4100 Glide and bunker-busting bombs as U.S. prepares for a major war in the Middle East but instead, the U.S. should pay just half of that sum from the American tax-payer, i.e. only $1bn, in relocation expenses, i.e. $2635 for each settler, to bring peace not war to the region.

There is ample room for all illegal settlers to be comfortably relocated at Beer Sheva in Israel’s Negev, on Route 25 nearby the secret, underground nuclear weapons facility at Dimona where land is plentiful and belongs to Israel itself.

At a stroke, there could be a peaceful accord with Israelis living in peace in the Negev, Haifa, Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem etc and the Palestinians living on their own land in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

This should be the direction of the European Union if they are not to be again made to look foolish by the slippery Binyamin Netanyahu who has boasted that he can ‘run rings’ around the EU Commission (and, of course, the UN Congress), anytime he wants.

If there is to be an accord, then it is up to the EU who has adequate leverage to ensure that it happens – and, of course, the receipt of an additional $1bn from the United States, Republican-dominated Congress.

There obviously has to be a firm deadline set for the repatriation, after receipt of the aid monies. Any failure to conform by individual settlers should be met with penalties.  In the event that the Israeli government itself would collude with settlers in breaking the resettlement process then the EU must be prepared to finally tear-up the Association Agreement and withdraw from all bilateral trade with the Israeli state. Why is the EU waiting?