It's the Facts on the Ground that Count

Diplomats may debate the status of the West Bank, but the Jewish settlers know that it's the facts on the ground that count. In an act of deliberate vandalism, the Jewish settlers near Nablus have cut down dozens, perhaps hundreds of olive trees that are the principal source of income for the Palestinian residents of the area. Without a source of income, in all likelihood those Palestinians will have to leave the area, establishing a de facto Jewish dominance in the area that the diplomats will have difficulty undoing.