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Dr. Aaron Lerner is co-founder of , Independent Media Review and Analysis, an Israel-based news organization which provides an extensive digest of media, polls and significant interviews and events relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
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By Dr. Aaron Lerner
April 8, 2005
Israel needs more than a photo-op at the Bush ranch
If even half of the Sharon team's claims regarding the diplomatic benefits of retreating from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria were true, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's meeting next week would be more than a photo-op at the ranch wrapped up in another round of vague phrases.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
And the timing could not be worse.
Developments on the ground have gone from bad to worse, with, in the wake of the Sharm El-Sheikh photo op, the terror infrastructure growing both in size and capabilities as Israel cuts back on security operations and arrangements.
Not only are Mahmoud Abbas' "Palestinian partners" busy developing and testing longer range rockets for deployment in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, his own security men recently were involved in smuggling in anti-aircraft missiles from "peace partner" Egypt.
And there is no reason to expect that the post-retreat chaos will be any more encouraging than the pre-retreat chaos.
For Israel's sake -- and for the sake of the stability of the region -- Sharon should leave the ranch with something considerably more significant than a photo op and diplomatic verbiage. Sharon needs a clear understanding from Mr. Bush that timetables -- in particular self-imposed ones -- are not holy and are subject to revision as the situation requires and that the very nature of "disengagement", as a unilateral program outside of the framework of the Roadmap, is subject to Israel's discretion.
By the same token, it should be made clear that efforts to prop up the Sharm El-Sheikh photo op cannot continue to be at the expense of Israel's security.
In the wake of September 11th President Bush embarked on a global campaign against terror. It is high time that the Palestinians stop enjoying their special exemption from Mr. Bush's anti-terror standard.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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