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By Ted Belman
August 7, 2005
I watched Death in Gaza, a BBC documentary, and came away with the realization that the present situation is untenable.
The "Palestinians" have been programmed to hate and kill Jews, to seek martyrdom, to believe it's their land (including all of Israel), to fight until victory or death. They will not compromise nor will they accept permanently any truce or commitment. No amount of Israeli goodwill gestures, withdrawals, or financial assistance or plans for international investment will deter them from their ultimate goal: the destruction of Israel.
Israel works hard to keep the lid on this boiling brew but is fighting a losing battle. The international community keeps demanding that Israel enter peace processes that involve meaningful concessions by Israel, such as accepting that a state be created that is viable and contiguous in exchange for a Palestinian commitment to end the incitement and the violence. Unfortunately only Israel is bound by its commitments. The Palestinians have no intention of honoring theirs and the international community knows it. So the peace process is a fig leaf covering demands that Israel capitulate. In this the Quartet and the PA are in league. The war on terror doesn't extend to Israel. The world community demands withdrawal notwithstanding the terror. Ending the violence is not its objective. Getting Israel to withdraw is.
Barak made unprecedented concessions to Arafat at Camp David but Arafat turned them down because Palestine wouldn't be contiguous or viable. Although Clinton blamed Arafat for not accepting, the world community went on to give Arafat what he was demanding without anything in return to Israel except worthless commitments to end the violence and incitement. Commitments which were given in the Oslo Accords. The Roadmap which followed not only endorsed a Palestinian state for the first time but required it to be viable and contiguous. Israel got nothing in return. Bush can talk all he wants about all issues are to be negotiated but don't you believe it. All issues are predetermined by the Quartet. Israel is being forced to accept the dictat.
Israel's choice is to continue this dance of death or change the paradigm. The anti-disengagement forces believe that continuing the occupation of Gaza is preferable to ending it. They take this position either on religious, national or on security grounds. There is no question that disengagement has great consequences to all. Disengagement is fatal to Israel's claim to biblical Israel. It is extremely divisive to national cohesion. It will dramatically increase the security threat to Israel.
The proponents of disengagement include those who favour a single state, those who want to end the occupation of "Palestinian lands" and those who want to consolidate Israel's hold on the settlement blocks in the West Bank. The first two groups are made up of Arabs and ideologues impervious to reason. Unfortunately they represent about 30% of the populace. The pragmatists see disengagement positively. They reason that ending the occupation is worth the increased violence that will result. While the occupation serves to reduce terrorism, it also has many negatives for Israel in terms of lives lost, self-perception, world opinion and perhaps cost. The pragmatists on the right don't accept the trade-off of better image for less security. But this is a legitimate debate.
The debate also includes whether disengagement will ease or increase international pressure and whether it will enhance or retard Israel's ability to retain the settlement blocs.
Netanyahu takes the position that there must be a quid pro quo without regard for whether we have to wait for hell to freeze over for this to happen. In effect this is a prescription for not disengaging. There is no half way here. Either you are for it or against it.
Israel will not only disengage from Gaza but will disengage completely. The Gazans will have their port and their airport. Israel and Egypt will determine who and what goes into Gaza or comes out of it like any country does with respect to their borders.. Any violence emanating from Gaza will be severely dealt with. Israel will not reenter Gaza. Gaza will no longer be the legal responsibility for Israel. The Quartet will take on the responsibility of improving the economy and improving conditions. They are welcome to it. Gaza will also become an exporter of terror to the world.
The Quartet will increase pressure on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank. Israel will insist on following the Roadmap, which requires that the terrorists be disarmed and disbanded and that incitement ends. Israel will continue to consolidate its hold on Jerusalem and the settlement blocs.
Accordingly, there is no end of conflict in sight for decades. And with that kind of time frame, regrettably, Israel is probably better off out of Gaza.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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