Last Thursday Prime Minister Sharon shared his thinking with
the public -- something he does only on rare occasions -- and
outlined a sharply different approach to that taken by
Israeli governments in the past 15 years or so. Sharon said
that Israel cannot wait for the Palestinians indefinitely
and, if they do not come forward to negotiate peace, Israel
will move to establish a stable arrangement between itself
and the Palestinians that will allow both sides to live side
by side. This will be several steps taken by Israel, that are
to be considered pragmatic, security-oriented and economic
steps and not moves that establish political realities.
In the field, this involves finishing the separation fence
in order to keep terrorists out of Israel. Several existing
settlements will need to be moved so that everything can be
properly defended. Sharon did not specify any specific
candidates for moving.
The other area in which changes are to be made is economic:
the government will seek to reduce Palestinian economic
dependence on Israel and to strengthen economic ties between
the Palestinian areas and the neighboring states of Jordan
and Egypt. Palestinians will be prevented in the future from
entering Israel from the Palestinian areas to work.
Sharon explained that his plan is designed to reduce friction
between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sharon made it clear that if the PA doesn't meet its
commitments under the road map and Israel is forced to take
unilateral steps, "the Palestinians will receive much less
than they would have received through direct negotiations as
set out in the road map.
". . . if in a few months the Palestinians still continue to
disregard their part in implementing the road map, Israel
will initiate the unilateral security step of disengagement
from the Palestinians. . . . I have already said we will not
wait for them indefinitely."
Sharon earlier announced steps aimed at boosting freedom of
movement for the Palestinians within the territories,
expanding activities at the Allenby Bridge and Rafah
crossings, and allowing Palestinian merchants to enter Israel
to conduct business. The steps did not include letting in
workers from the territories as was common in the past.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom recently presented a plan for
the construction of industrial parks along the seam line
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In response, the Palestinian Authority called on the United
States, United Nations, Russia, and the European Union (the
"Quartet") to take measures that will bring about Israel's
implementation of the road map peace initiative. The PA also
called on the Quartet to intervene against the plan for
unilateral disengagement, proposed by Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon.
In outlining his thoughts, Sharon said the "relocation of
settlements" will be done first and foremost "to draw the
most efficient security line possible, thereby creating this
disengagement between Israel and the Palestinians."
He said that this new security line will not constitute a
permanent border, but the IDF will be deployed along it as
long as implementation of the road map is not resumed.
Sharon set the basic guidelines for which settlements will
have to move. "Settlements which will be relocated are those
which will not be included in the territory of the State of
Israel in the framework of any possible future permanent
agreement," he said.
He implied that certain areas beyond the Green Line will be
annexed to Israel. "In the framework of the disengagement
plan, Israel will strengthen its control over those same
areas in the Land of Israel which will constitute an
inseparable part of the State of Israel in any future
agreement," he said. "I know you would like to hear names,
but we should leave something for later."
Sharon defined the goals of disengagement as reducing
terrorism as much as possible and granting Israelis maximum
security to improve the quality of life and strengthen the
economy.
Sharon stressed that the unilateral steps will be fully
coordinated with the US. The speech was in fact shown to the
US administration before delivery, and Sharon opened by
pledging his allegiance to the road map and President George
W. Bush's vision of a two-state solution.
He also made it clear that in his mind the disengagement plan
is the second best option, and he would rather move forward
along the road map.
"The disengagement plan is a security measure, not a
political one," he said. "The steps which will be taken will
not change the political reality between Israel and the
Palestinians, and will not prevent the possibility of
returning to the implementation of the road map and reaching
an agreed settlement."
Sharon criticized the approach of the Left, as exemplified by
the Geneva Accord, though he did not mention anyone by name.
"The opposite perception, according to which the very signing
of a peace agreement will produce security out of thin air,
has already been tried in the past and failed miserably. And
such will be the fate of any other plan which promotes this
concept. These plans deceive the public and create false
hope. There will be no peace before the eradication of
terrorism."
"I have committed to the president of the United States that
Israel will dismantle unauthorized outposts," he said. "It is
my intention to implement this commitment. The State of
Israel is governed by law, and the issue of the outposts is
no exception. I understand the sensitivity; we will try to do
this in the least painful way possible, but the unauthorized
outposts will be dismantled. Period."
Sharon also said Israel will meet all its obligations
regarding settlement construction. "There will be no
construction beyond the existing construction line, no
expropriation of land for construction, no special economic
incentives, and no construction of new settlements," he
said.
Sharon said that Israel is willing to transfer Palestinian
towns to PA security responsibility.
"It is incumbent upon the Palestinians to uproot the
terrorist groups and to create a law-abiding society which
fights against violence and incitement. Peace and terrorism
cannot coexist," Sharon said. "We began the implementation of
the road map at Aqaba, but the terrorist organizations joined
with [PA Chairman] Yasser Arafat and sabotaged the process
with a series of the most brutal terrorist attacks we have
ever known."
The novelty of Sharon's approach is that it does not seek an
overall solution, but merely a way to get by. The main thing
that the Left and the Palestinians have in common is the
insistence that it is important to seek a complete solution.
Though their vision of a solution was initially very
different, the Left has moved continually closer to the Arab
position. Sharon has now said that a solution that brings
peace does not seem possible, so let's set up a stable
arrangement and wait. Both the Left and the Palestinians
reject this, but the citizens of Israel may not.
