When the government was asked to approve the disengagement
plan over six months ago, a compromise, which came to be
known as the Livni Compromise, was reached between Sharon and
three of his ministers, Netanyahu, Livnat and Shalom. It
stipulated that the disengagement would be carried out in
four phases and each phase would have to receive separate
government approval. During each of the intervening periods
all of the involved figures would reassess the state of
affairs out in the field to determine whether the process
should continue.
The compromise was reached to counter the reluctance shown by
the three ministers over the disengagement plan and the
evacuation of the settlements. Concerned that rewarding
terrorism would merely increase attacks, they claimed
withdrawing from the settlements all at once would render the
process irreversible.
The idea of a phased withdrawal was essentially forced on
Sharon. He wanted to pull out fast without stopping to
consider the repercussions. Terror or no terror, what
difference does it make? The important thing is to flee from
Gaza.
At the time it was clear to all, certainly to Netanyahu,
Livnat and Shalom, the decision meant there would be an
interval of 1-2 months between phases. But perhaps to one
person, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, this assumption was not
clear. Apparently he thought the concept of a phased
withdrawal was merely to placate his three ministers.
At a recent appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and
Security Committee, Sharon made it clear what the phased
withdrawal meant to him. Not two months between phases and
not one month between phases—in fact not even a week.
"The four [phases] will be as follows," explained Sharon.
"Two weeks before the evacuation begins the Defense Minister
will assess whether there is any fundamental change in the
field. If not there will be a vote, followed by an
evacuation. We will wait for a few days and if we see there
has been no change in the field the second phase will be
brought for a government decision while the first phase is
still in progress. And already during the second phase a
decision will be made regarding the execution of the third
phase, etc."
In this explanation Sharon simply made a laughing stock of
the idea of a phased withdrawal. What would be the point of
waiting a few days? What kind of assessment can be made
during such a short period of time? Does it make sense to
pass the second phase before the first phase has been
completed? How is this any different from a single decision
to evacuate all of the settlements? There is no difference.
This is merely a farce.
In fact all of Sharon's conduct regarding the disengagement
plan has been bizarre and a show of brute force. Promising to
abide by their decision, he held a referendum among Likud
voters and then failed to honor his promise. He convened the
Likud Merkaz, but when their decision was not to his liking
once again he announced that he would not carry it out. So it
comes as no surprise that now he is writing off a decision
his own government reached.
Phasing Out the Referendum
At a recent meeting of Likud MKs on the issue of a
"disengagement referendum," Sharon repeated his position
against such a move. But when pressed to the wall and asked
if the party did decide to table a referendum law in the
Knesset and require all party members to support it, would he
obey the party's decision, Sharon gave a candid reply without
hesitation. "In any event I will not vote in favor of a
referendum," he said.
Thus Sharon, who should be serving as an example of
obedience, is openly declaring he has no intention of abiding
by decisions. This is the very same Sharon who repeatedly
roared about how every Likud member must comply with
government and Knesset decisions. For him anything goes, but
everyone else is merely a minor supporting cast member who
must stand silent when he steps onto the stage.
Sharon knows this type of behavior is a recipe for anarchy in
the government, a recipe for bankrupting the decisions of the
Likud Party and the entire coalition. For if rank-and-file
MKs see and hear the No. 1 man declaring his intentions not
to carry out decisions, why should they uphold them? But
Sharon has a way of following through to the bitter end
regarding decisions that serve him and trampling underfoot
decisions that don't. This is simply who Sharon is.
