Something new has happened in Israel. Nobody is talking about "peace", not even the extreme Left (like Peace Now, whose main activity is trying to prevent Jews from building in Judea, Samaria and Gaza). Not even the Tinker-Bell of Peace, Shimon Peres. The Oslo delusion, however, is not over; it has a new name: "Disengagement".
And, if Oslo wasn't absurd enough, with fake agreements and negotiations, the "Road Map" imposed by the "Quartet" (three of whom are Israel's enemies) is worse. No negotiations are required and there is no method of accountability envisioned.
As senior Israeli officials say, "We are in a process; it's not peace." Despite continuing terrorism and announcements from Palestinian Authority officials that terrorist gangs will not be disarmed, Israeli officials refer to PA head Mahmoud Abbas as a "partner". No one knows exactly what that means, since neither he nor the PA have done anything to fulfill Israeli and US demands to (at least) reduce terrorism and incitement. In fact, terror and incitement have been encouraged by Israeli willingness to retreat under fire. Unlike in Israel, the PA policy is clear.
Israeli policies are often ambiguous, a sign of uncertainty and doubt. Do we deal with terrorists, or not? Are Judea, Samaria and Gaza part of Israel, or not? This approach may at times offer maneuverability, but it has led to confusion and invited disaster.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has made this the basis of his non-policy. The good news is that this allows him to be innovative and spontaneous, responding or ignoring terrorist attacks depending on what he thinks will work. The bad news is that he won't shoot back.
Six thousand missiles have been fired at communities in and around the Gaza Strip in the last two years and the IDF has not been given permission to take decisive action. Good news: terrorists are apprehended before they can strike. This has given Israelis a renewed sense of security. Tourism is up and people are riding buses again. Bad news: it only takes one mistake for terrorists to succeed.
Sharon's policy - contrary to assessments by his own military intelligence that withdrawal from Gaza and Northern Samaria will increase terrorism - is based on a false assumption. Relying on Israel's experience in withdrawing from Lebanon, senior Israeli officials predict that terrorism will decrease. They offer no explanation for this speculation.
Using Lebanon as a model to support Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip ignores obvious and important differences. Lebanon is a sovereign country, which has no interest in an active war with Israel; Hizbullah is a small terrorist organization, while Hamas has a powerful army; Israel's border with Lebanon is sealed, unlike Gaza's borders, which are open to workers and for commerce, and which are constantly infiltrated.
Lacking red lines and a clear policy regarding terrorism invites terrorists to test the safety net and exploit weaknesses.
The only consistent policy that Israel seems to hold is that withdrawal will take place regardless of whether the PA/Hamas stop terrorism or not. This is a complete reversal of traditional Israeli policy based on ensuring that terrorists will not emerge from the conflict with a sense of victory. Not only are PA and Hamas officials already claiming that they have forced Israel to retreat, like Lebanon, they threaten an escalation in violence unless further concessions and withdrawals are made, including building airports and seaports, and unfettered passage throughout the West Bank.
Without clear policy guidelines, the Israeli government is sending mixed (and therefore contradictory) messages: stop terrorism or we will not make further concessions, and we will make further concessions no matter what you do.
Advocates of this policy argue that Israel must withdraw not only from Gaza, but all of Judea and Samaria for its own self-interest. It is better, they say, not to occupy another people even if we can rule over them. So, Palestinian terrorists get a state and Israel gets moral Brownie points.
But Israel doesn't "occupy" Palestinians; the Palestinian Authority does, and has done so for more than a decade. The dispute (in Judea, Samaria and Gaza) is not over people, but over unoccupied and unclaimed state lands, which Israel conquered from Jordan - which inherited them from the British, who conquered them from the Turks, who conquered them from the Mamelukes, who conquered them from the Crusaders, conquered from early Moslem rulers, who conquered them from the Byzantine/Roman Empire, conquered from the Jews... or Palestinians, depending on which history books you believe. Also in dispute are Jewish communities that were built in Judea, Samaria and Gaza after 1967.
The good news is that during the last year, Palestinian terrorists have not been very successful. That's not to say they haven't been trying. According to government sources, there are scores of terrorist alerts every day. The Israel Defense Forces and intelligence services have proven capable and efficient; there is a military solution.
The bad news is that having beaten the terrorists decisively, Sharon's defeatist policy is turning victory into self-defeat. Unilateral retreat, "disengagement", or whatever one calls it, has no military or security advantages, or at least none that the government has offered. Israeli retreat has plunged Palestinian-controlled areas into a savage struggle for power among terrorist gangs.
Finally, the "security" fence/barrier that will demarcate Israel's de facto boundary is presented as a deterrent to would-be terrorists. It represents a policy of retreat that will encourage terrorism. All agree that it will not prevent missile attacks. It is a visible sign of failure. As Prime Minister Sharon said, "The dream is over." His dream, that is.
The good news is that more Jews are making aliyah. The bad news is that anti-Semitism seems to be increasing, especially in Europe, where large Muslim communities now flourish.
The good news is that the world is aware of the menace of terrorism and is trying to make some efforts to eradicate it. The bad news is that it isn't enough, and Palestinian terrorism seems to be an exception.
The good news is that tourism is up for the first time in four years. The bad news is that three-fourths of American Jews have never been to Israel.
The good news is that most Israelis do not support Sharon's policies and believe the government is thoroughly corrupt. The bad news is that the government doesn't care.
And, if Oslo wasn't absurd enough, with fake agreements and negotiations, the "Road Map" imposed by the "Quartet" (three of whom are Israel's enemies) is worse. No negotiations are required and there is no method of accountability envisioned.
As senior Israeli officials say, "We are in a process; it's not peace." Despite continuing terrorism and announcements from Palestinian Authority officials that terrorist gangs will not be disarmed, Israeli officials refer to PA head Mahmoud Abbas as a "partner". No one knows exactly what that means, since neither he nor the PA have done anything to fulfill Israeli and US demands to (at least) reduce terrorism and incitement. In fact, terror and incitement have been encouraged by Israeli willingness to retreat under fire. Unlike in Israel, the PA policy is clear.
Israeli policies are often ambiguous, a sign of uncertainty and doubt. Do we deal with terrorists, or not? Are Judea, Samaria and Gaza part of Israel, or not? This approach may at times offer maneuverability, but it has led to confusion and invited disaster.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has made this the basis of his non-policy. The good news is that this allows him to be innovative and spontaneous, responding or ignoring terrorist attacks depending on what he thinks will work. The bad news is that he won't shoot back.
Six thousand missiles have been fired at communities in and around the Gaza Strip in the last two years and the IDF has not been given permission to take decisive action. Good news: terrorists are apprehended before they can strike. This has given Israelis a renewed sense of security. Tourism is up and people are riding buses again. Bad news: it only takes one mistake for terrorists to succeed.
Sharon's policy - contrary to assessments by his own military intelligence that withdrawal from Gaza and Northern Samaria will increase terrorism - is based on a false assumption. Relying on Israel's experience in withdrawing from Lebanon, senior Israeli officials predict that terrorism will decrease. They offer no explanation for this speculation.
Using Lebanon as a model to support Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip ignores obvious and important differences. Lebanon is a sovereign country, which has no interest in an active war with Israel; Hizbullah is a small terrorist organization, while Hamas has a powerful army; Israel's border with Lebanon is sealed, unlike Gaza's borders, which are open to workers and for commerce, and which are constantly infiltrated.
Lacking red lines and a clear policy regarding terrorism invites terrorists to test the safety net and exploit weaknesses.
The only consistent policy that Israel seems to hold is that withdrawal will take place regardless of whether the PA/Hamas stop terrorism or not. This is a complete reversal of traditional Israeli policy based on ensuring that terrorists will not emerge from the conflict with a sense of victory. Not only are PA and Hamas officials already claiming that they have forced Israel to retreat, like Lebanon, they threaten an escalation in violence unless further concessions and withdrawals are made, including building airports and seaports, and unfettered passage throughout the West Bank.
Without clear policy guidelines, the Israeli government is sending mixed (and therefore contradictory) messages: stop terrorism or we will not make further concessions, and we will make further concessions no matter what you do.
Advocates of this policy argue that Israel must withdraw not only from Gaza, but all of Judea and Samaria for its own self-interest. It is better, they say, not to occupy another people even if we can rule over them. So, Palestinian terrorists get a state and Israel gets moral Brownie points.
But Israel doesn't "occupy" Palestinians; the Palestinian Authority does, and has done so for more than a decade. The dispute (in Judea, Samaria and Gaza) is not over people, but over unoccupied and unclaimed state lands, which Israel conquered from Jordan - which inherited them from the British, who conquered them from the Turks, who conquered them from the Mamelukes, who conquered them from the Crusaders, conquered from early Moslem rulers, who conquered them from the Byzantine/Roman Empire, conquered from the Jews... or Palestinians, depending on which history books you believe. Also in dispute are Jewish communities that were built in Judea, Samaria and Gaza after 1967.
The good news is that during the last year, Palestinian terrorists have not been very successful. That's not to say they haven't been trying. According to government sources, there are scores of terrorist alerts every day. The Israel Defense Forces and intelligence services have proven capable and efficient; there is a military solution.
The bad news is that having beaten the terrorists decisively, Sharon's defeatist policy is turning victory into self-defeat. Unilateral retreat, "disengagement", or whatever one calls it, has no military or security advantages, or at least none that the government has offered. Israeli retreat has plunged Palestinian-controlled areas into a savage struggle for power among terrorist gangs.
Finally, the "security" fence/barrier that will demarcate Israel's de facto boundary is presented as a deterrent to would-be terrorists. It represents a policy of retreat that will encourage terrorism. All agree that it will not prevent missile attacks. It is a visible sign of failure. As Prime Minister Sharon said, "The dream is over." His dream, that is.
The good news is that more Jews are making aliyah. The bad news is that anti-Semitism seems to be increasing, especially in Europe, where large Muslim communities now flourish.
The good news is that the world is aware of the menace of terrorism and is trying to make some efforts to eradicate it. The bad news is that it isn't enough, and Palestinian terrorism seems to be an exception.
The good news is that tourism is up for the first time in four years. The bad news is that three-fourths of American Jews have never been to Israel.
The good news is that most Israelis do not support Sharon's policies and believe the government is thoroughly corrupt. The bad news is that the government doesn't care.