In an interview on Tuesday, Prof. Arad said that recent events have made it clear beyond doubt that the security fences are no solution to the threat from the Palestinian Authority, as the enemy has tunneled under and fired over the barriers. However, in light of existing political and technological limitations, Arad said, the Israel Defense Forces are doing the best they can against the rocket threats from Gaza, and now from Judea and Samaria, as well. Despite successes, according to Prof. Arad, the IDF has a serious problem in collecting intelligence in areas under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction, even in Judea and Samaria.
On the strategic level, Prof. Arad believes that Israel must demonstrate its military presence on the other side of the separation barriers if it is to prevent continued attacks on Israeli population centers.
"The objective is that those giving the orders for terrorist activities will feel that doing so does not pay. It would be worthy to change the thinking among the Palestinian decision-makers, and the question is: how is that accomplished?" Arad said, adding that unilateral withdrawals have thus far proven to the terrorists that the path of violence and extortion is the most effective one.
"We must not repeat the mistake of crossing over the fence in order to return; rather, we must cross the fence in order to remain in the area and prevent continued attack," Prof. Arad said.
In August of 2005, shortly after Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, Arad, who founded and chairs the annual Herzliya Conference, said: "The Palestinian appetite has been awakened, and they see the evacuation of Gaza as a 'minimal advance' preceding the withdrawal from the entire Judea and Samaria." At this stage, the former Mossad official said that Israel must show them to be mistaken.
In the Gaza-Samaria Disengagement, according to Prof. Arad, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon acted in contradiction to two principles that were accepted by the previous Israeli leaders, Yitzchak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu: 1) withdrawals will only be carried out in exchange for something from the Arab side directly, or indirectly through the United States; and 2) evacuation of communities, if at all, would only be discussed as part of an encompassing agreement in final status talks. Arad said that while he cannot explain Sharon's decision in this regard, he expects that historians will have to determine if the recent explanation of former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon - to the effect that Sharon decided on the Disengagement as a result of personal political and legal issues he was facing - is correct or not.
On the strategic level, Prof. Arad believes that Israel must demonstrate its military presence on the other side of the separation barriers if it is to prevent continued attacks on Israeli population centers.
"The objective is that those giving the orders for terrorist activities will feel that doing so does not pay. It would be worthy to change the thinking among the Palestinian decision-makers, and the question is: how is that accomplished?" Arad said, adding that unilateral withdrawals have thus far proven to the terrorists that the path of violence and extortion is the most effective one.
"We must not repeat the mistake of crossing over the fence in order to return; rather, we must cross the fence in order to remain in the area and prevent continued attack," Prof. Arad said.
In August of 2005, shortly after Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, Arad, who founded and chairs the annual Herzliya Conference, said: "The Palestinian appetite has been awakened, and they see the evacuation of Gaza as a 'minimal advance' preceding the withdrawal from the entire Judea and Samaria." At this stage, the former Mossad official said that Israel must show them to be mistaken.
In the Gaza-Samaria Disengagement, according to Prof. Arad, former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon acted in contradiction to two principles that were accepted by the previous Israeli leaders, Yitzchak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak and Binyamin Netanyahu: 1) withdrawals will only be carried out in exchange for something from the Arab side directly, or indirectly through the United States; and 2) evacuation of communities, if at all, would only be discussed as part of an encompassing agreement in final status talks. Arad said that while he cannot explain Sharon's decision in this regard, he expects that historians will have to determine if the recent explanation of former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon - to the effect that Sharon decided on the Disengagement as a result of personal political and legal issues he was facing - is correct or not.