I realize that we Jews always look to the black side - even when things are going good or seem to be going good. I will skip the good parts like shootings, bombings and stabbings all over Israel. I will skip the part where Barak, Peres and Beilin ignored the water shortage during the on-going drought because water rationing before the election wasn?t good for them. I will skip the part where Barak leaves a soon-to-be no-man?s-land on Israel?s northern border as Hezb?Allah fills a vacuum. So, what am I worried about; what?s in the wind?
Today I am informed that in Sharon?s swearing-in ceremony, he seems to have left one line out of the prepared text. As he was taking his oath of office and speaking about Jerusalem, he managed to leave off the part where all other Prime Ministers say: "United under Israeli sovereignty". Now Arik is a very careful, thoughtful man. Leaving out that phrase was no accident.
This same day, it was reported in a translation of a statement by Sharon wherein he said that Israel must be prepared to make "painful concessions". That?s what is called a ?code-word?. The last time it was said was in chorus from Yossi Beilin, Shlomo Ben Ami and Shimon Peres. Why is Arik mouthing phrases of "Painful Concessions", the war cry of the Left just after he promised not to make those painful concessions.
When I look at Arik?s division of Cabinet posts, I see the really powerful and controlling positions in the hands of the recently rejected Left. Shimon Peres (Labor) as Foreign Minister with hundreds, perhaps thousands of influential jobs under his control. Binyamin Ben-Eliezar (nickname: Fuad - also Labor) as Defense Minister. This leaves all of the army and the officers? corps in the hands of Labor Left - as always. What?s changed? The officers? corps has always been a Labor Party?s incubator for Leftist politicians thus - Rabin and Barak, etc.
Somewhat lessor on the scale of Arik?s labor appointment are Shalom Simhon (Agriculture Minister); Ephraim Sneh (Transportation Minister); Salah Tarif (Minister without Portfolio); Matan Vilnai (Science, Culture & Sports Minister); Ranan Cohen (Minister without Portfolio). Arik did give Avigdor Lieberman of the National Union Party the Portfolio of Infrastructure; to Silvan Shalom of Likud (Finance Ministry); Eliyahu Yishai of the Shas Party (Interior Ministry); Natan Sharansky of Yisrael B?aliyah (Housing Ministry)....
As in the time of Prime Minister Menachem Begin - 1977, he was totally unprepared to place Likud members in any significant jobs so the Labor Left remained in control. During Binyamin Netanyahu?s time in office he, too, left Labor Party appointees in place. In both cases Labor chewed at their legs from the inside and succeeded in changing and/or defeating Likud.
For these and other reasons I am concerned that there is another Oslo of some sorts in the making. I fear that Baker and Bush?s fathers old cronies are back in power and are swinging their influence widely over Israel. Rabin and Barak were easily influenced that Israel was going to be allowed to play in the "Big Game" if they made some "small" sacrifices for peace. Those small sacrifices turned out to be Clinton?s game plan which got even worse at Taba.
We don?t know what Arik has in mind. We hope that he will clean up the Barak mess. However, we have already heard that Shimon Peres has said that he would resurrect peace talks with Arafat.
Are the same secret meetings that gave us Oslo in the works. For example, will the Golan Heights be once again negotiated for surrender as everyone?s eyes are on Arafat?s insurgency? Is Arik going to be allowed to attack Arafat?s terrorists with no interference from Syria - in trade for Israel relinquishing the Golan and putting American onto a new forward base on the Golan?
What are the "Painful Concessions" that Arik has in mind? What of Arafat?s maximum demands are to be the "Painful Concessions": the Division of Jerusalem? A Deal on the Temple Mount? Removal of settlements? Return of how many descendants of 450,000 refugees - now at least 4-5 million? All or part of the Jordan Valley and water rights to the Jordan River? The Watershed under the Judean/Samarian Hills - representing 30% of Israel?s fresh water resource? Which of these "Painful Concessions" does Arik have in mind?
The last government of Ehud Barak did everything in secrecy and it gave us Camp David 2 and Taba. Netanyahu?s government gave away Hebron. Rabin and Peres gave us Oslo 1 & 2 - all conducted in secrecy and without the consent of the Knesset and/or a Citizens? Referendum. This election vetoed all the above by 62% to 37%.
Perhaps Arik will share with us his planned "Painful Concessions" before he agrees and signs. Clearly, having observed prior Prime Ministers adopt the rule of Kings, it?s time the Knesset passes a law requiring the Knesset to vote on all major decisions relating to divestiture of land.
Today I am informed that in Sharon?s swearing-in ceremony, he seems to have left one line out of the prepared text. As he was taking his oath of office and speaking about Jerusalem, he managed to leave off the part where all other Prime Ministers say: "United under Israeli sovereignty". Now Arik is a very careful, thoughtful man. Leaving out that phrase was no accident.
This same day, it was reported in a translation of a statement by Sharon wherein he said that Israel must be prepared to make "painful concessions". That?s what is called a ?code-word?. The last time it was said was in chorus from Yossi Beilin, Shlomo Ben Ami and Shimon Peres. Why is Arik mouthing phrases of "Painful Concessions", the war cry of the Left just after he promised not to make those painful concessions.
When I look at Arik?s division of Cabinet posts, I see the really powerful and controlling positions in the hands of the recently rejected Left. Shimon Peres (Labor) as Foreign Minister with hundreds, perhaps thousands of influential jobs under his control. Binyamin Ben-Eliezar (nickname: Fuad - also Labor) as Defense Minister. This leaves all of the army and the officers? corps in the hands of Labor Left - as always. What?s changed? The officers? corps has always been a Labor Party?s incubator for Leftist politicians thus - Rabin and Barak, etc.
Somewhat lessor on the scale of Arik?s labor appointment are Shalom Simhon (Agriculture Minister); Ephraim Sneh (Transportation Minister); Salah Tarif (Minister without Portfolio); Matan Vilnai (Science, Culture & Sports Minister); Ranan Cohen (Minister without Portfolio). Arik did give Avigdor Lieberman of the National Union Party the Portfolio of Infrastructure; to Silvan Shalom of Likud (Finance Ministry); Eliyahu Yishai of the Shas Party (Interior Ministry); Natan Sharansky of Yisrael B?aliyah (Housing Ministry)....
As in the time of Prime Minister Menachem Begin - 1977, he was totally unprepared to place Likud members in any significant jobs so the Labor Left remained in control. During Binyamin Netanyahu?s time in office he, too, left Labor Party appointees in place. In both cases Labor chewed at their legs from the inside and succeeded in changing and/or defeating Likud.
For these and other reasons I am concerned that there is another Oslo of some sorts in the making. I fear that Baker and Bush?s fathers old cronies are back in power and are swinging their influence widely over Israel. Rabin and Barak were easily influenced that Israel was going to be allowed to play in the "Big Game" if they made some "small" sacrifices for peace. Those small sacrifices turned out to be Clinton?s game plan which got even worse at Taba.
We don?t know what Arik has in mind. We hope that he will clean up the Barak mess. However, we have already heard that Shimon Peres has said that he would resurrect peace talks with Arafat.
Are the same secret meetings that gave us Oslo in the works. For example, will the Golan Heights be once again negotiated for surrender as everyone?s eyes are on Arafat?s insurgency? Is Arik going to be allowed to attack Arafat?s terrorists with no interference from Syria - in trade for Israel relinquishing the Golan and putting American onto a new forward base on the Golan?
What are the "Painful Concessions" that Arik has in mind? What of Arafat?s maximum demands are to be the "Painful Concessions": the Division of Jerusalem? A Deal on the Temple Mount? Removal of settlements? Return of how many descendants of 450,000 refugees - now at least 4-5 million? All or part of the Jordan Valley and water rights to the Jordan River? The Watershed under the Judean/Samarian Hills - representing 30% of Israel?s fresh water resource? Which of these "Painful Concessions" does Arik have in mind?
The last government of Ehud Barak did everything in secrecy and it gave us Camp David 2 and Taba. Netanyahu?s government gave away Hebron. Rabin and Peres gave us Oslo 1 & 2 - all conducted in secrecy and without the consent of the Knesset and/or a Citizens? Referendum. This election vetoed all the above by 62% to 37%.
Perhaps Arik will share with us his planned "Painful Concessions" before he agrees and signs. Clearly, having observed prior Prime Ministers adopt the rule of Kings, it?s time the Knesset passes a law requiring the Knesset to vote on all major decisions relating to divestiture of land.