The Road Map, without major and critical revisions, is a straitjacket.
If anyone thought Abu "use all means against settlers" Mazen was going to turn a new page as the Palestinian Authority's new prime minister, consider who he wants to bring in as "interior minister", to handle the official Palestinian security forces: Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security forces in the Gaza Strip.
And who do the Americans suggest make sure Dahlan behaves? The CIA.
Sound familiar? Well it should. Because that's exactly the fiasco we had before.
Under Dahlan's leadership the elite Palestinian Preventive Security forces played a key role building the Palestinian terror infrastructure - contracting the manufacture of illegal weapons. And instead of fighting the illegal militias, Dahlan's Palestinian Preventive Security forces coordinated and directed the terrorist activities of the illegal militias.
And what did the CIA do? To the CIA's credit they did an excellent job training a generation of Palestinian snipers. The problem was that instead of using their skills to fight Palestinian terrorists, these CIA trained snipers have been murdering Israelis ever since.
And how did the CIA do in its role of monitor?
The CIA faces a tremendous conflict-of-interest challenge when put in the "monitoring" role. The CIA is involved in American efforts to deal with terrorists impacting American interests around the world, and the Palestinian security officials have intimate contacts and relations with their terrorist brothers around the world. The CIA ignored illegal Palestinian activity in return for Palestinian information and assistance relating to other terrorist groups.
It should also be kept in mind that the CIA's mandate is not to serve the truth, but to serve American interests. When it serves American interests to proclaim that night is day, up is down or that the Palestinians are in compliance, the CIA will do just that.
Speculation? Hardly. Representatives of the CIA were sharing pitas and coffee with Palestinian security officials while they were busy coordinating and directing terrorist operations and weapons producing projects. The CIA didn't expose the operations - Israel did.
The Dahlan-CIA combination was a formula for disaster during Oslo and it would be only worse under the Road Map in its current version. A plan to immediately strip Israel of the right to self-defense, as the Palestinians make some declarations and possibly a few photo opportunities on their way to a sovereign independent terrorist state under the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" supervision of the CIA.
Let's be clear on this: the Road Map isn't a minor issue. It isn't something Israel can concede now due to extenuating circumstances and rectify later. The Road Map, without major and critical revisions, is a straitjacket.
The Jewish state paid a dear price - both physical and economic - due to the Oslo fiasco. I can only shudder to think of the price we may have to pay if shortsighted leaders sacrifice our futures by accepting the current Road Map.
If you think it was bad when Israeli security forces were able to stop most terrorists before they even came near their targets, imagine what it will be like when the terrorists will be able to attack from inside a sovereign state, as they exploit the protection of a human shield of various observer forces.
And if you think the economy suffered when tourists and investors thought twice about Israel thanks to Oslo terror, just consider what foreigner would put their tourist bodies or investment dollars in a country under the constant mortar, Katyusha rocket and Kassam missile fire that waits for us down the Road Map.
The challenge for leaders is to know when an issue is simply too important to concede. Menachem Begin did it when he ordered the bombing of the Iraqi reactor - knowing full well the costs Israel faced for the then-unpopular move. The same goes today for rejecting the current version of the Road Map.
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Dr. Aaron Lerner is the Director of IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis). This article was adapted from the IMRA Report, on Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio, which can be heard on demand at IsraelNationalNews.com.
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Spend Passover with Arutz Sheva at a resort in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Kfar Pines (near Hadera). Click here for info.
If anyone thought Abu "use all means against settlers" Mazen was going to turn a new page as the Palestinian Authority's new prime minister, consider who he wants to bring in as "interior minister", to handle the official Palestinian security forces: Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security forces in the Gaza Strip.
And who do the Americans suggest make sure Dahlan behaves? The CIA.
Sound familiar? Well it should. Because that's exactly the fiasco we had before.
Under Dahlan's leadership the elite Palestinian Preventive Security forces played a key role building the Palestinian terror infrastructure - contracting the manufacture of illegal weapons. And instead of fighting the illegal militias, Dahlan's Palestinian Preventive Security forces coordinated and directed the terrorist activities of the illegal militias.
And what did the CIA do? To the CIA's credit they did an excellent job training a generation of Palestinian snipers. The problem was that instead of using their skills to fight Palestinian terrorists, these CIA trained snipers have been murdering Israelis ever since.
And how did the CIA do in its role of monitor?
The CIA faces a tremendous conflict-of-interest challenge when put in the "monitoring" role. The CIA is involved in American efforts to deal with terrorists impacting American interests around the world, and the Palestinian security officials have intimate contacts and relations with their terrorist brothers around the world. The CIA ignored illegal Palestinian activity in return for Palestinian information and assistance relating to other terrorist groups.
It should also be kept in mind that the CIA's mandate is not to serve the truth, but to serve American interests. When it serves American interests to proclaim that night is day, up is down or that the Palestinians are in compliance, the CIA will do just that.
Speculation? Hardly. Representatives of the CIA were sharing pitas and coffee with Palestinian security officials while they were busy coordinating and directing terrorist operations and weapons producing projects. The CIA didn't expose the operations - Israel did.
The Dahlan-CIA combination was a formula for disaster during Oslo and it would be only worse under the Road Map in its current version. A plan to immediately strip Israel of the right to self-defense, as the Palestinians make some declarations and possibly a few photo opportunities on their way to a sovereign independent terrorist state under the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" supervision of the CIA.
Let's be clear on this: the Road Map isn't a minor issue. It isn't something Israel can concede now due to extenuating circumstances and rectify later. The Road Map, without major and critical revisions, is a straitjacket.
The Jewish state paid a dear price - both physical and economic - due to the Oslo fiasco. I can only shudder to think of the price we may have to pay if shortsighted leaders sacrifice our futures by accepting the current Road Map.
If you think it was bad when Israeli security forces were able to stop most terrorists before they even came near their targets, imagine what it will be like when the terrorists will be able to attack from inside a sovereign state, as they exploit the protection of a human shield of various observer forces.
And if you think the economy suffered when tourists and investors thought twice about Israel thanks to Oslo terror, just consider what foreigner would put their tourist bodies or investment dollars in a country under the constant mortar, Katyusha rocket and Kassam missile fire that waits for us down the Road Map.
The challenge for leaders is to know when an issue is simply too important to concede. Menachem Begin did it when he ordered the bombing of the Iraqi reactor - knowing full well the costs Israel faced for the then-unpopular move. The same goes today for rejecting the current version of the Road Map.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Aaron Lerner is the Director of IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis). This article was adapted from the IMRA Report, on Arutz Sheva - Israel National Radio, which can be heard on demand at IsraelNationalNews.com.
************
Spend Passover with Arutz Sheva at a resort in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Kfar Pines (near Hadera). Click here for info.