Prime Minister Sharon had some veiled criticism of Minister Ehud Olmert last night, although he did not negate the substance of his political ally's call for a unilateral withdrawal. Sharon told the Israel Economic Conference at the David Intercontinental Hotel last night that he hopes "the difficulties we face don't cause anyone to lose their optimism. History shows us that since the beginning of the Zionist movement, and especially since the establishment of the State, time is on our side. I know that there is a tendency on the part of commentators and self-described experts to say that time is working against us. But the Jewish community in the Land of Israel was only 56,000 after the Balfour Declaration [in 1917], less than 650,000 with the establishment of the State, and almost 5.5 million now." Sharon said that he soon plans to announce his own version of the necessary unilateral steps in the event that negotiations with the PA continue to fail.
He began supplying elaborating on his plan as early as this morning. Appearing before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the Prime Minister said he still adheres to the Road Map, but that he is preparing an alternative "complex unilateral security step" for the event that the PA is seen to be not fulfilling its basic Road Map obligation to fight terror.
Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that Sharon is planning a three-step program. It will begin with the setting of a date by which it will be determined that the PA is in fact no longer a negotiating partner. (Some have said that this will be Nov. 29, 2004 - ed. note) After that, some communities in Yesha will be 'moved,' as Sharon put it, and the government will then wait a bit longer to enable the PA to renew the diplomatic process. If once again it is disappointed, however, then Israel will carry out the final stage of its unilateral measures, 'relocating' more communities and setting a final border.
Yesha Council head Adi Mintz pointed out on Arutz-7 today that the phrase "relocating or moving communities" is a cynical play on words: "What, are they moving towns around as if they were toys? These are people's lives! They're talking not about moving them, but about uprooting them from their homes in the Land of Israel!"
He began supplying elaborating on his plan as early as this morning. Appearing before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the Prime Minister said he still adheres to the Road Map, but that he is preparing an alternative "complex unilateral security step" for the event that the PA is seen to be not fulfilling its basic Road Map obligation to fight terror.
Arutz-7's Haggai Seri reports that Sharon is planning a three-step program. It will begin with the setting of a date by which it will be determined that the PA is in fact no longer a negotiating partner. (Some have said that this will be Nov. 29, 2004 - ed. note) After that, some communities in Yesha will be 'moved,' as Sharon put it, and the government will then wait a bit longer to enable the PA to renew the diplomatic process. If once again it is disappointed, however, then Israel will carry out the final stage of its unilateral measures, 'relocating' more communities and setting a final border.
Yesha Council head Adi Mintz pointed out on Arutz-7 today that the phrase "relocating or moving communities" is a cynical play on words: "What, are they moving towns around as if they were toys? These are people's lives! They're talking not about moving them, but about uprooting them from their homes in the Land of Israel!"