Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak agreed to the principle that 100% of Yesha was a Palestinian prerogative, and was in fact willing to transfer Israeli territory to the PA in exchange for the three settlement blocs that were to remain Israeli. Former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami confirmed this two days ago in a closed forum of both right and left-wing members in Jerusalem. Ben-Ami said that when even this offer was rejected, he became convinced that there was no chance for a final-status agreement between the sides, and that the only arrangement possible would be one forced upon them by the international community.
Other excerpts from Ben-Ami\'s remarks:
\"The dispute between us is also about values and existential principles... The West and Europe have a complex with the Jews, one that influences how they look at the situation here... This is manifest in the media. Hundreds of people die in conflicts all over the world, and no one pays any attention. But when one Palestinian is killed, immediately CNN breaks into its regular broadcasts for news flashes - once when the death occurs, and again for the funeral...
\"We have a religious conflict also with the Christians; it is very deep and will remain open even after we solve the problems with the Moslems….
\"Ever since Oslo, Arafat has been preparing the PA for war against Israel. On an area of only 500 square kilometers, what does he need 11 security agencies for? He told me personally that he was greatly encouraged by the success of only 500 Hizbullah fighters in evicting Israel from southern Lebanon. If we unilaterally withdraw from Yesha, it will leave us with a hostile state on our doorstep. If we remain in Yesha, this will also cost us. Israel must decide which price it wants to pay.\"
Other excerpts from Ben-Ami\'s remarks:
\"The dispute between us is also about values and existential principles... The West and Europe have a complex with the Jews, one that influences how they look at the situation here... This is manifest in the media. Hundreds of people die in conflicts all over the world, and no one pays any attention. But when one Palestinian is killed, immediately CNN breaks into its regular broadcasts for news flashes - once when the death occurs, and again for the funeral...
\"We have a religious conflict also with the Christians; it is very deep and will remain open even after we solve the problems with the Moslems….
\"Ever since Oslo, Arafat has been preparing the PA for war against Israel. On an area of only 500 square kilometers, what does he need 11 security agencies for? He told me personally that he was greatly encouraged by the success of only 500 Hizbullah fighters in evicting Israel from southern Lebanon. If we unilaterally withdraw from Yesha, it will leave us with a hostile state on our doorstep. If we remain in Yesha, this will also cost us. Israel must decide which price it wants to pay.\"