A summary of nine of the premises on which the plan is founded, and elaboration on why they are false:
1. "Just as the withdrawal from southern Lebanon was successful, so too will be the withdrawal from Gaza and Northern Samaria."
Over 100 missile attacks have taken place on Israel's northern border since Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon - attacks that have resulted in the deaths of at least 28 Israeli citizens.
2. "There is less incitement against Israel from the Palestinian Authority since Abu Mazen took over as PLO Chairman."
In fact, however, there appears to be no incitement only because the governmental committee that was supposed to report on it is not operating at all. General (res.) Yaakov Amidror, assigned to coordinate the incitement committee, says he is not receiving much information from intelligence sources in the Defense Ministry, and therefore cannot operate.
3. "Abu Mazen is a peace-seeking leader."
Abu Mazen has emphatically told the PA media that he does not intend to dismantle the terror organizations or disarm them. Israeli governmental offices and military sources gloss over this fact.
4. "Financial aid given towards PA education is a positive development."
The Israeli government contributes towards PA education, despite reports from the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace ("www.edume.org") showing that the PA's educational system is heavily involved in continuing the war against the "Zionist State." Official representatives of Belgium, which helps fund the PA's textbooks, said that the State of Israel has requested that such funding be held back.
5. "The United States promised to recognize settlement blocs."
Ariel Sharon has made this claim repeatedly - but the American Embassy informed Bedein that the U.S. State Department completely denies any such promise of recognition of settlements.
6. PM Sharon's office has stated, and Israeli papers have reported, that the US will provide financial aid to pay for various aspects of the highly-expensive disengagement and re-settlement.
US Aid has never been approached for such funding, and its spokesmen said it would never consider funding such an endeavor. Nor is there any indication that the Congress would approve aid for Israel in this connection.
7. "Jerusalem is not up for negotiations."
US Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice has stated clearly that the US opposes any settlement activity beyond the '67 borders. Bedein writes, "When I asked the US Embassy spokesman whether reconstruction of the famous 'Hurva' synagogue, located in the Jewish Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem and destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948, was considered to be 'illegal settlement activity,' the answer was 'yes.'"
8. "Improvement of Security"
Many warnings that the pullout will actually lead to a deterioration in security and a flare-up of the terrorist onslaught have been issued. Among the indications of the accuracy of these warnings, Bedein notes, is the short distance between the front porches of Elei Sinai in northern Gaza and the major power station in Ashkelon. "Is it not quite evident," Bedein asks, "that after Israel's pullout from such an important strategic region, Ashkelon's power station will be threatened by PA security forces and all the terror organizations that populate the Gaza Strip?"
9. "The Western Negev will be strengthened."
Sharon repeatedly claims that the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip will lead to the blossoming of the Negev. Jewish Agency guides have recently reported, however, that they had received guidelines not to encourage organized groups to sleep over in the facilities of the Western Negev region, because of security concerns from Gaza.