Roadmap and PeacemakingIsrael and Palestine
What starts the numerous peacemaking efforts? What brings them to a halt? Are they doomed to fail because the problem is intractable? Or are some peacemaking plans simply unrealistic? With one-sided conditions and expectations?
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet: Roadmap becomes sequential
Excite - News: "U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet Sep 23, 2:04 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday he did not expect the Israeli government to respond to U.S. pressure on West Bank settlements until the Palestinian Authority cracks down on militants.
In an interview with the Charlie Rose Show, Powell sympathized with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the settlement question, saying it would be almost impossible for an Israeli leader to appear to be yielding to U.S. pressure.
Critics of U.S. and Israeli policy say that, on the contrary, Israel should stop work on settlements in the West Bank now because they do not contribute to Israeli security and antagonize the Palestinians who live in the territories.
The international community considers the settlements illegal but Israel disputes this. The United States once said they were illegal [for 25+ years] but now calls them unhelpful."
..
[Roadmap text: Settlements · GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001. · Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements). ed.]
[The Roadmap becomes sequential as desired by Sharon, backed up by the US. ed.]
Excite - News: "U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet Sep 23, 2:04 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday he did not expect the Israeli government to respond to U.S. pressure on West Bank settlements until the Palestinian Authority cracks down on militants.
In an interview with the Charlie Rose Show, Powell sympathized with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the settlement question, saying it would be almost impossible for an Israeli leader to appear to be yielding to U.S. pressure.
Critics of U.S. and Israeli policy say that, on the contrary, Israel should stop work on settlements in the West Bank now because they do not contribute to Israeli security and antagonize the Palestinians who live in the territories.
The international community considers the settlements illegal but Israel disputes this. The United States once said they were illegal [for 25+ years] but now calls them unhelpful."
..
[Roadmap text: Settlements · GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001. · Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements). ed.]
[The Roadmap becomes sequential as desired by Sharon, backed up by the US. ed.]
Peres presses PM on Palestinian state, end to settlements
Haaretz Article: "Peres presses PM on Palestinian state, end to settlements By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Labor Party leader Shimon Peres on Monday closed two days of celebrations to mark his 80th birthday by publicly urging Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to help to establish a Palestinian state and dismantle Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
'If you decide [on a Palestinian state], there will be cooperation; if you postpone [the decision], we will continue to argue,' Peres said. 'Get on with it; you don't need us in your government. Decide, and we will support [you]. I turn to you as a friend, a leader, as the elected prime minister; this is the time to do it.' "
Haaretz Article: "Peres presses PM on Palestinian state, end to settlements By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Labor Party leader Shimon Peres on Monday closed two days of celebrations to mark his 80th birthday by publicly urging Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to help to establish a Palestinian state and dismantle Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
'If you decide [on a Palestinian state], there will be cooperation; if you postpone [the decision], we will continue to argue,' Peres said. 'Get on with it; you don't need us in your government. Decide, and we will support [you]. I turn to you as a friend, a leader, as the elected prime minister; this is the time to do it.' "
Monday, September 22, 2003
UN: War against terrorism must go beyond simply fighting extremists but also hold out the promise of a 'better and fairer world.'
Excite - News: "World Leaders Warn Terror War Abuses Fuel Militants Sep 22, 10:57 am ET By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned world leaders on Monday that the war against terrorism must go beyond simply fighting extremists but also hold out the promise of a 'better and fairer world.'
...
Annan told more than 20 heads of state at the conference that human rights violations, like targeted assassinations, which Israel has carried out against Palestinian militants, as well as civilian deaths from off-target bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq ran the risk of winning over converts and spurring new terrorist acts.
...
"Paradoxically, terrorist groups may actually be sustained when, in responding to their outrages, governments cross the line and commit outrages themselves -- whether it is ethnic cleansing, the indiscriminate bombardment of cities, the torture of prisoners, targeted assassinations or accepting the death of innocent civilians as 'collateral damage," Annan said.
"These acts are not only illegal and unjustifiable. They may also be exploited by terrorists to gain new followers and to generate cycles of violence in which they thrive," he added.
...
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, one of the conference sponsors, said the goal of the meeting, launched two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was "to shed new light on the roots of terror" in search of a new generation of tools to use against "this evil."
"The rule of law and respect for human rights are the first and the best way to counter terrorism," the Norwegian said. "We must provide outlets for human ambitions, for hopes and beliefs, but also for anger and grief."
Excite - News: "World Leaders Warn Terror War Abuses Fuel Militants Sep 22, 10:57 am ET By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned world leaders on Monday that the war against terrorism must go beyond simply fighting extremists but also hold out the promise of a 'better and fairer world.'
...
Annan told more than 20 heads of state at the conference that human rights violations, like targeted assassinations, which Israel has carried out against Palestinian militants, as well as civilian deaths from off-target bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq ran the risk of winning over converts and spurring new terrorist acts.
...
"Paradoxically, terrorist groups may actually be sustained when, in responding to their outrages, governments cross the line and commit outrages themselves -- whether it is ethnic cleansing, the indiscriminate bombardment of cities, the torture of prisoners, targeted assassinations or accepting the death of innocent civilians as 'collateral damage," Annan said.
"These acts are not only illegal and unjustifiable. They may also be exploited by terrorists to gain new followers and to generate cycles of violence in which they thrive," he added.
...
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, one of the conference sponsors, said the goal of the meeting, launched two years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was "to shed new light on the roots of terror" in search of a new generation of tools to use against "this evil."
"The rule of law and respect for human rights are the first and the best way to counter terrorism," the Norwegian said. "We must provide outlets for human ambitions, for hopes and beliefs, but also for anger and grief."
Saturday, September 13, 2003
Israel faces an international outcry over its decision to remove Mr Arafat
Telegraph | News | World reaction (Filed: 13/09/2003)
Israel faces an international outcry over its decision to remove Mr Arafat. The decision brought warnings from around the globe that the Jewish state risked increasing violence throughout the region.
Israel: Mr Arafat was "a complete obstacle" to peace and vowed to remove him
United States: expulsion "would just give him another stage to play on".
United Nations: "unwise" to expel Mr Arafat.
Five permanent members of the UN Security Council also unanimously opposed the move.
European Union: "terrible mistake" with "serious consequences across the whole region"
Britain: "The expulsion of Mr Arafat would be wrong"; "will undermine both the peace process and Israel's own interests".
Germany: "This is not the best way to stabilise an already tense situation".
France: "a grave error".
Italy: "grave consequences" and a weakened prospect for peace
Spain: "Acts of terrorism cannot be combatted with selective assassinations".
Greece: "create new tensions and probably new mishaps".
Turkey: "completely damage the very roots of peace".
Yemen: "reckless and extremist"
Jordan: "on the threshhold of an uncertain future"; "seriously threatens the peace process".
Egypt: "It would herald the death of all efforts to bring about peace".
India: "strongly disapproves"
Pakistan: condemned his exile, saying that Mr Arafat's elected status should be honoured.
Russia: "lead to an uncontrollable chain of events".
China: "the legitimate leader"; expulsion would escalate tensions.
Telegraph | News | World reaction (Filed: 13/09/2003)
Israel faces an international outcry over its decision to remove Mr Arafat. The decision brought warnings from around the globe that the Jewish state risked increasing violence throughout the region.
Israel: Mr Arafat was "a complete obstacle" to peace and vowed to remove him
United States: expulsion "would just give him another stage to play on".
United Nations: "unwise" to expel Mr Arafat.
Five permanent members of the UN Security Council also unanimously opposed the move.
European Union: "terrible mistake" with "serious consequences across the whole region"
Britain: "The expulsion of Mr Arafat would be wrong"; "will undermine both the peace process and Israel's own interests".
Germany: "This is not the best way to stabilise an already tense situation".
France: "a grave error".
Italy: "grave consequences" and a weakened prospect for peace
Spain: "Acts of terrorism cannot be combatted with selective assassinations".
Greece: "create new tensions and probably new mishaps".
Turkey: "completely damage the very roots of peace".
Yemen: "reckless and extremist"
Jordan: "on the threshhold of an uncertain future"; "seriously threatens the peace process".
Egypt: "It would herald the death of all efforts to bring about peace".
India: "strongly disapproves"
Pakistan: condemned his exile, saying that Mr Arafat's elected status should be honoured.
Russia: "lead to an uncontrollable chain of events".
China: "the legitimate leader"; expulsion would escalate tensions.
Friday, September 12, 2003
Israel's decision to remove Mr Arafat may mean that Mr Korei never gets to the negotiating table
Economist.com | Israel and the Palestinians: "Arafat in their sights Sep 12th 2003
Following Mahmoud Abbas's resignation as Palestinian prime minister and a return to tit-for-tat attacks between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli government has signalled that it will expel Yasser Arafat from the occupied territories. America, Europe and the United Nations all oppose the move
THE American-backed “road map” to peace between Israel and the Palestinians was looking tattered even before the depressing events of the past few days. Now it lies in shreds ... worse news was to come for those hoping to save the road map. After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, an Israeli government spokesman announced a shift in policy: Israel, he said, would “remove” Yasser Arafat, the veteran Palestinian president, “in a manner, and at a time, of its choosing”. The wording left open the possibility of assassination.
The decision to oust Mr Arafat has been greeted with outrage in Palestinian areas and more restrained opposition in the wider world. ...
...
America's ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, said his country was opposed to any attempt to deport Mr Arafat.
...
Russia, China and the European Union all condemned the Israeli move, as did Muslim countries. [In separate articles, The Arab League today said that Israel was declaring "war" on Middle East diplomacy .. ed.]
Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, said expelling Mr Arafat would be “unwise”.
...
America had always made it clear that Mr Abbas, a leader “of vision and courage” according to President George Bush, was the preferred choice. Mr Abbas had staked his entire reformist strategy on brokering a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire, above all with Hamas.
This, he told his sceptical people, would help the Americans to persuade Israel to relax the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, freeze the building of Jewish settlements and free Palestinian prisoners. After seven weeks of relative quiet—but no end to the occupation, settlement construction, assassinations of leading Palestinians or militant attacks on Israeli targets—the ceasefire announced in June collapsed. In practice, it ended with the Hamas bus bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem on August 19th; officially, it was Israel’s assassination of a Hamas political leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, two days later that killed the truce.
Mr Abbas had been in hell in recent weeks. Addressing his parliament last week, he said the “fundamental” cause of his resignation was Israel’s slowness in implementing its commitments under the road map, aggravated by America’s unwillingness to “exert sufficient influence” on Mr Sharon to do otherwise. But Mr Abbas was also clear that his power to rule had been disabled by the ongoing, festering crisis of faith between himself and Mr Arafat,
...
... Like Mr Abbas, Mr Korei [new Prime Minister] was an architect of the Oslo peace accords in the early 1990s, is opposed to the armed Palestinian intifada (uprising) and has good relations with Europe, the Arab states and many Israelis. Unlike Mr Abbas, he appears to enjoy the trust of his leader.
But Mr Korei cannot be dismissed as a mere stooge or yes-man of the Palestinian president. He has longstanding relationships with several highly placed Israelis, going back to the days of the Oslo accords. While there is little optimism in government circles, or indeed among most commentators, that he can succeed where Mr Abbas failed, there is a certain grudging readiness to give him a chance. However, Israel's decision to remove Mr Arafat may mean that Mr Korei never gets to the negotiating table.
Economist.com | Israel and the Palestinians: "Arafat in their sights Sep 12th 2003
Following Mahmoud Abbas's resignation as Palestinian prime minister and a return to tit-for-tat attacks between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli government has signalled that it will expel Yasser Arafat from the occupied territories. America, Europe and the United Nations all oppose the move
THE American-backed “road map” to peace between Israel and the Palestinians was looking tattered even before the depressing events of the past few days. Now it lies in shreds ... worse news was to come for those hoping to save the road map. After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, an Israeli government spokesman announced a shift in policy: Israel, he said, would “remove” Yasser Arafat, the veteran Palestinian president, “in a manner, and at a time, of its choosing”. The wording left open the possibility of assassination.
The decision to oust Mr Arafat has been greeted with outrage in Palestinian areas and more restrained opposition in the wider world. ...
...
America's ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, said his country was opposed to any attempt to deport Mr Arafat.
...
Russia, China and the European Union all condemned the Israeli move, as did Muslim countries. [In separate articles, The Arab League today said that Israel was declaring "war" on Middle East diplomacy .. ed.]
Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, said expelling Mr Arafat would be “unwise”.
...
America had always made it clear that Mr Abbas, a leader “of vision and courage” according to President George Bush, was the preferred choice. Mr Abbas had staked his entire reformist strategy on brokering a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire, above all with Hamas.
This, he told his sceptical people, would help the Americans to persuade Israel to relax the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, freeze the building of Jewish settlements and free Palestinian prisoners. After seven weeks of relative quiet—but no end to the occupation, settlement construction, assassinations of leading Palestinians or militant attacks on Israeli targets—the ceasefire announced in June collapsed. In practice, it ended with the Hamas bus bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem on August 19th; officially, it was Israel’s assassination of a Hamas political leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, two days later that killed the truce.
Mr Abbas had been in hell in recent weeks. Addressing his parliament last week, he said the “fundamental” cause of his resignation was Israel’s slowness in implementing its commitments under the road map, aggravated by America’s unwillingness to “exert sufficient influence” on Mr Sharon to do otherwise. But Mr Abbas was also clear that his power to rule had been disabled by the ongoing, festering crisis of faith between himself and Mr Arafat,
...
... Like Mr Abbas, Mr Korei [new Prime Minister] was an architect of the Oslo peace accords in the early 1990s, is opposed to the armed Palestinian intifada (uprising) and has good relations with Europe, the Arab states and many Israelis. Unlike Mr Abbas, he appears to enjoy the trust of his leader.
But Mr Korei cannot be dismissed as a mere stooge or yes-man of the Palestinian president. He has longstanding relationships with several highly placed Israelis, going back to the days of the Oslo accords. While there is little optimism in government circles, or indeed among most commentators, that he can succeed where Mr Abbas failed, there is a certain grudging readiness to give him a chance. However, Israel's decision to remove Mr Arafat may mean that Mr Korei never gets to the negotiating table.
Economist.com | The war on terror ... The biggest failure ... Bush's efforts on the Roadmap: both weak and unbalanced
Economist.com | The war on terror: "Two years on | Sep 11th 2003
Much has been achieved, but things are now going badly
...
... The biggest failure, however, has taken place elsewhere in the Middle East. The resignation of the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and the resumption of intense violence between the Israeli army and Palestinian terrorist groups, confirm that Mr Bush's effort to push the two sides back into peace negotiations has failed (see article). Worse still, it has failed in large part because the effort was both weak and unbalanced.
Wishful thinking is not a policy
It is tempting to say that failure in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict is nothing new, and that some progress has been made. Both points would be correct, but neither is compelling. The toppling of Saddam, the demonstration of American power, the onset of war-weariness in both Palestine and Israel all offered a promising opportunity. Mr Bush appeared to be seizing it when he published his “road map” towards peace that had been agreed with the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, and was endorsed by Arab countries. The progress that it embodied was genuine: the formal acceptance, notably by the United States and the Arab neighbours, of both the need for a sovereign Palestinian state and of Israel's right to exist. Yet almost nothing has been done to move beyond that necessary, but very general, beginning.
Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis have done what the road map demanded: despite a short-lived ceasefire, the Palestinian Authority has not clamped down on terrorist organisations; Israel has not even ceased to build settlements, let alone talk about dismantling them, and when it has removed isolated “illegal outposts” others have sprung up to take their place. Correctly, America has stressed that the Palestinian terror must end, and for that to occur the Palestinian authority must gain the strength and the will to force the terrorists to stop. Its hope was that Mr Abbas would bring about what his unreliable president, Yasser Arafat, would not. But Mr Abbas stood little chance of gaining the political support he needed to be able to challenge terrorist groups unless he could point to a credible prospect that Israel would fulfil its obligations too—and, eventually, that it would withdraw from the occupied territories. Instead, Israel insisted that fulfilment must happen in sequence, not in parallel.
That desire is understandable, but self-defeating. If the plan was to work, Mr Bush needed to persuade Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, to display clearly his intention to meet the road map's demands—such as by stopping settlement-building or re-routing the security fence being built around Palestinian territories so that it did not look like a land grab. Yet all Mr Bush did was to describe the fence as “a problem”. The White House seems to have had a blind faith that Mr Abbas would make enough progress to convince Mr Sharon to respond. Only last Wednesday a senior administration official told The Economist that Mr Arafat was a man of the past and Mr Abbas the man of the future. For three days, it was correct.
The wider battle
To a degree, the Arab-Israeli conflict can be considered as in a world of its own. But failure to make progress there also damages America's wider effort, in Iraq and beyond. For the manner in which it has happened has reinforced one of the most damaging accusations levelled by Muslim critics: that America has double standards. That, in turn, risks reinforcing one of America's biggest failures in the past two years: that it has become even more unpopular in Muslim countries than before.
Given that Osama bin Laden declared his holy war against “Jews and Crusaders” in the name of Islam, and seemed to renew it this week in a video, it should be no surprise that the deepest rift to have opened up since September 11th is that between America and the world's Muslims.
...
... September 11th was not a licence to try to impose American choices on everyone else. To do that would risk intensifying the very conflict that the terrorists presumably hoped to provoke on that murderous day two long years ago.
Economist.com | The war on terror: "Two years on | Sep 11th 2003
Much has been achieved, but things are now going badly
...
... The biggest failure, however, has taken place elsewhere in the Middle East. The resignation of the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and the resumption of intense violence between the Israeli army and Palestinian terrorist groups, confirm that Mr Bush's effort to push the two sides back into peace negotiations has failed (see article). Worse still, it has failed in large part because the effort was both weak and unbalanced.
Wishful thinking is not a policy
It is tempting to say that failure in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict is nothing new, and that some progress has been made. Both points would be correct, but neither is compelling. The toppling of Saddam, the demonstration of American power, the onset of war-weariness in both Palestine and Israel all offered a promising opportunity. Mr Bush appeared to be seizing it when he published his “road map” towards peace that had been agreed with the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, and was endorsed by Arab countries. The progress that it embodied was genuine: the formal acceptance, notably by the United States and the Arab neighbours, of both the need for a sovereign Palestinian state and of Israel's right to exist. Yet almost nothing has been done to move beyond that necessary, but very general, beginning.
Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis have done what the road map demanded: despite a short-lived ceasefire, the Palestinian Authority has not clamped down on terrorist organisations; Israel has not even ceased to build settlements, let alone talk about dismantling them, and when it has removed isolated “illegal outposts” others have sprung up to take their place. Correctly, America has stressed that the Palestinian terror must end, and for that to occur the Palestinian authority must gain the strength and the will to force the terrorists to stop. Its hope was that Mr Abbas would bring about what his unreliable president, Yasser Arafat, would not. But Mr Abbas stood little chance of gaining the political support he needed to be able to challenge terrorist groups unless he could point to a credible prospect that Israel would fulfil its obligations too—and, eventually, that it would withdraw from the occupied territories. Instead, Israel insisted that fulfilment must happen in sequence, not in parallel.
That desire is understandable, but self-defeating. If the plan was to work, Mr Bush needed to persuade Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, to display clearly his intention to meet the road map's demands—such as by stopping settlement-building or re-routing the security fence being built around Palestinian territories so that it did not look like a land grab. Yet all Mr Bush did was to describe the fence as “a problem”. The White House seems to have had a blind faith that Mr Abbas would make enough progress to convince Mr Sharon to respond. Only last Wednesday a senior administration official told The Economist that Mr Arafat was a man of the past and Mr Abbas the man of the future. For three days, it was correct.
The wider battle
To a degree, the Arab-Israeli conflict can be considered as in a world of its own. But failure to make progress there also damages America's wider effort, in Iraq and beyond. For the manner in which it has happened has reinforced one of the most damaging accusations levelled by Muslim critics: that America has double standards. That, in turn, risks reinforcing one of America's biggest failures in the past two years: that it has become even more unpopular in Muslim countries than before.
Given that Osama bin Laden declared his holy war against “Jews and Crusaders” in the name of Islam, and seemed to renew it this week in a video, it should be no surprise that the deepest rift to have opened up since September 11th is that between America and the world's Muslims.
...
... September 11th was not a licence to try to impose American choices on everyone else. To do that would risk intensifying the very conflict that the terrorists presumably hoped to provoke on that murderous day two long years ago.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Abdullah: U.S. and the international community must put pressure on Israel to stop ... provocations and ... assassinations
Excite News: "Jordan Unready to Send Iraq Peacekeepers Sep 11, 12:49 PM (ET) By JAMAL HALABY
...
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he [Abdullah] expressed concern that the two sides "are not able to move forward on their own," calling for a "strong monitoring and interventionist role" by the United States and its peace partners.
He said Jordan will "wholeheartedly" support the new Palestinian government led by Ahmad Qureia.
But he added: "If the U.S. and the international community want this government to succeed, we must put pressure on Israel to stop its military provocations and policy of assassinations so it can ensure its security and prevent further attacks against its citizens."
Excite News: "Jordan Unready to Send Iraq Peacekeepers Sep 11, 12:49 PM (ET) By JAMAL HALABY
...
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he [Abdullah] expressed concern that the two sides "are not able to move forward on their own," calling for a "strong monitoring and interventionist role" by the United States and its peace partners.
He said Jordan will "wholeheartedly" support the new Palestinian government led by Ahmad Qureia.
But he added: "If the U.S. and the international community want this government to succeed, we must put pressure on Israel to stop its military provocations and policy of assassinations so it can ensure its security and prevent further attacks against its citizens."
Israel reinforced the widespread Arab perception that Abbas was granting concessions to Israel while getting little in return
Minneapolis Star Tribune | Editorial: After Abbas / Arafat, Israel burned a bridge | Published September 9, 2003
... Arafat, who appointed Abbas four months ago under international pressure, never threw his personal support behind the prime minister's difficult diplomatic task and, by most accounts, actively subverted Abbas' authority ...
...
That said, Arafat should not take all the blame. Israel's refusal these last few months to stop building settlements in Palestinian areas and its continued construction of a border barrier that is dispossessing hundreds of Palestinian families only reinforced the widespread Arab perception that Abbas was granting concessions to Israel while getting little in return.
The difficult fact of this episode is that Abbas had little popular support for concessions to Israel and that Palestinians continue to embrace the more obstinate Arafat. He, after all, was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in internationally supervised elections and enjoys approval ratings of about two-thirds of the Palestinian people in recent opinion polls.
The United States and Israel might find Arafat endlessly frustrating, but they cannot ignore him or the deeply held resentments he represents.
Minneapolis Star Tribune | Editorial: After Abbas / Arafat, Israel burned a bridge | Published September 9, 2003
... Arafat, who appointed Abbas four months ago under international pressure, never threw his personal support behind the prime minister's difficult diplomatic task and, by most accounts, actively subverted Abbas' authority ...
...
That said, Arafat should not take all the blame. Israel's refusal these last few months to stop building settlements in Palestinian areas and its continued construction of a border barrier that is dispossessing hundreds of Palestinian families only reinforced the widespread Arab perception that Abbas was granting concessions to Israel while getting little in return.
The difficult fact of this episode is that Abbas had little popular support for concessions to Israel and that Palestinians continue to embrace the more obstinate Arafat. He, after all, was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in internationally supervised elections and enjoys approval ratings of about two-thirds of the Palestinian people in recent opinion polls.
The United States and Israel might find Arafat endlessly frustrating, but they cannot ignore him or the deeply held resentments he represents.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Economist: seven weeks of relative quiet—but no end to the occupation
Economist.com | Palestinian political turmoil |After Abbas | Sep 9th 2003
Mahmoud Abbas's resignation as Palestinian prime minister has dealt a blow to the Middle East “road map”. His successor, Ahmed Korei, is no more likely to forge peace with Israel
...
America had always made it clear that Mr Abbas, a leader “of vision and courage” according to President George Bush, was the preferred choice. Mr Abbas had predicated his entire reformist strategy on brokering a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire, above all with Hamas.
This, he told his sceptical people, would help the Americans to persuade Israel to relax the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, freeze the building of Jewish settlements and free Palestinian prisoners. After seven weeks of relative quiet—but no end to the occupation, settlement construction, assassinations of leading Palestinians or militant attacks on Israeli targets—the ceasefire collapsed. In practice, it ended with the Hamas bus bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem on August 19th; officially, it was Israel’s assassination of a Hamas political leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, two days later that killed the truce.
...
... [Abbas] said the “fundamental” cause of his resignation was Israel’s slowness in implementing its commitments under the road map, aggravated by America’s unwillingness to “exert sufficient influence” on Mr Sharon to do otherwise. But Mr Abbas was also clear that his power to rule had been disabled by the ongoing, festering crisis of faith between himself and Mr Arafat,
...
... They say the prime minister [Sharon] is gratified that the current campaign of what Israel calls “targeted killing” of Hamas figures has not drawn any serious criticism from Washington
Economist.com | Palestinian political turmoil |After Abbas | Sep 9th 2003
Mahmoud Abbas's resignation as Palestinian prime minister has dealt a blow to the Middle East “road map”. His successor, Ahmed Korei, is no more likely to forge peace with Israel
...
America had always made it clear that Mr Abbas, a leader “of vision and courage” according to President George Bush, was the preferred choice. Mr Abbas had predicated his entire reformist strategy on brokering a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire, above all with Hamas.
This, he told his sceptical people, would help the Americans to persuade Israel to relax the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, freeze the building of Jewish settlements and free Palestinian prisoners. After seven weeks of relative quiet—but no end to the occupation, settlement construction, assassinations of leading Palestinians or militant attacks on Israeli targets—the ceasefire collapsed. In practice, it ended with the Hamas bus bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem on August 19th; officially, it was Israel’s assassination of a Hamas political leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, two days later that killed the truce.
...
... [Abbas] said the “fundamental” cause of his resignation was Israel’s slowness in implementing its commitments under the road map, aggravated by America’s unwillingness to “exert sufficient influence” on Mr Sharon to do otherwise. But Mr Abbas was also clear that his power to rule had been disabled by the ongoing, festering crisis of faith between himself and Mr Arafat,
...
... They say the prime minister [Sharon] is gratified that the current campaign of what Israel calls “targeted killing” of Hamas figures has not drawn any serious criticism from Washington
Monday, September 08, 2003
Palestinian P.M. Nominee Warns Israel
Palestinian P.M. Nominee Warns Israel Sep 8, 10:10 PM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN Excite News
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Nominated to take over as Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia said Monday that Israel must comply with its obligations under the 'road map' peace plan - or he will face the same impossible situation that felled Mahmoud Abbas.
"I don't want failure," said Qureia (pronounced Ko-REY-yah), who is a close ally of Arafat but also has credibility with Israel as a moderate and former peace negotiator. "It's the Israeli government that brought down the previous government."
...
Israel has ignored clauses that require it to freeze construction in Jewish settlements and dismantle settlement outposts established since 2001. It also remains in control of most West Bank towns.
Israeli leaders demanded Abbas dismantle militant groups as required by the plan. Abbas refused to use force to do so.
The militant groups declared a temporary end to attacks on Israelis in June. But some attacks continued, as did Israeli arrests of militants. After a suicide bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem last month and was claimed by the militant group Hamas, the truce fell apart.
Israel is now in the midst of a campaign against Hamas militants, killing 12 in recent weeks and slightly injuring the group's revered founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin. [Didn't the truce fall apart because Isreal kept attacking Palestinian activists with no regard for the truce? Ed.]
"I want to see a real cease-fire from both sides with enough commitment to stop all kinds of killing of the Palestinians or killing of the Israelis," Qureia told reporters on Monday.
[.. note: the AP version omits Qureia's demands that the US and Europe provide guarantees. Ed.]
Palestinian P.M. Nominee Warns Israel Sep 8, 10:10 PM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN Excite News
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Nominated to take over as Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia said Monday that Israel must comply with its obligations under the 'road map' peace plan - or he will face the same impossible situation that felled Mahmoud Abbas.
"I don't want failure," said Qureia (pronounced Ko-REY-yah), who is a close ally of Arafat but also has credibility with Israel as a moderate and former peace negotiator. "It's the Israeli government that brought down the previous government."
...
Israel has ignored clauses that require it to freeze construction in Jewish settlements and dismantle settlement outposts established since 2001. It also remains in control of most West Bank towns.
Israeli leaders demanded Abbas dismantle militant groups as required by the plan. Abbas refused to use force to do so.
The militant groups declared a temporary end to attacks on Israelis in June. But some attacks continued, as did Israeli arrests of militants. After a suicide bombing that killed 22 people in Jerusalem last month and was claimed by the militant group Hamas, the truce fell apart.
Israel is now in the midst of a campaign against Hamas militants, killing 12 in recent weeks and slightly injuring the group's revered founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin. [Didn't the truce fall apart because Isreal kept attacking Palestinian activists with no regard for the truce? Ed.]
"I want to see a real cease-fire from both sides with enough commitment to stop all kinds of killing of the Palestinians or killing of the Israelis," Qureia told reporters on Monday.
[.. note: the AP version omits Qureia's demands that the US and Europe provide guarantees. Ed.]
Korei Sets Demands for Accepting Palestinian PM Job
Yahoo! News - Korei Sets Demands for Accepting Palestinian PM Job Mon Sep 8,10:38 AM ET By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Ahmed Korei, Yasser Arafat's nominee for Palestinian prime minister, said on Monday he would accept the post only with U.S. and European guarantees of support and Israel's commitment to ease its military crackdown.
Arafat chose Korei, the parliamentary speaker, to replace Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned on Saturday saying that the Palestinian president and Israel had obstructed his peace efforts and the United States had not given him enough backing.
Korei made clear he did not want to set himself up to repeat Abbas's failure, but Palestinian political insiders said they expected him to formally accept the job in coming days.
...
Korei ... set strict conditions for accepting the job.
"I want to see the Americans -- what kind of guarantee...they will (give)," he told Reuters at his West Bank office. "I want to see Europe, what kind of guarantees and support...they will (give). I'm not ready to go for a failure."
...
Korei told CNN he also wanted a commitment from Israel to curb military operations in Palestinian areas and stop isolating Arafat and called for an end to killings on both sides.
"I don't want to see more military checkpoints, I don't want to see assassination of Palestinians, I don't want to see the demolishing of homes," Korei said.
Yahoo! News - Korei Sets Demands for Accepting Palestinian PM Job Mon Sep 8,10:38 AM ET By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Ahmed Korei, Yasser Arafat's nominee for Palestinian prime minister, said on Monday he would accept the post only with U.S. and European guarantees of support and Israel's commitment to ease its military crackdown.
Arafat chose Korei, the parliamentary speaker, to replace Mahmoud Abbas, who resigned on Saturday saying that the Palestinian president and Israel had obstructed his peace efforts and the United States had not given him enough backing.
Korei made clear he did not want to set himself up to repeat Abbas's failure, but Palestinian political insiders said they expected him to formally accept the job in coming days.
...
Korei ... set strict conditions for accepting the job.
"I want to see the Americans -- what kind of guarantee...they will (give)," he told Reuters at his West Bank office. "I want to see Europe, what kind of guarantees and support...they will (give). I'm not ready to go for a failure."
...
Korei told CNN he also wanted a commitment from Israel to curb military operations in Palestinian areas and stop isolating Arafat and called for an end to killings on both sides.
"I don't want to see more military checkpoints, I don't want to see assassination of Palestinians, I don't want to see the demolishing of homes," Korei said.
Washington also has a lot to learn from Burg’s convincing rebuttal of the odious Israeli policies
Lebanonwire.com | Israeli peace camp deserves help from Arabs and Americans alike, September 8, 2003 The Daily Star
...
Washington also has a lot to learn from Burg’s convincing rebuttal of the odious Israeli policies defended by US diplomats and funded by American taxpayers. The Jewish state’s relentless assault on the peace process will not abate unless and until the White House finds the courage and the wisdom to rescue its ally from its own misguided actions. The notion that “supporting Israel” means backing even the most bellicose (and ultimately self-destructive) attitude is a dangerous one, and individuals like Burg long for the day when America becomes a source of productive advice for all Israelis rather than mindless cheering for Likudniks.
"
Lebanonwire.com | Israeli peace camp deserves help from Arabs and Americans alike, September 8, 2003 The Daily Star
...
Washington also has a lot to learn from Burg’s convincing rebuttal of the odious Israeli policies defended by US diplomats and funded by American taxpayers. The Jewish state’s relentless assault on the peace process will not abate unless and until the White House finds the courage and the wisdom to rescue its ally from its own misguided actions. The notion that “supporting Israel” means backing even the most bellicose (and ultimately self-destructive) attitude is a dangerous one, and individuals like Burg long for the day when America becomes a source of productive advice for all Israelis rather than mindless cheering for Likudniks.
"
The Zionist Revolution is Dead - Avraham Burg
The Zionist Revolution is Dead - Avraham Burg | September 05, 2003, 03:59 AM
'It turns out that the 2,000-year struggle for Jewish survival comes down to a state of settlements, run by an amoral clique of corrupt lawbreakers who are deaf both to their citizens and to their enemies ..'
The Zionist revolution has always rested on two pillars: a just path and an ethical leadership. Neither of these is operative any longer. The Israeli nation today rests on a scaffolding of corruption, and on foundations of oppression and injustice. As such, the end of the Zionist enterprise is already on our doorstep. There is a real chance that ours will be the last Zionist generation. ... We were supposed to be a light unto the nations. In this we have failed.
The countdown to the end of Israeli society has begun. Even if the Arabs lower their heads and swallow the shame and anger forever, it wont work. A structure built on human callousness will inevitably collapse in on itself.
If all this were inevitable, divinely ordained and immutable, I would be silent. But things could be different, and so crying out is a moral imperative. Do you want the greater Land of Israel? No problem. Abandon democracy. Lets institute an efficient system of racial separation here, with prison camps and detention villages. Qalqilya Ghetto and Gulag Jenin.
Do you want a Jewish majority? No problem. Either put the Arabs on railway cars, buses, camels, and donkeys and expel them en masse or separate ourselves from them absolutely, without tricks and gimmicks. There is no middle path. We must remove all the settlements all of them and draw an internationally recognized border between the Jewish national home and the Palestinian national home.
Editorial of the Israeli "The Forward" on 29 August 2003
The author is a Knesset member and former Speaker of Knesset
The Zionist Revolution is Dead - Avraham Burg | September 05, 2003, 03:59 AM
'It turns out that the 2,000-year struggle for Jewish survival comes down to a state of settlements, run by an amoral clique of corrupt lawbreakers who are deaf both to their citizens and to their enemies ..'
The Zionist revolution has always rested on two pillars: a just path and an ethical leadership. Neither of these is operative any longer. The Israeli nation today rests on a scaffolding of corruption, and on foundations of oppression and injustice. As such, the end of the Zionist enterprise is already on our doorstep. There is a real chance that ours will be the last Zionist generation. ... We were supposed to be a light unto the nations. In this we have failed.
The countdown to the end of Israeli society has begun. Even if the Arabs lower their heads and swallow the shame and anger forever, it wont work. A structure built on human callousness will inevitably collapse in on itself.
If all this were inevitable, divinely ordained and immutable, I would be silent. But things could be different, and so crying out is a moral imperative. Do you want the greater Land of Israel? No problem. Abandon democracy. Lets institute an efficient system of racial separation here, with prison camps and detention villages. Qalqilya Ghetto and Gulag Jenin.
Do you want a Jewish majority? No problem. Either put the Arabs on railway cars, buses, camels, and donkeys and expel them en masse or separate ourselves from them absolutely, without tricks and gimmicks. There is no middle path. We must remove all the settlements all of them and draw an internationally recognized border between the Jewish national home and the Palestinian national home.
Editorial of the Israeli "The Forward" on 29 August 2003
The author is a Knesset member and former Speaker of Knesset
Three timelines for Abbas [spot the obvious propaganda! Ed.]
Chronology of Mideast Violence By The Associated Press -- one Palestinian is killed vs. 180 Israelis over three year time frame!
Chronology of Abbas' 4 Months in Office By The Associated Press 54 Israelis are killed, one Palestinian is killed, and one blows himself up! [B'Tselem shows 200+ Palestinians killed in the same timeframe! Ed.]
So why do you have to go elsewhere to find the facts? Timeline: November 2002 to the present
Chronology of Mideast Violence By The Associated Press -- one Palestinian is killed vs. 180 Israelis over three year time frame!
Chronology of Abbas' 4 Months in Office By The Associated Press 54 Israelis are killed, one Palestinian is killed, and one blows himself up! [B'Tselem shows 200+ Palestinians killed in the same timeframe! Ed.]
So why do you have to go elsewhere to find the facts? Timeline: November 2002 to the present
Powell attacks Israel, but clings to road map
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Powell attacks Israel, but clings to road map | Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles | Monday September 8, 2003
Senior figures in the Bush administration swiftly reiterated their support for the 'road map' to peace in the Middle East yesterday, following the resignation of the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas.
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, also attacked the Israeli policy of assassinating leading Hamas figures, warning such action inevitably provoked a violent reaction.
Whoever replaced Mr Abbas would have to make tackling terrorist attacks a priority, he said. 'That person has to have political authority and the determination to go after terrorism,' Mr Powell told ABC's This Week programme. 'If that person does not make a solid commitment to follow the road map, go after terrorism and stop these terrorist attacks, then it's not clear that we'll be able to move forward.'
On NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Powell was critical of the killing Hamas leaders in actions which often caused civilian casualties. 'We are always saying to our Israeli colleagues, 'You have to consider the long-term consequences of such actions, and are you creating more Hamas killers in the future by actions such as this?' he said. "
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Powell attacks Israel, but clings to road map | Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles | Monday September 8, 2003
Senior figures in the Bush administration swiftly reiterated their support for the 'road map' to peace in the Middle East yesterday, following the resignation of the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas.
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, also attacked the Israeli policy of assassinating leading Hamas figures, warning such action inevitably provoked a violent reaction.
Whoever replaced Mr Abbas would have to make tackling terrorist attacks a priority, he said. 'That person has to have political authority and the determination to go after terrorism,' Mr Powell told ABC's This Week programme. 'If that person does not make a solid commitment to follow the road map, go after terrorism and stop these terrorist attacks, then it's not clear that we'll be able to move forward.'
On NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Powell was critical of the killing Hamas leaders in actions which often caused civilian casualties. 'We are always saying to our Israeli colleagues, 'You have to consider the long-term consequences of such actions, and are you creating more Hamas killers in the future by actions such as this?' he said. "
Abbas: lied to by Ariel Sharon, betrayed by the Americans and been the victim of a scurrilous campaign by Mr Arafat
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Ridiculed and betrayed: why Abbas blames Arafat | Prime minister felt undermined in struggle with Israel | Chris McGreal in Ramallah | Monday September 8, 2003
...
But the prime minister's allies privately say that while they believe the decision is not set in stone, his critics have misjudged his motivation for quitting. They describe Mr Abbas as embittered, believing he has been lied to by Ariel Sharon, betrayed by the Americans and been the victim of a scurrilous campaign by Mr Arafat to demonise him among the Palestinian public as a collaborator.
"Did anyone help Abu Mazen?" asked one of Mr Abbas's close associates, who declined to be named. ...
...
"He has simply had enough of all of them: the Israelis, the Americans, Arafat. He feels very badly let down, betrayed even."
...
A statement from his office said he told MPs: "The fundamental problem is Israel's unwillingness to implement its road map commitments and to undertake any constructive measures."
"The US (and the international community) did not exert sufficient influence on Israel to implement its commitments in the road map to push the peace process forward, or to end its military escalation."
Mr Abbas was also scathing about Mr Arafat and his allies. He accused them of "harsh and dangerous domestic incitement against the government and the obstruction of its functions" and said they were responsible for "unjustified accusations that the government, and the prime minister, had the motive of having control over everything or nothing".
========
"Don't tell me Israel wanted Abu Mazen to succeed. If they wanted him to succeed, they would have done a few things to improve the lives of Palestinians."
At first, the short-lived ceasefire by Hamas and other groups brought a sharp fall in killings and some relief to both sides. But as the blockade of West Bank cities continued along with land grabs and house destructions, Palestinians grew increasingly suspicious that they had renounced the intifada and got little in return. Mr Sharon twice promised Mr Bush to dismantle illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank, but few have been taken down.
Three issues in particular created the widespread perception that Mr Sharon was not serious about an equitable peace.
Mr Abbas cast around for a means to bolster popular Palestinian support for his government and the road map, and settled on the fate of more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the bulk without trial. But Israel released only a few hundred prisoners, many of them common criminals, and turned the issue into a public humiliation of Mr Abbas.
Then came Mr Sharon's insistence on continuing to build the "security fence" that is gobbling up Palestinian land and caging villages on the West Bank.
The final straw was the resumption of "targeted assassinations" against Hamas and similar groups, which spiralled into retaliatory suicide bombings and the collapse of the ceasefire
...
Mr Al-Batsch said that in those circumstances, it is irrelevant who is prime minister. "It doesn't matter who succeeds Abu Mazen. If the Israelis continue their policies, he cannot succeed. This government of Abu Mazen gave in a lot, all these things Bush asked him to do. But there's not even one step from the other side."
One cabinet minister, Ghassan Khatib, said only the US can rescue the situation.
"We are confronted by a rightwing extremist Israeli government and their mentality is incompatible with the road map. The US needs to keep pushing them; the language they understand is the language of force."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Ridiculed and betrayed: why Abbas blames Arafat | Prime minister felt undermined in struggle with Israel | Chris McGreal in Ramallah | Monday September 8, 2003
...
But the prime minister's allies privately say that while they believe the decision is not set in stone, his critics have misjudged his motivation for quitting. They describe Mr Abbas as embittered, believing he has been lied to by Ariel Sharon, betrayed by the Americans and been the victim of a scurrilous campaign by Mr Arafat to demonise him among the Palestinian public as a collaborator.
"Did anyone help Abu Mazen?" asked one of Mr Abbas's close associates, who declined to be named. ...
...
"He has simply had enough of all of them: the Israelis, the Americans, Arafat. He feels very badly let down, betrayed even."
...
A statement from his office said he told MPs: "The fundamental problem is Israel's unwillingness to implement its road map commitments and to undertake any constructive measures."
"The US (and the international community) did not exert sufficient influence on Israel to implement its commitments in the road map to push the peace process forward, or to end its military escalation."
Mr Abbas was also scathing about Mr Arafat and his allies. He accused them of "harsh and dangerous domestic incitement against the government and the obstruction of its functions" and said they were responsible for "unjustified accusations that the government, and the prime minister, had the motive of having control over everything or nothing".
========
"Don't tell me Israel wanted Abu Mazen to succeed. If they wanted him to succeed, they would have done a few things to improve the lives of Palestinians."
At first, the short-lived ceasefire by Hamas and other groups brought a sharp fall in killings and some relief to both sides. But as the blockade of West Bank cities continued along with land grabs and house destructions, Palestinians grew increasingly suspicious that they had renounced the intifada and got little in return. Mr Sharon twice promised Mr Bush to dismantle illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank, but few have been taken down.
Three issues in particular created the widespread perception that Mr Sharon was not serious about an equitable peace.
Mr Abbas cast around for a means to bolster popular Palestinian support for his government and the road map, and settled on the fate of more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the bulk without trial. But Israel released only a few hundred prisoners, many of them common criminals, and turned the issue into a public humiliation of Mr Abbas.
Then came Mr Sharon's insistence on continuing to build the "security fence" that is gobbling up Palestinian land and caging villages on the West Bank.
The final straw was the resumption of "targeted assassinations" against Hamas and similar groups, which spiralled into retaliatory suicide bombings and the collapse of the ceasefire
...
Mr Al-Batsch said that in those circumstances, it is irrelevant who is prime minister. "It doesn't matter who succeeds Abu Mazen. If the Israelis continue their policies, he cannot succeed. This government of Abu Mazen gave in a lot, all these things Bush asked him to do. But there's not even one step from the other side."
One cabinet minister, Ghassan Khatib, said only the US can rescue the situation.
"We are confronted by a rightwing extremist Israeli government and their mentality is incompatible with the road map. The US needs to keep pushing them; the language they understand is the language of force."
Abbas' decision to quit [resignation] apparently caught the administration by surprise
Excite News | Abbas Resignation Hinders U.S. Peace Plan Sep 6, 2003 11:00 AM (ET) By BARRY SCHWEID
WASHINGTON (AP) - The already stalled U.S. road map for a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians hangs in the balance with the resignation of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, whose support was considered essential to any prospect of success.
Stunned Bush administration officials withheld immediate comment Saturday after Abbas submitted his resignation, the apparent loser in a power struggle with Yasser Arafat.
...
Abbas' decision to quit apparently caught the administration by surprise. Only two days ago, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said President Bush was concerned about the Abbas-Arafat rivalry.
But reflecting a hands-off U.S. policy, the spokesman said that was best left to the Palestinians. "I will point out the importance of all parties working together to meet their obligations under the road map," McClellan said.
Still, the administration never shrank from scorning Arafat publicly
Excite News | Abbas Resignation Hinders U.S. Peace Plan Sep 6, 2003 11:00 AM (ET) By BARRY SCHWEID
WASHINGTON (AP) - The already stalled U.S. road map for a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians hangs in the balance with the resignation of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, whose support was considered essential to any prospect of success.
Stunned Bush administration officials withheld immediate comment Saturday after Abbas submitted his resignation, the apparent loser in a power struggle with Yasser Arafat.
...
Abbas' decision to quit apparently caught the administration by surprise. Only two days ago, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said President Bush was concerned about the Abbas-Arafat rivalry.
But reflecting a hands-off U.S. policy, the spokesman said that was best left to the Palestinians. "I will point out the importance of all parties working together to meet their obligations under the road map," McClellan said.
Still, the administration never shrank from scorning Arafat publicly
Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas Resigns
Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas Resigns | Excite News | Sep 6, 7:40 AM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, increasingly unpopular and worn out by a power struggle with Yasser Arafat, submitted his resignation Saturday, dealing a serious blow to a U.S.-backed peace plan."
Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas Resigns | Excite News | Sep 6, 7:40 AM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, increasingly unpopular and worn out by a power struggle with Yasser Arafat, submitted his resignation Saturday, dealing a serious blow to a U.S.-backed peace plan."
Sharon is saved from the threat of peace
Sharon is saved from the threat of peace By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article Thursday, September 04, 2003
It used to be said about Yitzhak Shamir that he wanted to wake up in the morning and see newspaper headlines saying, 'The threat of peace has been lifted.' All the signs now point to Ariel Sharon approaching the accomplishment that the former Likud premier dreamt of. The 'window of opportunity' for renewing the peace process, opened after the war in Iraq, has been slammed shut. The efforts for a political deal have once again given way to the routine of managing the conflict, with Israel controlling the territories, and all the settlements in place.
U.S. President George Bush has returned to the White House from his Texas vacation a much weakened leader, struggling to save his job.
...
To win the elections, Bush needs the money, energy and organizational capabilities of his friends in the Christian right and the Jewish community, strongholds of support for Israel. And to win in Iraq he needs help from his Arab friends. Only the Arab states can grant legitimacy and economic encouragement to the puppet regime that is going up in Baghdad. ... As far as the administration is concerned, the results of that accounting will be keeping a safe distance from the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and de facto shelving of the road map, even if they continue paying lip service to it.
A weakened Bush will find it difficult to pressure the Jews and Arabs, whose support he needs.
...
As far as Sharon is concerned, it is difficult to think of better news. The prime minister may have spoken of a Palestinian state and an end to the occupation ... In practice, Sharon has done everything possible to rebuff political dialogue, repeatedly toughening his conditions for opening the talks while deepening Israel's grip on the territories. ... Sharon understood that he shouldn't clash with Washington, and a polite no is better than a determined one. That's how he managed to rebuff "the threat of peace" and even win praise from the Americans.
Sharon is saved from the threat of peace By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article Thursday, September 04, 2003
It used to be said about Yitzhak Shamir that he wanted to wake up in the morning and see newspaper headlines saying, 'The threat of peace has been lifted.' All the signs now point to Ariel Sharon approaching the accomplishment that the former Likud premier dreamt of. The 'window of opportunity' for renewing the peace process, opened after the war in Iraq, has been slammed shut. The efforts for a political deal have once again given way to the routine of managing the conflict, with Israel controlling the territories, and all the settlements in place.
U.S. President George Bush has returned to the White House from his Texas vacation a much weakened leader, struggling to save his job.
...
To win the elections, Bush needs the money, energy and organizational capabilities of his friends in the Christian right and the Jewish community, strongholds of support for Israel. And to win in Iraq he needs help from his Arab friends. Only the Arab states can grant legitimacy and economic encouragement to the puppet regime that is going up in Baghdad. ... As far as the administration is concerned, the results of that accounting will be keeping a safe distance from the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and de facto shelving of the road map, even if they continue paying lip service to it.
A weakened Bush will find it difficult to pressure the Jews and Arabs, whose support he needs.
...
As far as Sharon is concerned, it is difficult to think of better news. The prime minister may have spoken of a Palestinian state and an end to the occupation ... In practice, Sharon has done everything possible to rebuff political dialogue, repeatedly toughening his conditions for opening the talks while deepening Israel's grip on the territories. ... Sharon understood that he shouldn't clash with Washington, and a polite no is better than a determined one. That's how he managed to rebuff "the threat of peace" and even win praise from the Americans.
America and Britain fight to save Palestinian PM facing key debate
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Day of decision in Abbas feud with Arafat | Chris McGreal in Ramallah | Thursday September 4, 2003
American and British officials are battling to save Mahmoud Abbas, the man they helped install as Palestinian prime minister, ...
...
But while the Israelis and Americans are keen to blame Mr Arafat for the road map's problems, Palestinians on both sides of the Arafat-Abbas divide say there is a much graver threat from Israeli tactics and American acquiescence.
...
"If there is no progress toward ending the occupation, what is the point in the Palestinians implementing the road map? And if there's no road map, there's no point in Abu Mazen's government." Other officials said Mr Abbas would be more secure if the US had pressed Israel to deliver tangible benefits in return for the Palestinian ceasefire, particularly easing the hardships of occupation by lifting roadblocks that curtail movement on the West Bank, and halting construction of the controversial "security fence" through Palestinian territory.
... said Mr Qadura. "They have not put any pressure on the Israelis to change the policy on the ground to improve daily life for the Palestinians. The US hasn't realised how important this is to Abu Mazen. We have totally dealt positively with American demands but they haven't dealt with the everyday needs of the Palestinian people. The Americans are worried about the long term but they are not aware of how to lay the foundation for what Bush envisions for years from now."
That compliance is seen by some as collaboration.
...
Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian MP and former peace negotiator, says the prime minister was further weakened by US insistence on ostracising Mr Arafat, ... "By trying to isolate Arafat, the Americans also mistakenly distanced themselves from a source of legitimate power and decision-making in Palestine. So now they have to get to Arafat indirectly, through intermediaries, whereas before they could influence him directly."
A fortnight ago, the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, appealed to Mr Arafat to help save the road map, an implicit recognition of the power the Palestinian president still wields despite US and Israeli efforts to isolate him.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Day of decision in Abbas feud with Arafat | Chris McGreal in Ramallah | Thursday September 4, 2003
American and British officials are battling to save Mahmoud Abbas, the man they helped install as Palestinian prime minister, ...
...
But while the Israelis and Americans are keen to blame Mr Arafat for the road map's problems, Palestinians on both sides of the Arafat-Abbas divide say there is a much graver threat from Israeli tactics and American acquiescence.
...
"If there is no progress toward ending the occupation, what is the point in the Palestinians implementing the road map? And if there's no road map, there's no point in Abu Mazen's government." Other officials said Mr Abbas would be more secure if the US had pressed Israel to deliver tangible benefits in return for the Palestinian ceasefire, particularly easing the hardships of occupation by lifting roadblocks that curtail movement on the West Bank, and halting construction of the controversial "security fence" through Palestinian territory.
... said Mr Qadura. "They have not put any pressure on the Israelis to change the policy on the ground to improve daily life for the Palestinians. The US hasn't realised how important this is to Abu Mazen. We have totally dealt positively with American demands but they haven't dealt with the everyday needs of the Palestinian people. The Americans are worried about the long term but they are not aware of how to lay the foundation for what Bush envisions for years from now."
That compliance is seen by some as collaboration.
...
Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian MP and former peace negotiator, says the prime minister was further weakened by US insistence on ostracising Mr Arafat, ... "By trying to isolate Arafat, the Americans also mistakenly distanced themselves from a source of legitimate power and decision-making in Palestine. So now they have to get to Arafat indirectly, through intermediaries, whereas before they could influence him directly."
A fortnight ago, the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, appealed to Mr Arafat to help save the road map, an implicit recognition of the power the Palestinian president still wields despite US and Israeli efforts to isolate him.
Palestinian PM Demands Parliament Backing
Palestinian PM Demands Parliament Backing | Sep 4, 2003 8:40 AM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN | Excite News
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, weakened by his power struggle with Yasser Arafat, told parliament Thursday it must either support him or send him home.
...
The U.S.-backed Abbas, who has minimal support among Palestinians, could be toppled in a confidence vote, dealing a heavy blow to efforts to end three years of violence and move toward Palestinian statehood.
...
Abbas portrayed a unilateral cease-fire, declared by the armed groups June 29, as the main achievement of his first 100 days in office. He accused Israel of having sabotaged the truce with deadly arrest raids to try to evade its obligations under the peace plan.
...
He said the United States did not do enough to stop what he referred to as "Israeli provocations" during a period of relative calm.
...
In Washington, meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell reacted harshly to a comment attributed to Arafat that the road map is dead because of what the Palestinian leader described as Israeli aggression. Powell said Arafat "has not been playing a helpful role."
"If he wanted to play a helpful role he would be supporting Prime Minister Abbas, not frustrating his efforts," Powell said.
Palestinian PM Demands Parliament Backing | Sep 4, 2003 8:40 AM (ET) | By LARA SUKHTIAN | Excite News
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, weakened by his power struggle with Yasser Arafat, told parliament Thursday it must either support him or send him home.
...
The U.S.-backed Abbas, who has minimal support among Palestinians, could be toppled in a confidence vote, dealing a heavy blow to efforts to end three years of violence and move toward Palestinian statehood.
...
Abbas portrayed a unilateral cease-fire, declared by the armed groups June 29, as the main achievement of his first 100 days in office. He accused Israel of having sabotaged the truce with deadly arrest raids to try to evade its obligations under the peace plan.
...
He said the United States did not do enough to stop what he referred to as "Israeli provocations" during a period of relative calm.
...
In Washington, meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell reacted harshly to a comment attributed to Arafat that the road map is dead because of what the Palestinian leader described as Israeli aggression. Powell said Arafat "has not been playing a helpful role."
"If he wanted to play a helpful role he would be supporting Prime Minister Abbas, not frustrating his efforts," Powell said.
Powell: If they don't like road map, what will they like?
Powell: If they don't like road map, what will they like? By Haaretz Service and Agencies Thursday, September 04, 2003
Secretary of State Colin Powell, responding to Yasser Arafat's having pronounced dead the road map peace plan, has said 'If they don't like the road map, I don't know what they will like.'
...
Powell blamed Palestinian militants for the slow progress in carrying out the provisions of the peace plan, which includes dismantling settler outposts and handing more territory back to Palestinian security forces.
"We didn't deal with Yasser Arafat when we were putting the road map together so his comments don't mean a lot to me. I'm not really responding to them in any way," Powell said.
Powell: If they don't like road map, what will they like? By Haaretz Service and Agencies Thursday, September 04, 2003
Secretary of State Colin Powell, responding to Yasser Arafat's having pronounced dead the road map peace plan, has said 'If they don't like the road map, I don't know what they will like.'
...
Powell blamed Palestinian militants for the slow progress in carrying out the provisions of the peace plan, which includes dismantling settler outposts and handing more territory back to Palestinian security forces.
"We didn't deal with Yasser Arafat when we were putting the road map together so his comments don't mean a lot to me. I'm not really responding to them in any way," Powell said.
Housing ministry issues tender for 102 new units in Efrat
Housing ministry issues tender for 102 new units in Efrat By Haaretz - Article Thursday, September 04, 2003
The Ministry of Housing and Construction issued a tender Thursday morning for 102 new housing units in the settlement of Efrat, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Gush Etzion bloc, Army Radio reported.
Peace Now representatives said that with this tender, Israel is effectively announcing the death of the road map, the radio reported. "
Housing ministry issues tender for 102 new units in Efrat By Haaretz - Article Thursday, September 04, 2003
The Ministry of Housing and Construction issued a tender Thursday morning for 102 new housing units in the settlement of Efrat, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Gush Etzion bloc, Army Radio reported.
Peace Now representatives said that with this tender, Israel is effectively announcing the death of the road map, the radio reported. "
Critics: Israeli Strikes Doing More Harm
Excite News: "Critics: Israeli Strikes Doing More Harm | Sep 2, 2003 5:15 PM (ET) By IAN JAMES
JERUSALEM (AP) - Every two or three days, Israeli helicopters track down suspected Islamic militants and unleash Hellfire missiles, blowing up cars and sending crowds surging around the charred bodies.
Israel says its new war on Hamas, unprecedented in intensity, is helping prevent suicide attacks.
'Hamas is in distress because of our activity,' Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday, summing up two weeks of air strikes that have killed 11 Hamas members, including a senior leader.
But the attacks also have also taken a toll in noncombatants, killing five bystanders, including an 11-year-old girl, and wounding 46.
Critics warn that Israel's self-declared 'all-out war' on Hamas will bring short-term gains at best, but in the end be counterproductive by provoking more attacks and adding to resentment among Palestinians."
Excite News: "Critics: Israeli Strikes Doing More Harm | Sep 2, 2003 5:15 PM (ET) By IAN JAMES
JERUSALEM (AP) - Every two or three days, Israeli helicopters track down suspected Islamic militants and unleash Hellfire missiles, blowing up cars and sending crowds surging around the charred bodies.
Israel says its new war on Hamas, unprecedented in intensity, is helping prevent suicide attacks.
'Hamas is in distress because of our activity,' Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday, summing up two weeks of air strikes that have killed 11 Hamas members, including a senior leader.
But the attacks also have also taken a toll in noncombatants, killing five bystanders, including an 11-year-old girl, and wounding 46.
Critics warn that Israel's self-declared 'all-out war' on Hamas will bring short-term gains at best, but in the end be counterproductive by provoking more attacks and adding to resentment among Palestinians."
Progress on the Roadmap: Most Palestinians already regard Abbas as a lame duck
Arafat Rebounds (Again) | Far from being sidelined, the Palestinian leader is tightening his grip on power | By Joshua Hammer | NEWSWEEK
Arafat has also gained from the collapse of the Roadmap. Despite Palestinians’ expectations that Abbas would rapidly improve their lives, conditions have barely changed inside the occupied territories. The Israeli government refused to make concessions when Abbas wouldn’t confiscate weapons or arrest members of militant groups. Of the 500 road blocks in the West Bank and Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces have removed just nine. Moreover, Israel ignored the Roadmap’s requirement that it immediately dismantle 80 illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank; instead, there has been a net increase of two outposts since June. And Israel continued its killings of militants in spite of a three-month ceasefire, or hudna, declared by the armed groups. Those killings led to a predictable cycle of retaliation. “Most Palestinians already regard Abbas as a lame duck,� says a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. “Arafat seized the opportunity to humiliate him even further.
...
The Bush administration is furious. U.S. and Israeli officials believe that the Palestinian president has supported armed resistance and winked at terror for the past three years."
Arafat Rebounds (Again) | Far from being sidelined, the Palestinian leader is tightening his grip on power | By Joshua Hammer | NEWSWEEK
Arafat has also gained from the collapse of the Roadmap. Despite Palestinians’ expectations that Abbas would rapidly improve their lives, conditions have barely changed inside the occupied territories. The Israeli government refused to make concessions when Abbas wouldn’t confiscate weapons or arrest members of militant groups. Of the 500 road blocks in the West Bank and Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces have removed just nine. Moreover, Israel ignored the Roadmap’s requirement that it immediately dismantle 80 illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank; instead, there has been a net increase of two outposts since June. And Israel continued its killings of militants in spite of a three-month ceasefire, or hudna, declared by the armed groups. Those killings led to a predictable cycle of retaliation. “Most Palestinians already regard Abbas as a lame duck,� says a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. “Arafat seized the opportunity to humiliate him even further.
...
The Bush administration is furious. U.S. and Israeli officials believe that the Palestinian president has supported armed resistance and winked at terror for the past three years."
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Yossi Sarid: Requiem for a ceasefire
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Yossi Sarid: Requiem for a ceasefire | While ordinary Israelis and Palestinians mourn, their leaders will be pleased to be back in the old routine | Yossi Sarid | Monday August 25, 2003
...
Hamas and Islamic Jihad loathed the ceasefire. Yasser Arafat detested it, as did Ariel Sharon - not to mention the settlers.
...
... here, small, violent, fanatic groups dictate the agenda.
...
On both sides, those in charge are trying to evade their responsibility and play the blame game. Those responsible among the Palestinian leadership for this catastrophe are those who failed to fight the terrorists.
On our side, those that should have, and did not, evacuate the outposts, those who should have lifted the curfews and roadblocks so the average Palestinian could have a normal life, but failed to do so, also share responsibility for the death of the ceasefire.
...
From the beginning I did not think the ceasefire was going to be a success, knowing the dramatis personae in this play. ... I begged the Americans to prepare a safety net well in advance, to guarantee that if we fell, we would not crash and die. That safety net should be an international trusteeship, combining security aspects with civilian- economic functions, that will oversee the West Bank and Gaza strip for a limited, agreed period.
Yossi Sarid is former chairman of the Meretz party
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Yossi Sarid: Requiem for a ceasefire | While ordinary Israelis and Palestinians mourn, their leaders will be pleased to be back in the old routine | Yossi Sarid | Monday August 25, 2003
...
Hamas and Islamic Jihad loathed the ceasefire. Yasser Arafat detested it, as did Ariel Sharon - not to mention the settlers.
...
... here, small, violent, fanatic groups dictate the agenda.
...
On both sides, those in charge are trying to evade their responsibility and play the blame game. Those responsible among the Palestinian leadership for this catastrophe are those who failed to fight the terrorists.
On our side, those that should have, and did not, evacuate the outposts, those who should have lifted the curfews and roadblocks so the average Palestinian could have a normal life, but failed to do so, also share responsibility for the death of the ceasefire.
...
From the beginning I did not think the ceasefire was going to be a success, knowing the dramatis personae in this play. ... I begged the Americans to prepare a safety net well in advance, to guarantee that if we fell, we would not crash and die. That safety net should be an international trusteeship, combining security aspects with civilian- economic functions, that will oversee the West Bank and Gaza strip for a limited, agreed period.
Yossi Sarid is former chairman of the Meretz party
Palestinian Militants Scrap Israel Truce
Palestinian Militants Scrap Israel Truce Aug 21, 2003 10:37 PM (ET) By KARIN LAUB Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian militants called off a tattered two-month-old truce on Thursday after an Israeli helicopter killed a senior Hamas political leader with a volley of missiles. Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters marched in protest through the streets of Gaza, vowing revenge.
According to aides, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas had ordered a major crackdown and drew up lists of militants to be arrested, but scrapped the plans after the assassination.
Israel said it could not wait any longer for the Palestinians to act after a Hamas bus bombing that killed 20 people, including six children, in Jerusalem. Gideon Meir, a Foreign Ministry official, said the Palestinians should have moved faster.
[See the Violence page for the record of violence during the truce. Ed.]"
...
Israel was deeply suspicious of the truce from the start, saying it was a ploy to win time and allow terror cells to recover from relentless Israeli strikes. The Israeli military noted Thursday that 25 civilians, including Israelis, a Bulgarian worker and five Americans, were killed and 160 others wounded in attacks in the past two months, before the militants formally abandoned the cease-fire Thursday. [vs. 120 Palestinians. Ed.]
[331 Palestinians and 78 Israeli's were killed in the Feb-June period before the cease fire. An average of 4:1 vs. the usual 2.5:1 Palestinians per Israeli [B'Tselem] Ed.]
Palestinian Militants Scrap Israel Truce Aug 21, 2003 10:37 PM (ET) By KARIN LAUB Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Palestinian militants called off a tattered two-month-old truce on Thursday after an Israeli helicopter killed a senior Hamas political leader with a volley of missiles. Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters marched in protest through the streets of Gaza, vowing revenge.
According to aides, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas had ordered a major crackdown and drew up lists of militants to be arrested, but scrapped the plans after the assassination.
Israel said it could not wait any longer for the Palestinians to act after a Hamas bus bombing that killed 20 people, including six children, in Jerusalem. Gideon Meir, a Foreign Ministry official, said the Palestinians should have moved faster.
[See the Violence page for the record of violence during the truce. Ed.]"
...
Israel was deeply suspicious of the truce from the start, saying it was a ploy to win time and allow terror cells to recover from relentless Israeli strikes. The Israeli military noted Thursday that 25 civilians, including Israelis, a Bulgarian worker and five Americans, were killed and 160 others wounded in attacks in the past two months, before the militants formally abandoned the cease-fire Thursday. [vs. 120 Palestinians. Ed.]
[331 Palestinians and 78 Israeli's were killed in the Feb-June period before the cease fire. An average of 4:1 vs. the usual 2.5:1 Palestinians per Israeli [B'Tselem] Ed.]
Progress Report -- Before we blame the Palestinians By Hillel Schocken
Ha'aretz - Article Before we blame the Palestinians By Hillel Schocken Wednesday, August 20, 2003
In "All talk and no dialogue" (Haaretz, August 15), Ze'ev Schiff states that it's "clear that the truce does not in fact exist," and explains that the Palestinian government "is incapable of implementing the hudna,"
...
Has Israel met the conditions of the agreement? Is Sharon able to (or, really, does he want to) enforce the cease-fire on his army? The continuation of the Israeli policy of targeted assassinations - isn't that "fire"? The duo in charge, Sharon and Mofaz - are they able to enforce the moratorium on construction in the settlements, as the road map requires? Do they even want to? And what about the "illegal outposts," a few of which were dismantled under the "revolving door" system so they could pop up again on some nearby hill?
Schiff gives good marks to the Palestinian Authority for managing to seize hold of $3 million sent from Iran to Islamic Jihad and for reducing incitement. What good marks can be given to Israel? Has Israel met its obligations with its stingy release of prisoners, which wasn't even part of the cease-fire agreement and was intended, so Israeli leadership claims, to build trust between the sides and to strengthen Abu Mazen?
Ha'aretz - Article Before we blame the Palestinians By Hillel Schocken Wednesday, August 20, 2003
In "All talk and no dialogue" (Haaretz, August 15), Ze'ev Schiff states that it's "clear that the truce does not in fact exist," and explains that the Palestinian government "is incapable of implementing the hudna,"
...
Has Israel met the conditions of the agreement? Is Sharon able to (or, really, does he want to) enforce the cease-fire on his army? The continuation of the Israeli policy of targeted assassinations - isn't that "fire"? The duo in charge, Sharon and Mofaz - are they able to enforce the moratorium on construction in the settlements, as the road map requires? Do they even want to? And what about the "illegal outposts," a few of which were dismantled under the "revolving door" system so they could pop up again on some nearby hill?
Schiff gives good marks to the Palestinian Authority for managing to seize hold of $3 million sent from Iran to Islamic Jihad and for reducing incitement. What good marks can be given to Israel? Has Israel met its obligations with its stingy release of prisoners, which wasn't even part of the cease-fire agreement and was intended, so Israeli leadership claims, to build trust between the sides and to strengthen Abu Mazen?
Israel tries to ensure PA will take fall
Israel tries to ensure PA will take fall if peace efforts fail By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article Friday, August 15, 2003
Amid growing fears that the Aqaba process and the hudna will collapse as did previous efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel is making another bid to save the process, or at least to ensure the blame is placed on the Palestinians, in case of failure.
'We must assume that everything is going to fall apart, and if so, it had better fall apart on the neighbor's side rather than on ours,' a Jerusalem source said. "
Israel tries to ensure PA will take fall if peace efforts fail By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article Friday, August 15, 2003
Amid growing fears that the Aqaba process and the hudna will collapse as did previous efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel is making another bid to save the process, or at least to ensure the blame is placed on the Palestinians, in case of failure.
'We must assume that everything is going to fall apart, and if so, it had better fall apart on the neighbor's side rather than on ours,' a Jerusalem source said. "
Three choices open to Israel: 2 states; deportation or apartheid
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Ready for two states? Saturday August 9, 2003
In this week's email exchange, Roman Bronfman and Israel Harel debate Israel's options in the West Bank and Gaza
Dear Israel, ... We Israelis are faced with the following choices:
1. a two state solution according to the road map whereby a predominantly Jewish state lives peacefully and prosperously alongside a Palestinian state;
2. some kind of mass deportation of Palestinians from the occupied territories and Gaza strip, the implications of which are clear, violent, inhumane and dangerous; or
3. an apartheid state whereby a minority governs over a majority using brute force.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Ready for two states? Saturday August 9, 2003
In this week's email exchange, Roman Bronfman and Israel Harel debate Israel's options in the West Bank and Gaza
Dear Israel, ... We Israelis are faced with the following choices:
1. a two state solution according to the road map whereby a predominantly Jewish state lives peacefully and prosperously alongside a Palestinian state;
2. some kind of mass deportation of Palestinians from the occupied territories and Gaza strip, the implications of which are clear, violent, inhumane and dangerous; or
3. an apartheid state whereby a minority governs over a majority using brute force.
CIA: 'dismantling the terrorist infrastructure' .. somewhere between problematic and impossible
Time to change the diskette By Akiva Eldar Ha'aretz - Article Monday, August 11, 2003
It is difficult to believe that a veteran combat fighter like Ariel Sharon really takes seriously the entire matter of 'dismantling the terrorist infrastructure.' Would the prime minister of sovereign Israel dare send Israeli troops door-to-door through the settlements to collect weapons from the right-wing extremists among the settlers, who daily harass and abuse their Palestinian neighbors?
...
CIA director George Tenet, who fathered the idea, has admitted in closed forums that the entire matter of "infrastructure" is somewhere between problematic and impossible"
Time to change the diskette By Akiva Eldar Ha'aretz - Article Monday, August 11, 2003
It is difficult to believe that a veteran combat fighter like Ariel Sharon really takes seriously the entire matter of 'dismantling the terrorist infrastructure.' Would the prime minister of sovereign Israel dare send Israeli troops door-to-door through the settlements to collect weapons from the right-wing extremists among the settlers, who daily harass and abuse their Palestinian neighbors?
...
CIA director George Tenet, who fathered the idea, has admitted in closed forums that the entire matter of "infrastructure" is somewhere between problematic and impossible"
334 Prisoners Released: equal to the number of new arrests?
Miserliness instead of hope Ha'aretz - Article Saturday, August 09, 2003
...
both sides are behaving in an overly miserly way, in humanitarian gestures or in training terror.
...
... The affair of the release of the 334 Palestinian prisoners and administrative detainees made tangibly evident that the Sharon government has not changed its dominant approach ...
...
According to data from Palestinian organizations, since the declaration of the hudna cease-fire, the IDF has arrested 320 Palestinians in West Bank cities. The IDF itself confirms that the number of people arrested has reached 146
Miserliness instead of hope Ha'aretz - Article Saturday, August 09, 2003
...
both sides are behaving in an overly miserly way, in humanitarian gestures or in training terror.
...
... The affair of the release of the 334 Palestinian prisoners and administrative detainees made tangibly evident that the Sharon government has not changed its dominant approach ...
...
According to data from Palestinian organizations, since the declaration of the hudna cease-fire, the IDF has arrested 320 Palestinians in West Bank cities. The IDF itself confirms that the number of people arrested has reached 146
Sharon: hasn't given the Palestinians a thing
In the service of PA propaganda By Israel Harel Ha'aretz - Article Thursday, August 07, 2003
Add to the long list of people complaining that Israel 'isn't giving anything to the Palestinians' the person who is best qualified to help them politically and with their propaganda effort: the prime minister of Israel. Two months after he termed Jewish settlement in the heart of the Land of Israel, 'occupation,' thus undermining morale among many of his people and providing ideological underpinnings and political ammunition to the enemies of Israel, this week Ariel Sharon granted another propaganda coup to the Palestinians and their supporters here and in the world: 'Israel hasn't given the Palestinians a thing,' he declared in the Knesset in response to criticism of the release of security prisoners. "
In the service of PA propaganda By Israel Harel Ha'aretz - Article Thursday, August 07, 2003
Add to the long list of people complaining that Israel 'isn't giving anything to the Palestinians' the person who is best qualified to help them politically and with their propaganda effort: the prime minister of Israel. Two months after he termed Jewish settlement in the heart of the Land of Israel, 'occupation,' thus undermining morale among many of his people and providing ideological underpinnings and political ammunition to the enemies of Israel, this week Ariel Sharon granted another propaganda coup to the Palestinians and their supporters here and in the world: 'Israel hasn't given the Palestinians a thing,' he declared in the Knesset in response to criticism of the release of security prisoners. "
Sarid calls Sharon's claims 22 outposts dismantled 'lies'
Sarid calls Sharon's claims 22 outposts dismantled 'lies' By Nadav Shragai, Monday, August 04, 2003 Haaretz - Article
Former Meretz leader Yossi Sarid reacted angrily to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's claims that 22 illegal outposts have been dismantled so far, that an additional 12 will soon be evacuated and that the Israel Defense Forces has so far removed 10 checkposts in the territories.
Sarid said in response to Sharon's statement to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that "what worries me even more than the outposts is your culture of lies. You talk of 22 outposts that have been removed and another 12 slated for removal but this is all one big lie. In reality, outposts have not been dismantled. When our lives are ruled by the culture of lies, it ruins both criminal investigations and diplomatic policies. The culture of lies is the biggest threat to Israel because it will lead to the rotting of the state."
Sarid calls Sharon's claims 22 outposts dismantled 'lies' By Nadav Shragai, Monday, August 04, 2003 Haaretz - Article
Former Meretz leader Yossi Sarid reacted angrily to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's claims that 22 illegal outposts have been dismantled so far, that an additional 12 will soon be evacuated and that the Israel Defense Forces has so far removed 10 checkposts in the territories.
Sarid said in response to Sharon's statement to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that "what worries me even more than the outposts is your culture of lies. You talk of 22 outposts that have been removed and another 12 slated for removal but this is all one big lie. In reality, outposts have not been dismantled. When our lives are ruled by the culture of lies, it ruins both criminal investigations and diplomatic policies. The culture of lies is the biggest threat to Israel because it will lead to the rotting of the state."
US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan Friday August 1, 6:43 PM By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday Israel's security barrier in the West Bank could undermine a peace 'road map', as Israeli troops fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to cut part of the fence.
Powell's comments, published in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, followed U.S. President George W. Bush's failure in talks on Tuesday to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop building the barrier.
Underscoring Palestinian anger stirred by the issue, several hundred protesters trying to breach the fence near the West Bank town of Tulkarm clashed with Israeli soldiers, witnesses said. "
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan Friday August 1, 6:43 PM By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday Israel's security barrier in the West Bank could undermine a peace 'road map', as Israeli troops fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to cut part of the fence.
Powell's comments, published in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, followed U.S. President George W. Bush's failure in talks on Tuesday to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop building the barrier.
Underscoring Palestinian anger stirred by the issue, several hundred protesters trying to breach the fence near the West Bank town of Tulkarm clashed with Israeli soldiers, witnesses said. "
Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush
Analysis: Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
The clear impression from the White House press conference held by George Bush and Ariel Sharon on Tuesday is that the U.S. president accepted the Israeli prime minister's argument that the primary issue is the dismantling of armed groups by the Palestinian Authority.
In other words, Bush did not accept the argument put forward by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud (Abu Mazen), at their meeting last Friday, that he cannot move against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, because this would precipitate a civil war.
This is a clear indication that Bush is not prepared to get into a confrontation with Sharon, and that what is uppermost on his mind now, are electoral concerns. A recent poll showed his approval rating to be at its lowest since Sept. 11.
...
Sharon succeeded in tying Bush into the terror agenda, whereas Abu Mazen had tried to tie him into an agenda of occupation, but failed. ...
Bush also did not mention the dismantling of illegal outposts in the West Bank. ... Bush said the fence was a
"sensitive" issue, but he did not call it a "wall" or "a problem," like he did in his press conference with Abu Mazen.
The bottom line coming out of the press conference is that the onus is on the Palestinians, and any gains Abu Mazen thinks he might have made in his meeting with Bush, have not held up even for a week. "
Analysis: Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
The clear impression from the White House press conference held by George Bush and Ariel Sharon on Tuesday is that the U.S. president accepted the Israeli prime minister's argument that the primary issue is the dismantling of armed groups by the Palestinian Authority.
In other words, Bush did not accept the argument put forward by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud (Abu Mazen), at their meeting last Friday, that he cannot move against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, because this would precipitate a civil war.
This is a clear indication that Bush is not prepared to get into a confrontation with Sharon, and that what is uppermost on his mind now, are electoral concerns. A recent poll showed his approval rating to be at its lowest since Sept. 11.
...
Sharon succeeded in tying Bush into the terror agenda, whereas Abu Mazen had tried to tie him into an agenda of occupation, but failed. ...
Bush also did not mention the dismantling of illegal outposts in the West Bank. ... Bush said the fence was a
"sensitive" issue, but he did not call it a "wall" or "a problem," like he did in his press conference with Abu Mazen.
The bottom line coming out of the press conference is that the onus is on the Palestinians, and any gains Abu Mazen thinks he might have made in his meeting with Bush, have not held up even for a week. "
Isreali's dimantle 1, not 10 outposts
Lebanonwire.com | The message Sharon refuses to heed Lebanonwire, July 28, 2003 The Daily Star Adnan Abu Odeh
When John Wolf, head of the American team charged with monitoring the application of the 'road map,' informed the Israeli authorities that a simple mathematical equation would show that their government dismantled only one 'unauthorized' settlement and not 10 as they claim, he did more than just unmask Ariel Sharon's deception tactics. He also uncovered the fact that the latter does not share US President George W. Bush's vision of a two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian, on the land of Mandate Palestine."
Lebanonwire.com | The message Sharon refuses to heed Lebanonwire, July 28, 2003 The Daily Star Adnan Abu Odeh
When John Wolf, head of the American team charged with monitoring the application of the 'road map,' informed the Israeli authorities that a simple mathematical equation would show that their government dismantled only one 'unauthorized' settlement and not 10 as they claim, he did more than just unmask Ariel Sharon's deception tactics. He also uncovered the fact that the latter does not share US President George W. Bush's vision of a two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian, on the land of Mandate Palestine."
If Abbas comes away empty-handed, however, the summit could prove to be his coup de grace.
Background: Bush-Abbas summit: Feat or coup de grace?
By Bradley Burston, Haaretz Correspondent Ha'aretz - Article July 23, 2003
A man who has spent his entire career in a shadow - the short but unavoidable shadow of Yasser Arafat - is about to take center stage as the ranking representative of the Palestinian people in a White House summit with the president of the United States.
For new leader Mahmoud Abbas, who lacks popular support and thus has nothing to lose but his premiership, the Friday
talks with George Bush could yield achievements that would make the visit a crowning political coup.
If Abbas comes away empty-handed, however, the summit could prove to be his coup de grace.
'If this visit does not succeed, and the Palestinians feel no positive changes on the ground, the Palestinian government's plight will be shaky indeed,' said Arab member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi, a close observer of Palestinian politics and a former advisor to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority leadership. "
Background: Bush-Abbas summit: Feat or coup de grace?
By Bradley Burston, Haaretz Correspondent Ha'aretz - Article July 23, 2003
A man who has spent his entire career in a shadow - the short but unavoidable shadow of Yasser Arafat - is about to take center stage as the ranking representative of the Palestinian people in a White House summit with the president of the United States.
For new leader Mahmoud Abbas, who lacks popular support and thus has nothing to lose but his premiership, the Friday
talks with George Bush could yield achievements that would make the visit a crowning political coup.
If Abbas comes away empty-handed, however, the summit could prove to be his coup de grace.
'If this visit does not succeed, and the Palestinians feel no positive changes on the ground, the Palestinian government's plight will be shaky indeed,' said Arab member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi, a close observer of Palestinian politics and a former advisor to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority leadership. "
Bush Backs Sharon, Angers Palestinians Jul 30, 2003 7:48 AM (ET) By STEVE WEIZMAN Excite News
President Bush has given visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon broad support on key issues, backing off from overt criticism of a West Bank security fence and disappointing Palestinians in the process.
...
Bush said Israel must consider the consequences of its actions on the peace process, but Israeli and U.S. officials said the comment was a general one, not linked to any specific issue.
Palestinians were unsettled by Tuesday's White House talks.
...
"The Bush statement reflects the total bias of the United States in favor of the Zionist enemy," Rantisi told the AP, "and it reflects also the failure of Prime Minister Abbas' visit."
President Bush has given visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon broad support on key issues, backing off from overt criticism of a West Bank security fence and disappointing Palestinians in the process.
...
Bush said Israel must consider the consequences of its actions on the peace process, but Israeli and U.S. officials said the comment was a general one, not linked to any specific issue.
Palestinians were unsettled by Tuesday's White House talks.
...
"The Bush statement reflects the total bias of the United States in favor of the Zionist enemy," Rantisi told the AP, "and it reflects also the failure of Prime Minister Abbas' visit."
Prisoner release ... a failure, or at least meaningless?
Generosity and good will Ha'aretz - Article Tuesday, July 22, 2003
The Palestinians had great expectations of the meeting between Prime Ministers Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon, and they have been disappointed. The hopes of Palestinian leaders and the public was that the relative calm in the territories, the efforts they are making to prevent terrorism, the intelligence cooperation, and the start of re-establishing Palestinian Authority institutions, would lead Israel to make an important gesture in the form of promising to release a large number of prisoners and detainees.
Instead, they were told that Israel intends to release only a few hundred prisoners and that the process will involve negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian representatives. The result has been described in the Palestinian press as a failure, or at least meaningless.
...
... the issue is now perceived as a main axis on which Abbas's ability to negotiate anything with Israel now turns. Without a substantial release of prisoners and detainees, Abbas won't be able to win his public's confidence, the rejectionists will regard themselves as no longer bound by the hudna, and the current calm could quickly deteriorate into a renewed violent conflict that will claim more casualties. "
Generosity and good will Ha'aretz - Article Tuesday, July 22, 2003
The Palestinians had great expectations of the meeting between Prime Ministers Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon, and they have been disappointed. The hopes of Palestinian leaders and the public was that the relative calm in the territories, the efforts they are making to prevent terrorism, the intelligence cooperation, and the start of re-establishing Palestinian Authority institutions, would lead Israel to make an important gesture in the form of promising to release a large number of prisoners and detainees.
Instead, they were told that Israel intends to release only a few hundred prisoners and that the process will involve negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian representatives. The result has been described in the Palestinian press as a failure, or at least meaningless.
...
... the issue is now perceived as a main axis on which Abbas's ability to negotiate anything with Israel now turns. Without a substantial release of prisoners and detainees, Abbas won't be able to win his public's confidence, the rejectionists will regard themselves as no longer bound by the hudna, and the current calm could quickly deteriorate into a renewed violent conflict that will claim more casualties. "
Sharon: immigration is Israel's top priority, even ahead of peace and security
serene angst - the daily aliyah Sharon welcomes 330 new immigrants from North America By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
An El Al chartered flight carrying 330 new immigrants which took off from New York late Tuesday arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning. Among the dignitaries who were at the airport to greet them were Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor and Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Tzipi Linvi.
Sharon greeted the new arrivals with a hearty 'Welcome home!'
'We always need you, and we need you now more than ever,' added the PM. 'Israel is the place for Jews to live as Jews. We need you, and we need many more like you.'
Sharon told the new immigrants that immigration is Israel's top priority, even ahead of peace and security. "
serene angst - the daily aliyah Sharon welcomes 330 new immigrants from North America By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
An El Al chartered flight carrying 330 new immigrants which took off from New York late Tuesday arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning. Among the dignitaries who were at the airport to greet them were Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor and Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Tzipi Linvi.
Sharon greeted the new arrivals with a hearty 'Welcome home!'
'We always need you, and we need you now more than ever,' added the PM. 'Israel is the place for Jews to live as Jews. We need you, and we need many more like you.'
Sharon told the new immigrants that immigration is Israel's top priority, even ahead of peace and security. "
Airstrike, Threats Undercut Mideast Truce
Airstrike, Threats Undercut Mideast Truce Jun 25, 2003 8:05 PM (ET) By DAN PERRY and KARIN LAUB Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Islamic militants agreed to halt attacks on Israelis for three months, Palestinian negotiators said Wednesday. But the tenuous deal was immediately undercut by an Israeli airstrike and Hamas threats of revenge.
...
Israeli officials said Wednesday that a truce was an internal Palestinian issue and they would judge the Palestinian Authority solely on results. Officials have been highly skeptical of the truce idea, fearing it is a ploy to enable militants to regroup for more attacks
...
In it, the militant groups agree to a moratorium on attacks for three months, the source said; in exchange, they demand Israel end targeted killings of militants and military incursions, and call for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel - but do not set any deadline or timeframe for this.
[In December Israel almost achieved a breakthrough with a similar 3-month truce, but 6 months later it is a ploy. Ed.]"
...
An end to the violence could clear the way for implementation of the road map, launched June 4 by Bush at a Mideast summit.
In the plan's first phase, the Palestinian Authority is supposed to dismantle terror groups, while Israel is supposed to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza, remove scores of illegal outposts and gradually withdraw troops from autonomous Palestinian territories
Airstrike, Threats Undercut Mideast Truce Jun 25, 2003 8:05 PM (ET) By DAN PERRY and KARIN LAUB Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Islamic militants agreed to halt attacks on Israelis for three months, Palestinian negotiators said Wednesday. But the tenuous deal was immediately undercut by an Israeli airstrike and Hamas threats of revenge.
...
Israeli officials said Wednesday that a truce was an internal Palestinian issue and they would judge the Palestinian Authority solely on results. Officials have been highly skeptical of the truce idea, fearing it is a ploy to enable militants to regroup for more attacks
...
In it, the militant groups agree to a moratorium on attacks for three months, the source said; in exchange, they demand Israel end targeted killings of militants and military incursions, and call for the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel - but do not set any deadline or timeframe for this.
[In December Israel almost achieved a breakthrough with a similar 3-month truce, but 6 months later it is a ploy. Ed.]"
...
An end to the violence could clear the way for implementation of the road map, launched June 4 by Bush at a Mideast summit.
In the plan's first phase, the Palestinian Authority is supposed to dismantle terror groups, while Israel is supposed to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank and Gaza, remove scores of illegal outposts and gradually withdraw troops from autonomous Palestinian territories
Hamas wins hearts by saving lives where Arafat fails
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Hamas wins hearts by saving lives where Arafat fails | How Islamic resistance movement has built up support with potent mixture of welfare and religion | Chris McGreal in Sabra, Gaza | Tuesday June 24, 2003
There were reports yesterday that Hamas was finally edging closer to a ceasefire after weeks of negotiation, a move that could be pivotal to the implementation of the US-backed "road map" to peace.
...
... US secretary of state, Colin Powell, took a similar line. "Despite whatever charitable or other social good these organisations may perform, as long as they have as an organisational culture a commitment to terror and violence and a desire to destroy the state of Israel, it is a problem we have to deal with in its entirety," he said
There is little doubt that at the core of support for Hamas - and its challenge to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - lies its power to inflict pain on Israel, much as many bitter Israelis back Ariel Sharon for his willingness to make Palestinians suffer.
But far from being an underground organisation hidden in the shadows, Hamas has sunk its roots deep into many aspects of Gaza society in a way that will make it hard to weed out.
The organisation has pursued a shrewd strategy to build on support for its war in Israel with religion and welfare - both in growing demand among an increasingly shattered population.
The bulk of the 1.2m Palestinians caged behind security fences and Israeli machine-gun posts around Gaza are living in increasingly dire conditions. Unemployment has surged to around 70%, while average incomes have fallen to a fraction of their levels before the intifada. Malnutrition is on the rise.
...
Hamas's reputation for honesty is in stark contrast to the rampant and widely scorned corruption of the Palestinian Authority. And while Palestinian cabinet ministers have provided themselves with large homes and tailored suits, the Hamas leadership is seen to retain a simple lifestyle.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Hamas wins hearts by saving lives where Arafat fails | How Islamic resistance movement has built up support with potent mixture of welfare and religion | Chris McGreal in Sabra, Gaza | Tuesday June 24, 2003
There were reports yesterday that Hamas was finally edging closer to a ceasefire after weeks of negotiation, a move that could be pivotal to the implementation of the US-backed "road map" to peace.
...
... US secretary of state, Colin Powell, took a similar line. "Despite whatever charitable or other social good these organisations may perform, as long as they have as an organisational culture a commitment to terror and violence and a desire to destroy the state of Israel, it is a problem we have to deal with in its entirety," he said
There is little doubt that at the core of support for Hamas - and its challenge to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - lies its power to inflict pain on Israel, much as many bitter Israelis back Ariel Sharon for his willingness to make Palestinians suffer.
But far from being an underground organisation hidden in the shadows, Hamas has sunk its roots deep into many aspects of Gaza society in a way that will make it hard to weed out.
The organisation has pursued a shrewd strategy to build on support for its war in Israel with religion and welfare - both in growing demand among an increasingly shattered population.
The bulk of the 1.2m Palestinians caged behind security fences and Israeli machine-gun posts around Gaza are living in increasingly dire conditions. Unemployment has surged to around 70%, while average incomes have fallen to a fraction of their levels before the intifada. Malnutrition is on the rise.
...
Hamas's reputation for honesty is in stark contrast to the rampant and widely scorned corruption of the Palestinian Authority. And while Palestinian cabinet ministers have provided themselves with large homes and tailored suits, the Hamas leadership is seen to retain a simple lifestyle.
End the fake evacuations
End the fake evacuations By Gideon Levy Ha'aretz - Article June 23, 2003
The operation to evacuate the West Bank outposts undertaken by Ariel Sharon's government is a farce that is bad for the peace process. It would be better to stop this charade as soon as possible, because its damage is immeasurably greater than any good it might be doing.
The only ones gaining from this absurd eviction performance is the prime minister, the right wing and the settlers. The losers are the Palestinians and mainly, the peace process. The Americans, who are full partners to this deceit, should also pull themselves together
and realize that this absurdity is no good for peace. "
End the fake evacuations By Gideon Levy Ha'aretz - Article June 23, 2003
The operation to evacuate the West Bank outposts undertaken by Ariel Sharon's government is a farce that is bad for the peace process. It would be better to stop this charade as soon as possible, because its damage is immeasurably greater than any good it might be doing.
The only ones gaining from this absurd eviction performance is the prime minister, the right wing and the settlers. The losers are the Palestinians and mainly, the peace process. The Americans, who are full partners to this deceit, should also pull themselves together
and realize that this absurdity is no good for peace. "
'The real obstacle to peace is not terror, but sabotage by Sharon-backed army'
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'The real obstacle to peace is not terror, but sabotage by Sharon-backed army' | Chris McGreal in Gaza City | Friday June 20, 2003
The Israeli fighter jets began their dance above Gaza City just as President George Bush's special envoy and his CIA team drew up at Mohammed Dahlan's office this week.
The Palestinian security minister smiled as he reflected on the incident in a rare interview the next day, after a week of spearheading attempts to get Hamas to end its attacks on Israel and the Israelis to stop assassinations in Gaza.
Mr Bush's envoy, John Wolf, wanted to discuss hostility to the peace process among ordinary Palestinians and the dangers posed by Hamas. But as the jets raced overhead, Mr Dahlan had only to raise his eyes to see what he believes is the real threat to the US-led road map to peace. His suspicion that the real obstacle is not 'terrorism' was strengthened last week by Israel's botched assassination attempt against Hamas's political leader, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi.
'It's the Israeli army that holds the key, at least on the streets,' he said. 'We were actually getting close to an agreement with Hamas but because the Israeli army rejects the idea that there can be an internal agreement [among Palestinians], they hit Rantissi. As long as they keep saying they are at war, then they will find justifications for 'mistakes' like killing children and women which create so much anger on the streets and make this whole road map process harder.' "
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'The real obstacle to peace is not terror, but sabotage by Sharon-backed army' | Chris McGreal in Gaza City | Friday June 20, 2003
The Israeli fighter jets began their dance above Gaza City just as President George Bush's special envoy and his CIA team drew up at Mohammed Dahlan's office this week.
The Palestinian security minister smiled as he reflected on the incident in a rare interview the next day, after a week of spearheading attempts to get Hamas to end its attacks on Israel and the Israelis to stop assassinations in Gaza.
Mr Bush's envoy, John Wolf, wanted to discuss hostility to the peace process among ordinary Palestinians and the dangers posed by Hamas. But as the jets raced overhead, Mr Dahlan had only to raise his eyes to see what he believes is the real threat to the US-led road map to peace. His suspicion that the real obstacle is not 'terrorism' was strengthened last week by Israel's botched assassination attempt against Hamas's political leader, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi.
'It's the Israeli army that holds the key, at least on the streets,' he said. 'We were actually getting close to an agreement with Hamas but because the Israeli army rejects the idea that there can be an internal agreement [among Palestinians], they hit Rantissi. As long as they keep saying they are at war, then they will find justifications for 'mistakes' like killing children and women which create so much anger on the streets and make this whole road map process harder.' "
Intentionally-timed attack on Rantisi and the absolutely predictable bloody response
As they sow, so shall we weep By Gideon Samet, Ha'aretz - Article, Friday, June 13, 2003
Those who reject the road map, both in Israel and in the territories, chalked up an impressive victory this week, as if in a conspiracy. ... Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's order to eliminate Abdel Aziz Rantisi was not only a political move and an act of vengeance. It was tantamount to the execution of more Israelis in the city square. Both sides knew what they were doing. They did this blindly, but with open eyes.
...
Especially when the prime minister and his operational team of Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon served the dark cycle of violence with an intentionally-timed attack on Rantisi and the absolutely predictable bloody response thereafter. "
As they sow, so shall we weep By Gideon Samet, Ha'aretz - Article, Friday, June 13, 2003
Those who reject the road map, both in Israel and in the territories, chalked up an impressive victory this week, as if in a conspiracy. ... Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's order to eliminate Abdel Aziz Rantisi was not only a political move and an act of vengeance. It was tantamount to the execution of more Israelis in the city square. Both sides knew what they were doing. They did this blindly, but with open eyes.
...
Especially when the prime minister and his operational team of Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon served the dark cycle of violence with an intentionally-timed attack on Rantisi and the absolutely predictable bloody response thereafter. "
Hours after adopting the 'roadmap' ... Israeli Housing Minister prepared .. to build new 12,000 units in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Turks.US - Israel Steps Up 'Settlement Roadmap': Israeli Paper: "Israel Steps Up �Settlement Roadmap�: Israeli Paper
Thursday, May 29 2003 @ 06:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 393
JERUSALEM, May 29 Only hours after adopting the 'roadmap' which calls for freezing the settlement activity on occupied Palestinian lands, the Israeli Housing Minister prepared a project to build new 12,000 units in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an Israeli paper reported Thursday, May 29.
The Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said that the Israeli Housing Ministry 'justified the project as a natural growth of the already existing settlements'. The paper called the move 'the settlement roadmap,' in a clear mocking of the U.S.-backed roadmap for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "
Turks.US - Israel Steps Up 'Settlement Roadmap': Israeli Paper: "Israel Steps Up �Settlement Roadmap�: Israeli Paper
Thursday, May 29 2003 @ 06:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Contributed by: Admin
Views: 393
JERUSALEM, May 29 Only hours after adopting the 'roadmap' which calls for freezing the settlement activity on occupied Palestinian lands, the Israeli Housing Minister prepared a project to build new 12,000 units in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an Israeli paper reported Thursday, May 29.
The Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said that the Israeli Housing Ministry 'justified the project as a natural growth of the already existing settlements'. The paper called the move 'the settlement roadmap,' in a clear mocking of the U.S.-backed roadmap for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "
Sharon plans to drive down another road
The Observer | Special reports | Avi Shlaim: Sharon plans to drive down another road | Israel must make the peace of the brave, not the bully, writes Middle East expert Avi Shlaim | Sunday June 8, 2003
...
As a soldier and politician, Sharon has always championed violent solutions. He has yet to learn you cannot have a winner and a loser in a peace process; that resolution of a conflict requires two winners. Nor does he understand Israel ought to end the occupation, not as a concession to the Palestinians, but as a favour to itself if it wishes to preserve its democratic and Jewish character. As Marx observed, a nation that oppresses another cannot itself remain free.
Sadly, the handshakes in Aqaba that gave rise to so much hope have but a slim chance of leading to a real breakthrough. What Sharon is prepared to concede falls short even of the most minimal Palestinian expectations of independence and statehood. It is the peace of the bully, rather than the peace of the brave. The irony is that Sharon is one of the moderates in an ultra-nationalist government.
With him and his party representing Israel, the quartet's road map is likely to lead nowhere slowly.
· Avi Shlaim is a professor of International Relations at Oxford University and author of 'The Politics of Partition' and 'The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arabs'. [Avi Shlaim, a well-known Israeli historian, teaches international relations at St. Antony's College, Oxford.]
The Observer | Special reports | Avi Shlaim: Sharon plans to drive down another road | Israel must make the peace of the brave, not the bully, writes Middle East expert Avi Shlaim | Sunday June 8, 2003
...
As a soldier and politician, Sharon has always championed violent solutions. He has yet to learn you cannot have a winner and a loser in a peace process; that resolution of a conflict requires two winners. Nor does he understand Israel ought to end the occupation, not as a concession to the Palestinians, but as a favour to itself if it wishes to preserve its democratic and Jewish character. As Marx observed, a nation that oppresses another cannot itself remain free.
Sadly, the handshakes in Aqaba that gave rise to so much hope have but a slim chance of leading to a real breakthrough. What Sharon is prepared to concede falls short even of the most minimal Palestinian expectations of independence and statehood. It is the peace of the bully, rather than the peace of the brave. The irony is that Sharon is one of the moderates in an ultra-nationalist government.
With him and his party representing Israel, the quartet's road map is likely to lead nowhere slowly.
· Avi Shlaim is a professor of International Relations at Oxford University and author of 'The Politics of Partition' and 'The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arabs'. [Avi Shlaim, a well-known Israeli historian, teaches international relations at St. Antony's College, Oxford.]
Sharon sticks to script in front of Bush - but the backtracking has already begun
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Sharon sticks to script in front of Bush - but the backtracking has already begun |
Palestinians hope US keeps up pressure as Israeli leader clarifies his commitment | Chris McGreal in Aqaba |
Thursday June 5, 2003
Ariel Sharon spent months trying to avoid yesterday's summit with George Bush designed to launch the US-led 'road map' for the creation of a Palestinian state. The Israeli prime minister persuaded the US president to delay publication of the document three times, and cancelled a trip to Washington last month ostensibly because of a new wave of terror.
But yesterday he was forced to read the script the White House all but wrote for him by committing himself not only to the creation of a Palestinian state but one that is viable and contiguous and not squeezed between those individual Jewish settlers determined to claim every hilltop as Israeli land.
Mr Sharon fell short on only one count - he refused to say that it would be independent.
...
In a bizarre twist, the Israeli prime minister's office issued what amounted to a clarification of his speech before he even made it by saying that when he referred to a Palestinian state he meant one that was demilitarised and that would be the only home [implies he denies any right of return. Ed.]for the Palestinian diaspora.
...
Mr Sharon's office also went on to say that by "viable" he meant an "interim" state
...
...was Mr Bush serious about confronting a reluctant Israeli prime minister?
"We are hoping that the role of the US will be to correct the imbalance of power between a very strong Israel and a very weak Palestine. We are now confident that Bush is serious."
...
A crucial first step was Mr Sharon's commitment yesterday after months ... But the real test will be whether he also prevents new outposts being thrown up or uses the inevitable confrontations with rightwing settlers, who are already calling Mr Sharon "a traitor", as a pretext to draw out the process.
...
Yet just a few weeks ago the Israeli administration evidently felt confident that a mix of hawks in the Bush administration, the mobilisation of support in Congress, and next year's election in the US, would contain White House pressure for Mr Sharon to commit himself to the peace process. "
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Sharon sticks to script in front of Bush - but the backtracking has already begun |
Palestinians hope US keeps up pressure as Israeli leader clarifies his commitment | Chris McGreal in Aqaba |
Thursday June 5, 2003
Ariel Sharon spent months trying to avoid yesterday's summit with George Bush designed to launch the US-led 'road map' for the creation of a Palestinian state. The Israeli prime minister persuaded the US president to delay publication of the document three times, and cancelled a trip to Washington last month ostensibly because of a new wave of terror.
But yesterday he was forced to read the script the White House all but wrote for him by committing himself not only to the creation of a Palestinian state but one that is viable and contiguous and not squeezed between those individual Jewish settlers determined to claim every hilltop as Israeli land.
Mr Sharon fell short on only one count - he refused to say that it would be independent.
...
In a bizarre twist, the Israeli prime minister's office issued what amounted to a clarification of his speech before he even made it by saying that when he referred to a Palestinian state he meant one that was demilitarised and that would be the only home [implies he denies any right of return. Ed.]for the Palestinian diaspora.
...
Mr Sharon's office also went on to say that by "viable" he meant an "interim" state
...
...was Mr Bush serious about confronting a reluctant Israeli prime minister?
"We are hoping that the role of the US will be to correct the imbalance of power between a very strong Israel and a very weak Palestine. We are now confident that Bush is serious."
...
A crucial first step was Mr Sharon's commitment yesterday after months ... But the real test will be whether he also prevents new outposts being thrown up or uses the inevitable confrontations with rightwing settlers, who are already calling Mr Sharon "a traitor", as a pretext to draw out the process.
...
Yet just a few weeks ago the Israeli administration evidently felt confident that a mix of hawks in the Bush administration, the mobilisation of support in Congress, and next year's election in the US, would contain White House pressure for Mr Sharon to commit himself to the peace process. "
"Israel must deal with the settlements," Bush told the Arab leaders
Arab Leaders Pledge to Help End Violence Jun 3, 6:05 PM (ET) By TERENCE HUNT Excite News
"Israel must deal with the settlements," Bush told the Arab leaders. "Israel must make sure there's a continuous territory that the Palestinians can call home." The White House said Bush meant to say "contiguous," and Powell said that meant that a Palestinian state could not be chopped up haphazardly.
Sharon has said he likely would commit Israel to dismantling settlement outposts set up in violation of Israeli law. Stopping all settlement construction is a key element of the peace plan.
Arab Leaders Pledge to Help End Violence Jun 3, 6:05 PM (ET) By TERENCE HUNT Excite News
"Israel must deal with the settlements," Bush told the Arab leaders. "Israel must make sure there's a continuous territory that the Palestinians can call home." The White House said Bush meant to say "contiguous," and Powell said that meant that a Palestinian state could not be chopped up haphazardly.
Sharon has said he likely would commit Israel to dismantling settlement outposts set up in violation of Israeli law. Stopping all settlement construction is a key element of the peace plan.
Arab Leaders Pledge to Help End Violence Jun 3, 6:05 PM (ET) By TERENCE HUNT Excite News
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) - Arab leaders pledged on Tuesday to renounce terror and help end violence against Israel, standing in solidarity with President Bush at what he said was 'a moment of promise' for peace.
...
A high-ranking Saudi official said the next move was up to Israel, and called for a halt to the use of force against Palestinians, the release of humanitarian aid, the dismantling of wire fences that restrict movement and an end to work restrictions. Those steps would help Abbas "show that his way is the way to change the lives of the Palestinians and not the way of the gun," said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
...
Syria, which was not invited, said the only terrorism the United States wants to stop is the suicide operations against Israeli occupation. It said the United States was ignoring the loss of Palestinian lives and the destruction of homes at the hands of the Israelis."
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) - Arab leaders pledged on Tuesday to renounce terror and help end violence against Israel, standing in solidarity with President Bush at what he said was 'a moment of promise' for peace.
...
A high-ranking Saudi official said the next move was up to Israel, and called for a halt to the use of force against Palestinians, the release of humanitarian aid, the dismantling of wire fences that restrict movement and an end to work restrictions. Those steps would help Abbas "show that his way is the way to change the lives of the Palestinians and not the way of the gun," said the official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
...
Syria, which was not invited, said the only terrorism the United States wants to stop is the suicide operations against Israeli occupation. It said the United States was ignoring the loss of Palestinian lives and the destruction of homes at the hands of the Israelis."
Mr Sharon has offered mixed signals on his commitment to the peace process
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Abbas pulls out of 'road map' meeting | Simon Jeffery | Tuesday May 27, 2003
...
As far as Mr Abbas is concerned, Sharon does not deliver anything," the Guardian's Middle East correspondent, Chris McGreal, told Guardian Unlimited. "The Palestinians think Sharon uses them for propaganda, then all he does is harangue them about terror.
...
But Mr Sharon has offered mixed signals on his commitment to the peace process ...
...
He yesterday told one of his party's parliamentarians that the government would continue to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, even though the first stages of the road map require it to dismantle smaller illegal outposts and to freeze expansion of larger settlements."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Abbas pulls out of 'road map' meeting | Simon Jeffery | Tuesday May 27, 2003
...
As far as Mr Abbas is concerned, Sharon does not deliver anything," the Guardian's Middle East correspondent, Chris McGreal, told Guardian Unlimited. "The Palestinians think Sharon uses them for propaganda, then all he does is harangue them about terror.
...
But Mr Sharon has offered mixed signals on his commitment to the peace process ...
...
He yesterday told one of his party's parliamentarians that the government would continue to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, even though the first stages of the road map require it to dismantle smaller illegal outposts and to freeze expansion of larger settlements."
Is Isreali acceptance of the road map was simply a tactical move?
Sharon Defends Peace Plan Endorsement May 26, 2003 10:08 AM (ET) By MARK LAVIE Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Defending himself against right-wing attack, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday he endorsed a peace plan recognizing the Palestinians' right to a state because continuing to rule them is 'bad for us and them.'
"To keep 3.5 million people under occupation [apparently the first time Sharon has used the word. Ed.] is bad for us and them," he said of Israel's 36-year presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "I want to say clearly that I have come to the conclusion that we have to reach a (peace) agreement."
...
Palestinians, who already accepted the plan, charged that Sharon was not sincere and insisted the "road map" be implemented unchanged.
Israeli commentators were divided over whether the acceptance of the road map was simply a tactical move, aimed at avoiding confrontation with the United States, ....
Approval of the plan was carefully worded to allow Israel to wriggle out of some of the road map measures toughest for Sharon's government to accept.
The Cabinet statement said "Israel agrees to accept the steps defined in the road map," not the plan itself. A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that this left Israel in position to demand that Palestinians must first crack down on violent groups, instead of the plan's call for parallel Israeli and Palestinian steps. "
Sharon Defends Peace Plan Endorsement May 26, 2003 10:08 AM (ET) By MARK LAVIE Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Defending himself against right-wing attack, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday he endorsed a peace plan recognizing the Palestinians' right to a state because continuing to rule them is 'bad for us and them.'
"To keep 3.5 million people under occupation [apparently the first time Sharon has used the word. Ed.] is bad for us and them," he said of Israel's 36-year presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "I want to say clearly that I have come to the conclusion that we have to reach a (peace) agreement."
...
Palestinians, who already accepted the plan, charged that Sharon was not sincere and insisted the "road map" be implemented unchanged.
Israeli commentators were divided over whether the acceptance of the road map was simply a tactical move, aimed at avoiding confrontation with the United States, ....
Approval of the plan was carefully worded to allow Israel to wriggle out of some of the road map measures toughest for Sharon's government to accept.
The Cabinet statement said "Israel agrees to accept the steps defined in the road map," not the plan itself. A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that this left Israel in position to demand that Palestinians must first crack down on violent groups, instead of the plan's call for parallel Israeli and Palestinian steps. "
Divided Israel Cabinet Accepts Peace Plan ... US rejects changes
Divided Israel Cabinet Accepts Peace Plan May 25, 2003 8:53 AM (ET) By RAVI NESSMAN Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday narrowly approved a U.S.-backed peace plan that envisions a Palestinian state by 2005, a Cabinet minister said.
The Cabinet approved the plan by a 12-7 vote, with four abstentions, Yosef Paritzky, the infrastructure minister, told The Associated Press. It marked the first time an Israeli government formally affirmed the Palestinians' right to statehood.
...
The vote came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reluctantly embraced the "road map" to Mideast peace under intense U.S. pressure.
...
On Friday, the United States declared it would take the Israeli requests into account but also said there would be no changes in the road map.
...
The road map's first phase calls for Palestinians to rein in militants and Israeli troops to withdraw from Palestinian towns.
It was not clear whether Sharon's decision to go along with the road map was just a tactical move.
Israeli news media quoted Sharon's advisers as saying the prime minister did not want to be seen as turning down U.S. requests, but felt Israel was not likely to have to make painful concessions because he expected the Palestinians would fail to carry out their obligations under the plan.
...
Sharon has said previously that he envisions a Palestinian state in about half the West Bank, with no Palestinian foothold in Jerusalem."
Divided Israel Cabinet Accepts Peace Plan May 25, 2003 8:53 AM (ET) By RAVI NESSMAN Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday narrowly approved a U.S.-backed peace plan that envisions a Palestinian state by 2005, a Cabinet minister said.
The Cabinet approved the plan by a 12-7 vote, with four abstentions, Yosef Paritzky, the infrastructure minister, told The Associated Press. It marked the first time an Israeli government formally affirmed the Palestinians' right to statehood.
...
The vote came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reluctantly embraced the "road map" to Mideast peace under intense U.S. pressure.
...
On Friday, the United States declared it would take the Israeli requests into account but also said there would be no changes in the road map.
...
The road map's first phase calls for Palestinians to rein in militants and Israeli troops to withdraw from Palestinian towns.
It was not clear whether Sharon's decision to go along with the road map was just a tactical move.
Israeli news media quoted Sharon's advisers as saying the prime minister did not want to be seen as turning down U.S. requests, but felt Israel was not likely to have to make painful concessions because he expected the Palestinians would fail to carry out their obligations under the plan.
...
Sharon has said previously that he envisions a Palestinian state in about half the West Bank, with no Palestinian foothold in Jerusalem."
Sunday, September 07, 2003
Sharon Takes Hard Line on Settlements | May 13, 7:08 AM (ET) By MARK LAVIE Excite News
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon staked out tough positions on Jewish settlements, suggesting in remarks published Tuesday that he will try to hold on to much of the West Bank's heartland.
Sharon spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell failed to win Israel's acceptance of a new Mideast peace plan, and days before the Israeli leader was to meet his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the first summit in nearly three years.
Sharon told The Jerusalem Post daily in an interview that Israel would hold on to some settlements in the heart of the West Bank, citing three by name - Beit El, Ariel and Emmanuel.
Israeli control over those areas would make it extremely difficult to establish a territorially contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, a goal of the U.S.-backed plan, the so-called 'road map' to Mideast peace. "
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon staked out tough positions on Jewish settlements, suggesting in remarks published Tuesday that he will try to hold on to much of the West Bank's heartland.
Sharon spoke after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell failed to win Israel's acceptance of a new Mideast peace plan, and days before the Israeli leader was to meet his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the first summit in nearly three years.
Sharon told The Jerusalem Post daily in an interview that Israel would hold on to some settlements in the heart of the West Bank, citing three by name - Beit El, Ariel and Emmanuel.
Israeli control over those areas would make it extremely difficult to establish a territorially contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, a goal of the U.S.-backed plan, the so-called 'road map' to Mideast peace. "
Peace Plan Prescribes Uprooting Settlers [... but do they remove any? Ed.]
Peace Plan Prescribes Uprooting Settlers Excite News May 7, 4:18 PM (ET) By JASON KEYSER
HAVAT GILAD, West Bank (AP) - This hilltop seized by Israeli settlers two years ago stood deserted for a few days after army bulldozers ripped up two trailer homes. But the squatters quickly returned - as they have to other West Bank outposts the army sought to dismantle.
...
Removing more than 60 such outposts is one of Israel's first tasks in the new U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan, the 'road map' to Palestinian statehood.
And its poor record so far underscores the mammoth difficulties ahead in dismantling the much larger settlements built over the past 35 years in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - some now full-fledged towns, with colleges, factories and high-rise apartment buildings.
Palestinian officials and Israeli peace activists say Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not serious about removing the outposts. On the contrary, they say, the government is quietly backing them as a way of getting around Israel's promise to the United States not to sanction new settlements.
In many cases the government appears to be helping, not confronting the squatters. Soldiers are assigned to guard them and settlers say they have government help in paving roads to some outposts.
...
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Israel's attempts to take down a few outposts were just for show.
'Removing a trailer here or there is intended for the media,' he said. "
Sharon has been a driving force in settlement expansion over the years. In 1998, as foreign minister, he urged settlers to seize hilltops, even after he participated in U.S.-led talks with the Palestinians on a land handover.
Peace Plan Prescribes Uprooting Settlers Excite News May 7, 4:18 PM (ET) By JASON KEYSER
HAVAT GILAD, West Bank (AP) - This hilltop seized by Israeli settlers two years ago stood deserted for a few days after army bulldozers ripped up two trailer homes. But the squatters quickly returned - as they have to other West Bank outposts the army sought to dismantle.
...
Removing more than 60 such outposts is one of Israel's first tasks in the new U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan, the 'road map' to Palestinian statehood.
And its poor record so far underscores the mammoth difficulties ahead in dismantling the much larger settlements built over the past 35 years in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - some now full-fledged towns, with colleges, factories and high-rise apartment buildings.
Palestinian officials and Israeli peace activists say Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not serious about removing the outposts. On the contrary, they say, the government is quietly backing them as a way of getting around Israel's promise to the United States not to sanction new settlements.
In many cases the government appears to be helping, not confronting the squatters. Soldiers are assigned to guard them and settlers say they have government help in paving roads to some outposts.
...
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Israel's attempts to take down a few outposts were just for show.
'Removing a trailer here or there is intended for the media,' he said. "
Sharon has been a driving force in settlement expansion over the years. In 1998, as foreign minister, he urged settlers to seize hilltops, even after he participated in U.S.-led talks with the Palestinians on a land handover.
Saturday, September 06, 2003
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | No independent Palestine, Sharon insists
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | No independent Palestine, Sharon insists | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem, Monday March 17, 2003
Bush says road map to peace will not be redrafted but Israel's defiant PM demands concessions
Israel is to press George Bush to eliminate all reference to an 'independent' Palestinian state from the US 'road map' to a political settlement, which he promised on Friday to release soon.
Ariel Sharon's government has drawn up a list of amendments it wants made. They include the replacement of independence by 'certain attributes of sovereignty'.
...
The Israelis say that the implementation of the road map will depend upon "the complete cessation of violence and terrorism, full disarmament of terrorist organisations, their capabilities and infrastructure, the complete collection of illegal weapons and the emergence of a new and different [Palestinian] leadership".
They are also opposed to the automatic presumption that the map will culminate in a Palestinian state, saying that independence should come only by agreement, which would in effect give them a veto.
In addition, Mr Sharon does not want to have to abide by international law and remove illegal Jewish settlements.
His team has proposed that the settlements should be allowed to go on expanding until there is "a continuous and comprehensive security calm". Even then the government wants "natural growth" to be allowed."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | No independent Palestine, Sharon insists | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem, Monday March 17, 2003
Bush says road map to peace will not be redrafted but Israel's defiant PM demands concessions
Israel is to press George Bush to eliminate all reference to an 'independent' Palestinian state from the US 'road map' to a political settlement, which he promised on Friday to release soon.
Ariel Sharon's government has drawn up a list of amendments it wants made. They include the replacement of independence by 'certain attributes of sovereignty'.
...
The Israelis say that the implementation of the road map will depend upon "the complete cessation of violence and terrorism, full disarmament of terrorist organisations, their capabilities and infrastructure, the complete collection of illegal weapons and the emergence of a new and different [Palestinian] leadership".
They are also opposed to the automatic presumption that the map will culminate in a Palestinian state, saying that independence should come only by agreement, which would in effect give them a veto.
In addition, Mr Sharon does not want to have to abide by international law and remove illegal Jewish settlements.
His team has proposed that the settlements should be allowed to go on expanding until there is "a continuous and comprehensive security calm". Even then the government wants "natural growth" to be allowed."
Israel seeks more than 100 changes to the `road map'
Israel seeks more than 100 changes to the `road map' By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article
There are more than 100 Israeli corrections to the latest version of the international road map to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that the American administration gave the sides on December 20, 2002.
...
Sovereignty. ... The Israeli document details Sharon's limits: Palestine would be totally demilitarized; it would only be allowed to maintain a police force and domestic security forces, armed with light weapons; Israel will control all the entrances and exits and the air space above the state; Palestinian would be absolutely forbidden to form alliances with enemies of Israel.
...
Timing. The road map is vague on the issue of the order of activity. Sharon wants to make clear that at first, all the demands are on the Palestinian side, beginning with a cease-fire, leadership change, and comprehensive reforms, followed by Israel's steps. "
Israel seeks more than 100 changes to the `road map' By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz - Article
There are more than 100 Israeli corrections to the latest version of the international road map to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that the American administration gave the sides on December 20, 2002.
...
Sovereignty. ... The Israeli document details Sharon's limits: Palestine would be totally demilitarized; it would only be allowed to maintain a police force and domestic security forces, armed with light weapons; Israel will control all the entrances and exits and the air space above the state; Palestinian would be absolutely forbidden to form alliances with enemies of Israel.
...
Timing. The road map is vague on the issue of the order of activity. Sharon wants to make clear that at first, all the demands are on the Palestinian side, beginning with a cease-fire, leadership change, and comprehensive reforms, followed by Israel's steps. "
Either George Bush is being deliberately duplicitous on the Palestinian question or he is very badly informed
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Misleading or misled? | Simon Tisdall | Wednesday March 5, 2003
In a speech on Iraq's future in Washington last week, the US president claimed Saddam Hussein's downfall could be the start of 'a new stage for Middle East peace'."
...
To cap it all, Bush's speech last week made no mention of Israel's UN-dictated obligations to withdraw. Far from it. Instead Bush indicated that the US has relaxed its objections to the continuing expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Speaking the very next day, Sharon made it clear what that meant. It meant not only the "natural growth" of existing settlements. It also now meant their active development.
Yet amid this great oppression and injustice, it is not Israel but the Palestinian Authority, condemned by Sharon and the US for failing to curb violence, ostracised by Bush, and still handicapped by last summer's systematic Israeli destruction of its infrastructure and administrative centres, that is expected to change its ways as a prior condition for any new negotiations."
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Misleading or misled? | Simon Tisdall | Wednesday March 5, 2003
In a speech on Iraq's future in Washington last week, the US president claimed Saddam Hussein's downfall could be the start of 'a new stage for Middle East peace'."
...
To cap it all, Bush's speech last week made no mention of Israel's UN-dictated obligations to withdraw. Far from it. Instead Bush indicated that the US has relaxed its objections to the continuing expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
Speaking the very next day, Sharon made it clear what that meant. It meant not only the "natural growth" of existing settlements. It also now meant their active development.
Yet amid this great oppression and injustice, it is not Israel but the Palestinian Authority, condemned by Sharon and the US for failing to curb violence, ostracised by Bush, and still handicapped by last summer's systematic Israeli destruction of its infrastructure and administrative centres, that is expected to change its ways as a prior condition for any new negotiations."
Sharon derides EU peace efforts
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Sharon derides EU peace efforts | Israeli leader says only the US view is relevant | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Monday January 20, 2003
Ariel Sharon yesterday dismissed European peace efforts as anti-Israeli and said only the US matters in deciding the fate of the Palestinians.
The prime minister's comments followed an interview with Newsweek magazine released yesterday in which he was asked about the efforts of the Quartet - the US, UN, EU and Russia - to map out a road to peace. 'Oh, the quartet is nothing! Don't take it seriously! There is [another] plan that will work,' he said.
...
He laid out conditions - "an end to terror and violence", dismantling "terrorist" groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and "complete cessation of incitement" - that he said the Americans had agreed were to be met before further steps could be taken towards the creation of a Palestinian state.
But the latest road map produced by the US does not require conditionality. Instead, Israel and the Palestinians would move in parallel, each implementing reforms.
...
The opposition Labour party leader, Amram Mitzna, said Mr Sharon's comments revealed that he is not really interested in peace.
"Ariel Sharon is not ready to withdraw settlements, to separate from the Palestinians or to give up the illusion of Greater Israel," he said.
The Palestinian information minister, Yassir Abd Rabbo, said Mr Sharon's comments put the onus on the Americans to prove the Israelis wrong.
"The Americans cannot prove they are serious about a Palestinian state as long as they protect Sharon," he said."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Sharon derides EU peace efforts | Israeli leader says only the US view is relevant | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Monday January 20, 2003
Ariel Sharon yesterday dismissed European peace efforts as anti-Israeli and said only the US matters in deciding the fate of the Palestinians.
The prime minister's comments followed an interview with Newsweek magazine released yesterday in which he was asked about the efforts of the Quartet - the US, UN, EU and Russia - to map out a road to peace. 'Oh, the quartet is nothing! Don't take it seriously! There is [another] plan that will work,' he said.
...
He laid out conditions - "an end to terror and violence", dismantling "terrorist" groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and "complete cessation of incitement" - that he said the Americans had agreed were to be met before further steps could be taken towards the creation of a Palestinian state.
But the latest road map produced by the US does not require conditionality. Instead, Israel and the Palestinians would move in parallel, each implementing reforms.
...
The opposition Labour party leader, Amram Mitzna, said Mr Sharon's comments revealed that he is not really interested in peace.
"Ariel Sharon is not ready to withdraw settlements, to separate from the Palestinians or to give up the illusion of Greater Israel," he said.
The Palestinian information minister, Yassir Abd Rabbo, said Mr Sharon's comments put the onus on the Americans to prove the Israelis wrong.
"The Americans cannot prove they are serious about a Palestinian state as long as they protect Sharon," he said."
At last, a fresh idea
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Jonathan Freedland: At last, a fresh idea | Jonathan Freedland | Wednesday January 15, 2003
The Middle East conflict has become a byword for paralysis. But a new plan offers both sides a way forward
For a conflict that has become a byword for stalemate and paralysis has just been graced with that rarest of commodities: a new idea. Debated in policy circles in Washington and London, this new plan is said to be gaining currency on the Israeli centre-left as well as winning a warm hearing in Palestinian leadership circles.
...
The plan, in short, is for Israel to hand over the West Bank and Gaza not to Yasser Arafat but to a temporary, international protectorate.
...
What chance this could fly in the real world? Palestinians have long called for third party intervention; trusteeship appeals to them as a preferable alternative to Israeli occupation. Israeli public opinion may well warm to it. What's harder to imagine is Israel's current Likud leadership embracing it. That might be conceivable if Sharon came under the double pressure of a new consensus at home demanding an end to the drain of life and resources that occupation entails and a new line from Washington, insisting on Israeli action.
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Jonathan Freedland: At last, a fresh idea | Jonathan Freedland | Wednesday January 15, 2003
The Middle East conflict has become a byword for paralysis. But a new plan offers both sides a way forward
For a conflict that has become a byword for stalemate and paralysis has just been graced with that rarest of commodities: a new idea. Debated in policy circles in Washington and London, this new plan is said to be gaining currency on the Israeli centre-left as well as winning a warm hearing in Palestinian leadership circles.
...
The plan, in short, is for Israel to hand over the West Bank and Gaza not to Yasser Arafat but to a temporary, international protectorate.
...
What chance this could fly in the real world? Palestinians have long called for third party intervention; trusteeship appeals to them as a preferable alternative to Israeli occupation. Israeli public opinion may well warm to it. What's harder to imagine is Israel's current Likud leadership embracing it. That might be conceivable if Sharon came under the double pressure of a new consensus at home demanding an end to the drain of life and resources that occupation entails and a new line from Washington, insisting on Israeli action.
Most of the settlements will be evacuated
Ya'alon: Most of the settlements will have to be removed | By Nathan Guttman | Ha'aretz - Article Monday, December 02, 2002
WASHINGTON - Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon has told a closed session of a Washington-based Middle East research institute that both the Israelis and Palestinians know that 'at the end of the day, most of the settlements will be evacuated.'
Speaking off the record to the institute's membership, Ya'alon said Hamas had agreed to far-reaching concessions during secret negotiations ... an effort to reach a hudna, a three-month cease-fire. The chief of staff said Hamas agreed to the cease-fire, but the Damascus-based leadership of the Islamic fundamentalist organization nixed it. "
Ya'alon: Most of the settlements will have to be removed | By Nathan Guttman | Ha'aretz - Article Monday, December 02, 2002
WASHINGTON - Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon has told a closed session of a Washington-based Middle East research institute that both the Israelis and Palestinians know that 'at the end of the day, most of the settlements will be evacuated.'
Speaking off the record to the institute's membership, Ya'alon said Hamas had agreed to far-reaching concessions during secret negotiations ... an effort to reach a hudna, a three-month cease-fire. The chief of staff said Hamas agreed to the cease-fire, but the Damascus-based leadership of the Islamic fundamentalist organization nixed it. "
The Bush administration and other governments criticize 'targeted killing'
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
John Jones
Saturday July 27, 2002
The Guardian
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
John Jones
Saturday July 27, 2002
The Guardian
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
The Bush administration and other governments criticize 'targeted killing'
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
John Jones
Saturday July 27, 2002
The Guardian
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
John Jones
Saturday July 27, 2002
The Guardian
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
The Bush administration and other governments criticize 'targeted killing'
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza By John Jones, Saturday July 27, 2002
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
...
The position of the international community on extra-judicial killings was summarised by Sir Crispin Tickell, the UK's former permanent representative to the United Nations, in relation to the assassination by Israelis of Abu Jihad: "it is a betrayal of the natural expectation of the international community that governments will uphold the rule of law."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | John Jones: Toothless in Gaza By John Jones, Saturday July 27, 2002
Was Israel's assassination of Salah Shehada a war crime and, if so, can any court try it?
Israel's 'targeted killing' of the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza this week unleashed a storm of protest, for the missile fired into a densely packed residential block at midnight killed not only Salah Shehada but also 15 other people, including nine children, and injured some 150 others. The result could hardly have been unexpected.
The Bush administration and other governments have criticised the attack for the effect it would have on the tottering 'peace process'. Far from being the 'major success' that the Israelis claim, many argued, Israel may be sowing dragon's teeth for a future harvest of suicide bombers."
...
The position of the international community on extra-judicial killings was summarised by Sir Crispin Tickell, the UK's former permanent representative to the United Nations, in relation to the assassination by Israelis of Abu Jihad: "it is a betrayal of the natural expectation of the international community that governments will uphold the rule of law."
[Bush's speech] marks an almost total victory for Israel and its staunchest supporters in his administration
"Must Arafat go?, Jun 26th 2002, From The Economist Global Agenda
Israeli officials are jubilant, and Palestinians dismayed, after a long-awaited speech by President George Bush on the Middle East. Mr Bush held out the prospect of American support for a Palestinian state, but only under a new leader. Like Israel, America, it seems, has had enough of Yasser Arafat
YASSER ARAFAT�S name never crossed Mr Bush's lips during his speech in the White House Rose Garden. But there was no mistaking his meaning. Peace, he said requires "a different Palestinian leadership". He then called on Palestinians to "elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror." Only then would there be a way to achieve his "vision": "two states, living side by side in peace and security". In the policy battle that accompanied the drafting of this speech, this marks an almost total victory for Israel and its staunchest supporters in his administration.
Mr Bush did make demands of Israel, too: for a halt to the new building of settlements in the occupied territories, and for an eventual withdrawal from territory occupied since the present intifada, or uprising, began in September 2000. But Israeli government spokesmen were insistent that the first steps now had to come from the Palestinians, by putting an end to terrorist attacks and choosing new leaders. Only when the Palestinian Authority (PA) "undergoes genuine reforms and a new leadership takes its place at its head," said Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, will it be possible "to discuss ways of moving forward by diplomatic means."
"Must Arafat go?, Jun 26th 2002, From The Economist Global Agenda
Israeli officials are jubilant, and Palestinians dismayed, after a long-awaited speech by President George Bush on the Middle East. Mr Bush held out the prospect of American support for a Palestinian state, but only under a new leader. Like Israel, America, it seems, has had enough of Yasser Arafat
YASSER ARAFAT�S name never crossed Mr Bush's lips during his speech in the White House Rose Garden. But there was no mistaking his meaning. Peace, he said requires "a different Palestinian leadership". He then called on Palestinians to "elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror." Only then would there be a way to achieve his "vision": "two states, living side by side in peace and security". In the policy battle that accompanied the drafting of this speech, this marks an almost total victory for Israel and its staunchest supporters in his administration.
Mr Bush did make demands of Israel, too: for a halt to the new building of settlements in the occupied territories, and for an eventual withdrawal from territory occupied since the present intifada, or uprising, began in September 2000. But Israeli government spokesmen were insistent that the first steps now had to come from the Palestinians, by putting an end to terrorist attacks and choosing new leaders. Only when the Palestinian Authority (PA) "undergoes genuine reforms and a new leadership takes its place at its head," said Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, will it be possible "to discuss ways of moving forward by diplomatic means."
