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"Unilateral separation" one way or another
January 15, 2001
IF THE PALESTINIANS DON'T DECLARE STATEHOOD SOON,
THE ISRAELIS MAY DO IT FOR THEM!
"The separation plan would go into effect...in
the event of one of the following three scenarios:
as a response to a unilateral declaration of
statehood on the part of the Palestinians; under
a severe security threat; or as part of an
agreement with the Palestinian Authority."
In other words, no matter what, the Palestinians are going to get "unilateral
separation" -- whether they agree or not.
As the above quote suggests, whether the Palestinians like it or not, they
may well now get "Palestinian Statehood" -- as defined by Israel and the U.S.
that is -- rammed down their throats.
And the irony is, or is the better word tragedy, that history may record that
it is none other than Ariel Sharon who delivers this disfigured and grotesque
"Palestinian Statehood" to the gullible world -- using the very concept of their
aspirations to further entrap the Palestinian people in a kind of reconstituted
Zionist/Hashemite sandwich.
For the "Statehood" the Israelis have had in mind for a very long time now,
and for which they have used "Oslo" and Arafat as foreplay along the way, is
really the old Begin-Sharon "autonomy plan" that was first put forward two decades
ago soon after the original Camp David and the Israeli-Egyptian treaty they brought
about.
If the current "peace process" continues in one form or another, history may
record that the whole decade of the '90s, the whole time of the Clinton Presidency
and all those "invitations" to Arafat to visit the White House, was but time
for the Israelis to prepare their "Apartheid Peace", their "unilateral separation",
their placement of the Palestinians on surrounded and controlled reservations.
And to disguise their true designs, to make it all palatable to world public
opinion, they will call it "Palestinian Statehood" -- torturing and killing the
very term itself much as they have the Palestinian people.
For the logic of today's grave situation is that the Israelis are trying to use
the Palestinians own leaders and their own quest for independence to impose on
them Apartheid realities. In fact, they have already taken considerable steps
to do just that.
The real goal of the intense "negotiations" of recent times has been to get
Yasser Arafat to historically legitimize what has been done by signing another
historic agreement on the White House lawn. And now, having failed to achieve
that vital symbolism, the Israelis are looking for a way to do the same thing
unilaterally. After all, even Ariel Sharon some years ago now publicly declared
himself in favor of such "Palestinian Statehood" -- of this kind of retarded,
disfigured, and forever controlled Palestinian entity that is.
This is the logic and momemtum of what the Americans and Israelis love to
call the "Peace Process". This is the true legacy of the Clinton years -- of
the President most beholden to and most controlled and manipulated by the Israelis
in American history.
NO 'IRREVERSIBLE STEPS' INCLUDED IN BARAK'S UNILATERAL SEPARATION PLAN
By Aluf Benn
Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent
[Ha'aretz - 15 January]:
According to a unilateral separation plan prepared under the guidance of
Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Israel will set up a line of defense around the
settlement blocs in the West Bank that are intended for annexation to Israel
under a permanent peace agreement. Israel will also keep control of isolated
settlements as well as a wide security zone in the Jordan Valley, as
bargaining chips, until a peace agreement is achieved.
Barak determined that the separation plan would go into effect only in the
event of one of the following three scenarios: as a response to a unilateral
declaration of statehood on the part of the Palestinians; under a severe
security threat; or as part of an agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
Barak has also decided to refrain from irreversible steps in the field so as
not to prejudice the chances of achieving an agreement in the future. The
recent actions of the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank, such as the
moving of the Green Line barriers eastward and the cutting off of
Palestinians villages from the trans-Samaria road, were taken to protect the
settlements and not as part of a decision to implement a separation.
According to a senior diplomatic source, the security measures "are not
alienated from the general considerations of the Camp David understandings,
but they are not meant to show that Israel is following any line other than
an attempt to reach an agreement."
The objective of the plan is to preserve the Jewish identity of Israel by
means of a demographic separation from the Palestinians. The formulators of
the plan propose focusing on Israel's vital interests and refraining from
unnecessarily expanding the settlement blocs.
In presenting the plan to the political-security cabinet a few weeks ago,
the ministers were told that "the more violent and critical the scenario is,
the less flexible Israel will be on the various parameters. The security
zone in the Jordan Valley will be wider and the settlement blocs more
complete."
There is no agreed-upon map for the separation, the diplomatic source said,
and in talks with the Palestinians, Israel made sure to present various
alternatives. The IDF prefers to strengthen its security hold and expand the
"narrow waist" of Israel in western Samaria, while other organizations have
suggested leaving more settlements under Israeli control.
The settlement blocs included in the separation plan are around Jerusalem
(Ma'aleh Adumim, the Etzion Bloc and Givat Ze'ev), the Ariel-Karnei Shomron
bloc, the Kiryat Sefer bloc adjacent to Modi'in and settlements along the
Green Line such as Alfei Menasheh, Har Adar, Beit Horon and others.
In order to avoid irreversible actions, the plan proposes not to erect
electronic fenses around the settlement blocs, but rather to protect them by
means of mobile military forces and obstacles such as concrete blocks and
ditches, which provide a line a defense but can be removed in the event of
an agreement. "There is no point in investing billions for nothing," the
source said.
The separation plan also includes a detailed legal and administrative
infrastructure for joining the settlement blocs to Israel, as preparation
for a possible annexation in the future. The plan determines how
infrastructure currently shared by the settlements and the PA will be
redeployed; how the settlements will be made part of various municipal
authorities; and which schools the children will attend. Har Adar, for
example, will become part of a regional council made up of towns close to
the Green Line, while settlements near Kiryat Sefer will be joined to the
towns of the Modi'in region.
The plan also deals with the paving of "separation roads" that do not pass
through Palestinian villages. The old roads, which Israelis no longer use
and are no longer patroled by the IDF, are gradually being transferred to
Palestinian control, even without an agreement.
Israel is aiming to annex as few Palestinians as possible, but in the event
of a crisis, will have to deal with Palestinian villages that remain within
the settlement blocs. Villages in the Etzion Bloc, for example, will be able
to maintain their link with the municipal areas of Bethlehem and Beit Jala
even after the separation.
The plan was originally formulated as the foundation for a permanent
settlement with the Palestinians, based on a political, demographic and
economic separation. After the failure of the Camp David summit, however,
Barak ordered to prepare also for a unilateral separation in response to a
possible Palestinian declaration of independence. The underlying instruction
was that the conflict would be solved only through diplomatic means and
therefore, the plan should not block the path to the negotiating table in
the future.
According to the diplomatic source, the Barak government has not formulated
a plan to evacuate isolated settlements in the framework of a unilateral
separation or an agreement with the Palestinians. "There is no list of
settlements intended for evacuation," the source said, adding that various
models regarding the future of the settlements had been discussed. "No one
dealt with a plan for physical evacuation and no one will take a chance on
dealing with it. We dealt only with blocs that will be annexed to Israel.
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January 2001
Leila Khalid - refugee from Haifa, fighter for Palestine (January 31, 2001) When Palestinian liberation fighter Leila Khaled
hijacked her first plane in 1969, she became
the international pin-up of armed struggle.
Then she underwent cosmetic surgery so she could
do it again. Thirty years on, she talks to
Katharine Viner about being a woman at war.
The end of Israel? (January 30, 2001) At a time with rampant current events breaking daily, often hourly,
there is much need to remember the importance of sometimes taking time
for reflection, of sometimes stepping back to contemplate both the past
and the future.
Sharon - the REAL legacy of Clinton and Barak (January 30, 2001) As the Barak era fades from view -- more short-lived than anyone predicted
just a long year and a half ago -- his epitaph is already being written
and Ariel Sharon's government and policies are already being debated.
Looming civil war in Palestine (January 29, 2001) Fears are growing in the international
community that Yasser Arafat's
Palestinian Authority (PA) is heading
for collapse.
Arafat blasts, Peres maneuvers, Barak sinks (January 29, 2001) For all practical purposes Ehud Barak is gone and Yasser Arafat is now
desperately trying to save his own skin.
Barak's 3 no's, and Bush's 7 minute call (January 28, 2001) The Americans leaked it, a 7-minute Saturday call from the new U.S.
Pres to the sinking Israeli PM -- leaked its brevity that is.
The Bomb and Iraq (January 28, 2001) As war clouds gather in the Middle East public opinion is being prepared
for a possible regional war that could likely include a combined Western/Israeli
effort to take out the weapons of mass destruction in Syria, Iraq and Iran.
The "nuts" in the next room (January 27, 2001) In recent years Israel's most important and serious newspaper, Ha'aretz, has
taken to not only reporting Palestinian affairs much more deeply but to interviewing
major Palestinian personalities abroad.
Get ready for Prime Minister Sharon (January 27, 2001) The new Ma'ariv-Gallop poll
questioned a particularly large sample of 1,100 people, putting special emphasis
on the Arab population and new immigrants.
Panic in the Barak camp (January 27, 2001) All the tricks and lies of the Israeli Labor Party have now come back to haunt
it. Barak, never a politician, bears the brunt of popular blame for all the
political deceptions and tricks that have for so long accumulated.
War alert in Europe and Middle East (January 27, 2001) We've noted the "war fever" growing in the region for some months now. There's considerable anxiety about who may now strike first.
Israeli and Jewish soul-searching (January 26, 2001) The Intifada, coupled with Israeli brutality and recognition that the term
"Apartheid Peace" is in fact applicable after all, are having an effect on at
least some Israelis and some Jews; even while Ariel Sharon marches to the Prime
Minister's office in Jerusalem (and maybe because of this).
"Disastrous" American intervention (January 26, 2001) ou've got to wonder about these Palestinian "negotiators". What others saw
decades ago those who have been most involved are apparently beginning to see
only now.
Sharon marches on, Barak stumbles on (January 25, 2001) The 554,000 Arabs eligible to vote represent 12.3
percent of the electorate. The Arab turnout in 1999
was 76%, and 95% voted for Barak.
An alliance of the outcasts? Iran, Iraq and Syria (January 24, 2001) So the Israelis are going to elect war-criminal tough-guy General Ariel Sharon
to be Prime Minister. This after the most top-heavy military-intelligence government
in peacetime history for Israel -- that of General Ehud Barak.
General Powell says no to sanctions on behalf of Corporate America (January 23, 2001) Hamas has struck again and the "negotiations" are "suspended"
again.
Two Israelis were assassinated by masked men while eating at a restaurant
in Tulkarm. Though this time it was Israelis who were killed it was another
warning to Yasser Arafat. Last week similarly masked men in Gaza killed
a
close Arafat friend, the head of Palestinian TV in Gaza, just as it was rumored
Arafat was about to sign some kind of new deal with the Israelis.
EyeWitness Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa (January 23, 2001) The depressing element of this entire struggle
is that the Arafat regime survives and...will
be the one to ultimately determine the fate
of the Palestinian people.
War Fever - Israel and Syria (January 23, 2001) Tensions continue to grow in the Middle East region, armies continue to prepare,
public opinion continues to be manipulated. Though Ehud Barak too is a militarist
-- a former commando, General, and Chief of Staff of the Army -- Ariel Sharon
brings with him historical baggage and war-criminal image which could easily
contribute to a clash of armies sooner rather than later, even if not fully intended
by either side.
EyeWitness Gaza (January 22, 2001) A year or so ago, I visited the Mouwasi area in Gaza. It was a green paradise,
on top, and in the midst, of white sand dunes. I particularly remember this Guava
grove, where the guavas hanging from the trees were the
size of large oranges; I hadn't seen anything like that ever before.
Reaping what they have sown (January 22, 2001) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak abruptly cut short
a radio interview on Sunday after being asked about
his poor showing in opinion polls, prompting speculation
he was buckling under pressure of a February 6 election.
Israel's president departs (January 21, 2001) There has never been, and there probably
never will be, a president who had such
fantastic relations with the State of
Israel. It's unbelievable.
Ross officially join Israeli lobby (January 19, 2001) During the Lebanon War of 1982 -- some think of it as Sharon's war -- the
Israelis and their American Jewish friends felt they had a difficult time when
it came to public relations. And when the American Marines pulled out, symbolizing
the failure of the Israelis to force Lebanon into the American-Israeli orbit
and out of the Syrian-Arab one, the Israelis realized that they had much power
in Washington on Capitol Hill, but not enough power with the media, intellectuals,
and think-tanks.
War preparations in Israel (January 19, 2001) It's always called "The Peace Process" but more behind-the-scenes the whole Middle
East region continues to be an arms bazaar with more weapons being sold to the
countries in the area than ever before, most by American arms merchants and allies.
Palestinian TV Head killed (January 17, 2001) It may have been a warning to Arafat not to dare sign any new agreements, as
has been rumored in the past few days he was planning to do tomorrow in fact.
It may have been another Israeli assassination - though usually they don't
take such risks and use such methods, strongly preferring instead to use high-technology
and long-distance means.
Iraq, Saddam and the Gulf War (January 17, 2001) It was 10 years ago yesterday that the U.S. unleashed the power of the Empire
against the country of Iraq after created the regional conditions that lead to
the Iraq-Iran and then the Iraq-Kuwait-Saudi wars. In that period of time somewhere
in the number of 1.5 million Iraqis have been killed, the history of the Middle
East altered, the future of the region more uncertain and dangerous than ever.
Last night in Gaza ghetto (January 16, 2001) It's quite a game of international political brinkmanship. At the same time
that Yasser Arafat is being tremendously pressured, and quite possibly further
tricked, to sign some kind of "framework agreement" with Clinton and Barak before
it is too late -- his regime is also being threatened with extinction both from
within and without.
Generals Sharon and Barak as politicians (January 16, 2001) With Jan 20 (Clinton leaves office) and Feb 6 (Barak likely to be defeated by
Sharon) fast approaching, desperation and near panic are evident in the traditional
power centers, including various Arab capitals.
"Unilateral separation" one way or another (January 15, 2001) The separation plan would go into effect...in
the event of one of the following three scenarios:
as a response to a unilateral declaration of
statehood on the part of the Palestinians; under
a severe security threat; or as part of an
agreement with the Palestinian Authority
Up in arms against Apartheid (January 13, 2001) At the end of the second millennium, three million Palestinians are imprisoned
in ghettoes by the very man whom the Palestinian leadership hailed as the saviour
of peace. Netanyahu had driven the peace ship off course. Barak scuttled it.
Locking in Oslo (January 12, 2001) The Americans and the Israelis continue to try to twist the screws. Their
minimum goal now is to "lock in" the "Oslo Peace Process" approach to the conflict.
It may be an "Apartheid Peace", and it may have resulted in considerable bloodshed,
but even so it is leading to a form of "Palestinian Statehood" and "separation"
that the Israelis strongly desire as the best alternative for themselves.
Sharon charges on (January 12, 2001) he long-serving (now recalled to Cairo) Egyptian Ambassador to Israel was quoted
saying last week that if an Israeli-Palestinian agreement isn't reached in the
next two weeks there won't be an agreement for the next two decades.
"Sharon leads to peace" (January 11, 2001) The last time the Israeli "Arab vote" was pushed toward Shimon Peres for Prime
Minister -- back in 1996 -- there was much resistance. Then Peres was acting
Prime Minister after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Army had
just committed the Qana massacre in Southern Lebanon, and Peres was busy trying
to cover it up.
Grandfather Sharon (January 10, 2001) If the polls remain as disastrous as they now are for Ehud Barak, expect him
to be pushed out and Shimon Peres substituted. Barak has no chance; Peres has
some, especially with the "Arab vote".
The Dangerous weeks, months ahead (January 10, 2001) Guys like Commando-General-Prime Minster Ehud Barak don't go easily from the
scene. Barak's daring-do was lavishly praised just a few years ago; now it has
even the military types fretting. No telling just what Barak and friends might
try in the next few weeks.
Assissination, siege and war crimes (January 9, 2001) The Israeli government, both as a group and
as individuals, bears full responsibility for
the crimes that were committed. We will do
everything possible, including declaring
members of this government war criminals who
are eligible for trial by the world tribunal."
Palestinian Authority "Minister"
Soul-searching Israelis (January 9, 2001) The "liberals" among them, the most cosmopolitan and internationally-oriented
of the Israelis, are now getting extra nervous. Not only is Ariel Sharon coming
to power, not only is regional war possible, not only are the cold treaties with
Egypt and Jordan in jeopardy, but even Israel's future has come into question
Israel acts while Arafat talks (January 8, 2001) srael continues to take major steps designed to shrink, isolate and control
the Palestinian areas forever. The policy is termed "unilateral separation"
and it is linked to bringing about a so-called "Palestinian State" that serves
Israeli interests, making everything worse than ever for the Palestinian "natives".
Clinton's Israel speech (January 8, 2001) On his way out the Presidential door Bill Clinton went to New York City to speak
to his American Jewish supporters and further grease his way toward his future.
This is the Bill Clinton that turned the U.S. government over to the Israeli/Jewish
lobby in his years in office; of course pretending otherwise.
Specter of an "ugly future" (January 5, 2001) Lofty, humanitarian goals like 'peace
and democracy'? No, America's primary
interest in the Middle East is effective
control of the world's most important
energy reserves, Noam Chomsky tells
Ha'aretz
Prime Minister Sharon (January 5, 2001) Did President Hindenburg and the German intelligentsia feel this way in 1930s
when they saw that Adolf Hitler, and his brownshirt thugs, were about to be elected
to power?
Barak and Sharon (January 5, 2001) While the Labor "Doves" are busy running ads in Arab papers showing dismembered
corpses in Palestinian Refugee Camps -- with the caption "Sharon" -- the reality
is that Generals Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon are more two of a kind than anything
else.
Arab nations add their voices to the chorus of despair (January 4, 2001) All chance of a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians in the near
future is vanishing, destroyed by hardening opinions on both sides,
continuing violence, the precarious position of the political leaders
involved and disagreements over key issues.
Darling of American Jewry (January 4, 2001) Over the years, most of the strongest
advocates of Israel have usually been
people who are not Jewish....[I] look
forward to working with him...
Barak publicly warns of regional war (January 4, 2001) Amid veiled threats from the Israelis to start targeting even more senior Arafat
Regime persons, and even to bring the Arafat "Palestinian Authority" to an end,
Ehud Barak has also started publicly talking about the possibility of regional
war.
No deal for Arafat (January 3, 2001) In particular, the Palestinians are concerned that
the proposed settlement would create Palestinian
territorial islands separated from each other by
Israeli territory and therefore not viable as a nation.
They object to a proposed land swap that would allow
some Israeli settlers to remain on the West Bank in
exchange for land that the Palestinians claim is
desert and a toxic waste dump.
Arafat rushes to Washington (January 2, 2001) Clinton and the Israelis have set the stage for the last act of their multi-year
drama attempting to trap the Palestinians on controlled reservations and calling
it "an end to the conflict". But like a modern-day computer game the users can
interact and change the outcome to various scenarios.
Top Palestinian Leader in the Arafat Regime (January 2, 2001) The whole house of political quicksand built by Bill Clinton at the behest of the Israelis (and popularly known as the "Peace Process") is bubbling, steaming, and swallowing many of its key participants.
Arafat hangs up on threatening Clinton (January 1, 2001) The coming issue of TIME magazine reports that Arafat hung up the phone receiver
on Clinton a few days ago, turning to an aide and saying: "He's threatening me!
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