'Sharon's Pullout Theatre is a Ploy’

[SR-25]

Evacuation of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, upon a unilateral initiative made by the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, is taken with concern and suspicion in the Middle East.

Political pundits speaking to Zaman assess that Sharon’s pullout from Gaza was to smokescreen the international public opinion for another ten years. Mohammed M. Sobeih, the Palestinian permanent representative to the Arab League (AL), said Sharon is implementing his own agenda in Gaza without complying with any international agreements. Sobeih noting they are still pleased with the Gaza evacuation despite everything, says Sharon should make the same inititiative for the West Bank as he did for Gaza to show the entire world that he is a genuine man of peace.

Dr. Hassan Abu Taleb from the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo said pullout from Gaza was definitely to gain more time and that Sharon’s plan is not a step towards peace.

Professor of Political Science Mohammed al-Sayed Selim both at the Cairo University and the Kuwait University, notes the picture Sharon drew while withdrawing from Gaza will be an excuse for him to use from now on. “Sharon will say, as he sits on his table, the entire world saw how difficult it was to pullout from Gaza and he will continue his smokescreen tactics with the comfort that no power currently exists to keep him under pressure,” Selim said.


According to the Palestinian Ambassador Sobeih, not only Sharon’s policies but also the Jewish settlers of which are mostly fanatic youth will pose a threat. Sobeih reminding such fanatics did not hesitate to kill a prime minister like Isaac Rabin in the past, emphasized the settlers and the settlements were the biggest obstacles before peace and universal law. Ambassador Sobeih continued, “Israel withdrew from the Jewish settlement Yamit on the Sinai Peninsula, which Sharon first declared it would not withdraw. In the same way, it withdrew from Gaza. Now Sharon is settling in the West Bank settlement of Netzarim, which is as valuable as Tel Aviv. But, Israel will leave there as well because we do not accept any other solution.”

Stressing Gaza has been deprived of its entire infrastructure and agricultural lands and that unemployment is at high levels, Sobeih highlights that despite all that Israel was trying to turn Gaza into an open prison. He also indicated the main goal of Sharon, who has rejected Turkey’s proposal to reconstruct the Gaza Airport, is to constantly create obstacles for the construction of an independent Palestine.

Ambassador Sobeih said territories of an independent Palestinian state, which Sharon tries to prevent, could only be connected to each other through underground tunnels under current political circumstances. He expressed Israel has attempted to take even these tunnels under its control. Pointing out that the Palestinian state declared its independency in 1999 and that it has been recognized by 96 countries so far, Sobeih said their state would not only live on paper but in reality as well, from now on.

According to a Road Map supported by Europe and previously by the US, the Palestinian State was planned to be established the latest by the end of 2005. The US; however, says the “state” can be established before 2009.



Israel Dwells in the West Bank, in Response to Withdrawal from Gaza

Professor Selim, who is one of the instructors in Kuwait’s and Cairo Universities Political-Economic Sciences Faculties, noted that Sharon will want to establish colonies in the West Bank throughout the upcoming ten years and stiffen Israel’s presence there. He accepts this as the price of withdrawal from Gaza. Selim emphasizes that, even if the withdrawal alone is an important development, this is a one sided step of Sharon and it has some risks for the future. According to Selim, Israel’s reserving its rights to make operations in Gaza whenever it wants and its not promising of any other withdrawals in the future is preventing stable peace in the region. Selim noted that Sharon, who does not obey the roadmap, tries to legalize Israel’s colonization process in Palestine. Selim also said that Israel announced it would not give more that 42 percent of Gaza and the West Bank to Palestinians, which is less than 10 percent of the total Palestinian land occupied by Israel.

Selim, who defended that there appears to be a secret agreement between the Israeli residents and the Israeli Government, said that about 4000 residents leaked into Gaza during the withdrawal in order to protest the government’s policies and claims: “If Sharon sits on the same table with Palestinians he will show the difficulties he experienced while evacuating Gaza and will use this as an excuse for not evacuating the West Bank.”

Israel’s Dangerous Plans

Professor Selim defends that Israel has very dangerous plans and added: “Sharon will turn Al Halil, Ramallah, Eriha and other Palestinian cities into cantons and will unite them with tunnels. On the other side, he develops some projects in order to unite the West Bank and some important parts of Eastern Jerusalem with Israel. The wall, which is a part of the so-called solutions of Sharon, continues to be constructed in the dept of the West Bank. As all these developments are experienced no one can show an optimistic view for peace in Palestine.” Selim also defends that the colonization in the West Bank will start the third intifada in Palestine.

Selim tells the most important factors preventing an independent Palestine state as: Israel being too powerful compared to Palestine, the lack of pressure towards Israel, the big problems in the Middle East and the super power US’s struggle against terror at the moment. Selim said: “We are face to face with a Judeo-Christian alliance which dream of a united great Israel. According to this alliance United Israel should be the biggest power in the Middle East.”



Israel Surrounds Palestine by Withdrawing from Gaza


Dr. Abu Taleb from Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies says the Gaza withdrawal is not a step that was taken for the benefit of Palestinians but it is completely for the benefit of Israel. Abu Taleb, who reckons that Sharon can no longer meet the political, military and economic costs of the burden Israel faces by remaining in Gaza says: “Israel was faced with two alternatives in Gaza. First, if it had stayed there, it would have to consume a great deal of energy to maintain the control of 1.5 million Palestinians against 8.500 Jews, but it was too difficult to control this population any longer. The second alternative is something easier; to surround by withdrawing. In this way, Israel will take less risks and it will make its borders safer. And, Israel chose the second alternative, despite the fact that the withdrawal is against its ideology of the Promised Land.”


Abu Taleb stresses that Sharon, who evacuated Gaza, will reorganize its military entity over the occupied territories. According to Abu Taleb, any step that Israel takes in the occupied West Bank or East Jerusalem will dynamite a peace process. Israel takes a step, which is not reflected to the world agenda a great deal, while it announces that it will build new settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Abu Taleb says Israel wants to set up new settlements in the Negev Desert of Israel adding that this will force the peaceful people of the region, the Arabic Bedouin tribes to come face to face with the settlers. During the withdrawal process, Sharon‘s administration did not consult with the Palestinians, they only made some talks regarding the post-withdrawal period. , ”This is an open evidence that Israel just tries to impose its own agenda,” said Abu Taleb.


Indicating that the most important step taken after the Gaza withdrawal is Israel’s returning back to table, Abu Taleb remarks that the steps to be taken by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, will be of utmost importance for peace settlement.


Now, Hamas is the strongest group in Gaza. This is considered as the most significant possible clash among the Palestinians. The third most important step to be taken after the withdrawal is the region’s economic development. Western countries and other countries in the region that are related to Palestine convened in London last month and promised they would give important financial aids to the Palestinian administration. Abu Taleb stresses that these promises should be fulfilled immediately.


Abu Taleb acknowledges that the success Palestinians will achieve in the field of economy will perhaps be the biggest award of the peace. Abu Taleb thinks that there are many big problems before establishing an independent Palestinian state. The biggest problem is the fact that the Palestinian Authority does not have power to maintain complete authority in the region. Indicating that they do not have any other choices other than establishing dialogue, Abu Taleb says: “It is true that there are big problems among them; however, they do not have any other choices other than reaching an agreement. Or, they will clash among themselves.”


Disclosing that Egypt plays a crucial role in Palestine, Abu Taleb informs that Egyptian high-ranking officials always realize a shuttle diplomacy among Egypt, Israel, and Palestine.




Cairo

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=internation...50828&hn=23400