The dismantling of outposts episode is turning into a parody. For every "unauthorized outpost" ostensibly dismantled by the IDF, two others are constructed by settlers. Just like the former were mainly uninhabited, so are the latter. The game is one of appearances in an attempt to make a favorable impression on public opinion. The director-general of the Yesha Council of Jewish settlements, Adi Mintz, told Haaretz yesterday that the struggle he and his colleagues are waging "is an attempt to sear into the [public] consciousness what it means to evacuate Jews from their homes." To judge from public opinion polls, this attempt has failed miserably so far.
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As part of their effort, the settlers are keeping the justice system busy - both the civil administration courts and the High Court of Justice - with a flood of requests and petitions clearly aimed at embarrassing the army and playing for time. There is nothing inherently wrong in resorting to these legal channels, which are widely available to any citizen. But in this particular case, it seems as if the army and government are cooperating with those who seek to embarrass them. Is there a kind of wink here from the political echelon to the military, which is supposed to implement the decision to dismantle outposts? Because if this is not the case, it would be difficult to explain the IDF's helplessness in preventing the establishment of additional outposts every day.
If until the declaration of a cease-fire this week these games were mainly an embarrassment to the IDF and for the rule of law, now they are causing real damage to the state's interests and reputation. The atmosphere is already one of mutual distrust and suspicion. Israeli spokesmen, including senior ministers, are not making any effort to hide their doubts about the Palestinian Authority's intentions. And the Palestinians are expressing a similar level of skepticism regarding the Sharon government.
Israel is justified in firmly demanding that the PA begin disarming the terror organizations, as required by the road map, and not just suffice with the temporary hudna declared by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. But to the same extent and at the same time, Israel is required, according to the road map, to dismantle "immediately" the outposts built since March 2001 and even to freeze construction in veteran settlements.
The demand for dismantling outposts has yet to be honored - except for the cat-and-mouse game in which the settlers are exhausting the army. Similarly, there has been no slowdown in widespread construction work under way in many of the settlements. Here the "wink" of the political echelon was quite clear: the prime minister recently announced that building can continue in the city of Ariel as long as it is done with little fanfare.
The region and the world are closely following events to see if the two sides take advantage of the opportunity, this time around, with sincerity and clean hands. The Palestinian Authority's test is clear and unequivocal: it must take control of the terror organizations and neutralize them. The government of Israel, which is purportedly committed to the peace process, will be judged by the sincerity of its intention to honor its part in the road map
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