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Last update - 09:14 02/08/2007
PlayStation Palestine
By Aluf Benn

The good news is that something is stirring in the peace process. For the first time in seven years an Israeli prime minister declares that there are Palestinians to talk to - namely Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayad.

The government in Jerusalem is producing peace initiatives. Ehud Olmert has persuaded Amos Oz, the Zionist left wing's spiritual mentor, that he intends to pull out of the territories. The two sides meet and exchange gestures. Tony Blair is hanging around. The American administration is organizing a peace conference in the autumn.

The bad news is that the initiatives and plans are based on an imaginary reality and on establishing a make-believe Palestinian state. A PlayStation Palestine.
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The basic assumption is that Abbas and Fayad are too weak and will not be able to impose security and order in the West Bank. Or, as a senior Israeli official put it, they're pleasant and moderate, but hold pens, not guns, in their hands. The Gaza Strip has fallen into Hamas' hands and it is not clear when and how it will become part of the Fatah state that is supposed to rise in the West Bank.

For Israel, the central problem is the Qassam fire. Israel will not tolerate having its population and airport within Palestinian rocket range. Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently told officials he met that Israel would not be able to relinquish its security control over the West Bank, at least until it obtains the means of intercepting short-range rockets.

Such a project would take three to five years. Barak has no doubt that it is the IDF's presence on the mountains overlooking Ben-Gurion Airport that is preventing fire on it, rather than any self-restraint on the part of Palestinian terror organizations.

Let's face reality: In the absence of an effective Palestinian security force and an Israeli Qassam-interception system there can be no significant pullout from the West Bank and handing over territory to a Palestinian state.

Any symbolic withdrawal from outposts or isolated settlements is unlikely. The army will plead it is busy training for a possible war in the north and has no time to waste on clashes with settlers. Defense officials will warn against undermining morale, especially that of the religious officers prominent in key ground combat units.

The evacuation proposals made by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, as head of the ministerial committee for outposts, will be blocked by his rival Barak, who will dismiss them as political harassment.

In these circumstances, the gap between the diplomatic discourse and reality widens. Talking about peace is better than wrangling, of course. But such talk could create exaggerated expectations on the Palestinian side, whose shattering will lead again to disappointment and the renewal of the conflict. Olmert understands this and is trying to bridge the gap with an agreement of principles, subject to political ratification on both sides. This would make it possible to gain time and hope things improve in the meantime.

There is another way to translate good intentions into real changes - remove some of the restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement in the West Bank. No aspect of the occupation is more cruel and painful, and there is no greater obstacle to reviving the Palestinian economy and improving everyday life. What is the point of suggesting meetings of businessmen from both sides, as Blair did, when West Bank roads are blocked? Exchanging business cards with Nochi Dankner and Yitzhak Tshuva will contribute nothing to merchants and contractors from Nablus and Hebron, who wish to visit one another.

The "roadblock test" is a good indication for the seriousness of Israel's intentions and for Olmert's ability to make a change in the existing reality. So far the performance has been poor: more than a month ago the prime minister instructed the army to remove roadblocks and nothing happened. The instruction is stuck in the depth of military bureaucracy, which is very busy with "staff work." The army and Shin Bet security service see the roadblocks as a vital tool against terror and will not give them up. Barak favors alleviations, but has not had time yet to visit the Central Command and examine things thoroughly.

The gloomy conclusion from all of this is that the Israeli partner is also weak, and in the absence of a leadership that can force its policy on the operative level, the peace process will continue to be conducted like a virtual exercise in diplomatic conferences and dinners.
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  1.   The bad news is-IDF cannot defeat Hamas & must make peace 09:34  |  Yossi Cronenberg 02/08/07
  2.   THE PEACE MOVES ARE WINDOW DRESSING 09:45  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  3.   Israel wants credit for pursuing peace .. 09:48  |  Natallie Durson 02/08/07
  4.   Oppose Olmert administration surrender to arabs occupation 09:58  |  Joseph E . 02/08/07
  5.   Aluf Benn is right 10:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/08/07
  6.   Is there any possibility of some risk taking? 10:49  |  S 02/08/07
  7.   It`s possible but ... 10:50  |  Andrew Watson 02/08/07
  8.   A DAYTIME DREAM 10:50  |  indrajaya 02/08/07
  9.   Reality is that the PA could never be viable and it was stillborn 11:02  |  Uzi 02/08/07
  10.   #5 The opposite is true too 11:09  |  Andrew Watson 02/08/07
  11.   West Bank cannot be allowed to turn into Iraq 11:13  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/08/07
  12.   The solution is simplicity itself, Aluf Ben 11:32  |  Johnboy 02/08/07
  13.   Indrajaya - The Arab dream 11:37  |  Michael Jacobs 02/08/07
  14.   #9 Uzi dismisses something that has never even been tried 11:42  |  Johnboy 02/08/07
  15.   # 9 , The Palestinian people 11:46  |  Andrew Watson 02/08/07
  16.   Move the Airport 11:49  |  Yaela Katz 02/08/07
  17.   Definition of defeat of Hamas 11:52  |  Hannah 02/08/07
  18.   Is this the likely reality.....? 11:55  |  Esther 02/08/07
  19.   Natalllllie wrong again 11:55  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/08/07
  20.   # 13, MICHAEL JACOBS 12:14  |  indrajaya 02/08/07
  21.   #12 Yes to a hudna 12:26  |  Outsider 02/08/07
  22.   Discussion of issues of mutual interest 12:36  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/08/07
  23.   12Johnboy&19 Margie in Tel A.,johnboy right on,the solution is 13:09  |  lakshmi 02/08/07
  24.   Esther 13:12  |  Hannah 02/08/07
  25.   #14 JOHNBOY HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING PRACTICAL IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE 13:13  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  26.   #16 FAR SIMPLER YAELA MOVE THE ARABS 13:15  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  27.   Peace... 13:17  |  SM 02/08/07
  28.   Clash in on the Situation 13:28  |  Ronnie Wolman 02/08/07
  29.   #12 johnboy wishful thinking 13:44  |  duncan 02/08/07
  30.   Kohn #5 14:27  |  jjvanka 02/08/07
  31.   Kohn #11 14:38  |  jjvanka 02/08/07
  32.   jjvanka 14:52  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 02/08/07
  33.   Israelis, Palestinians of good faith, come to Switzerland...... 14:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/08/07
  34.   29Duncan,entirey different situation in Lebanon and now the inter 15:03  |  lakshmi 02/08/07
  35.   #29 I`M resorting to wishful thinking?????? 15:13  |  Johnboy 02/08/07
  36.   Dino # 33- Looks like Israelis alreay are in 15:19  |  ChanahS 02/08/07
  37.   Good article 15:22  |  cfs 02/08/07
  38.   Colonists Must Be Confronted Now 15:22  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/08/07
  39.   is it m y imagination or is condi looking more uncertain than eve 15:30  |  victor hardman 02/08/07
  40.   OLMERT`S IS AN IMAGINERY GOV`T 15:43  |  VOICE))) 02/08/07
  41.   Arrivederci, Dino 15:54  |  Fabio 02/08/07
  42.   Facing Reality 16:09  |  Joel Weltman 02/08/07
  43.   The logic is all backwards 16:16  |  Rebekah S 02/08/07
  44.   # 36 Chanah S 16:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/08/07
  45.   Duhh...And Know What? Well...? 16:27  |  Tony Anthony 02/08/07
  46.   Unable to see the forest for the tress 17:28  |  Chick 02/08/07
  47.   Palestinoian leadership has no mandate 17:37  |  B 02/08/07
  48.   # 41 Fabio 17:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 02/08/07
  49.   Haaretz has its Moment of Clarity 18:10  |  Jake 02/08/07
  50.   The joke will be on Israel 18:17  |  Joe 02/08/07
  51.   #50 JOE THE SCHNOE AND MORE IRRELEVANT BILGE 18:23  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  52.   #38 YAAKOV AT THE MOVIES SEES COLONISTS EVERWHERE 18:26  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  53.   The word of peace with Israel 18:26  |  Rachel Corrie 02/08/07
  54.   Paul Harris and his classes at Bir Zeit #51 18:33  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/08/07
  55.   "Colonists must be confronted now" writes Sullivan. Sullivan, I 18:34  |  Ray 02/08/07
  56.   Indrajaya - In the Arab world, the `common good` does not exist 18:36  |  Michael Jacobs 02/08/07
  57.   Ray, just keep thumpin that ther bible #55 18:38  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/08/07
  58.   #16 -" Move the airport" A good movie title... 18:51  |  S 02/08/07
  59.   At least Aluf Ben speaks the truth, the whole truth and nothing b 18:54  |  Michael N 02/08/07
  60.   the sensible way... 18:56  |  ravi 02/08/07
  61.   Peace is a Dream for Dreamers Only 18:59  |  Ho Lee Fok 02/08/07
  62.   credit for pursuing peace 19:03  |  Inigo Montoya 02/08/07
  63.   Who was the idiot who built an airport so close to the West Bank? 19:03  |  Pablo B 02/08/07
  64.   1...yossi... 19:04  |  ravi 02/08/07
  65.   Well, Y.Sullivan, why don`t you respond to 19:08  |  Svetlana 02/08/07
  66.   The result of keeping Hamas out 19:16  |  Tosefta 02/08/07
  67.   take palestine seriously 19:19  |  upholder of truth 02/08/07
  68.   454 YAAKOV YOU NEED THE DOCTOR MORE THAN EVER 19:37  |  paul harris 02/08/07
  69.   To Cipora Juliana Cohen 19:39  |  Otto Rand 02/08/07
  70.   Two-State Solution is Imaginary 19:44  |  Ari Sheckner 02/08/07
  71.   #63 " Who was the idiot who built an airport so close to the West 19:50  |