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Last update - 09:52 14/08/2007
Castles in the air
By Moshe Arens

What luck! Hamas has taken over the Gaza Strip, and Mahmoud Abbas obviously has no control over the terrorists there. The peace process with its political horizon for the Palestinians, which was stuck as long as Mahmoud Abbas did not dismantle the Palestinian terrorist militias - and which after all was a precondition according to the road map for any progress - has now become unstuck.

Forget about Gaza, that is now another world. It's true that in Judea and Samaria, Mahmoud Abbas is as impotent as he was in Gaza, but here the Israel Defense Forces will take care of the terrorists. So full steam ahead with the peace process. Hamas has removed the terrorism roadblock.

It does not matter that Qassam rockets keep raining down on Sderot every day. That is not Mahmoud Abbas' responsibility any more. That is the IDF's responsibility, no matter that even under the old-new defense minister the IDF does not provide protection to Israel's citizens there. That is not Mahmoud Abbas' fault. So after insisting for two years that there is no Palestinian partner for the peace process, thanks to Hamas, we have finally found a Palestinian partner for the peace process.

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After his defeat by Hamas in Gaza, Mahmoud Abbas has not become any more capable, efficient or forceful. But he has acquired an important ally - the government of Israel. Olmert hugs and kisses him, showers him with good-will gestures, like the release of Palestinian prisoners, the transfer of large sums money, and the removal of IDF roadblocks (if the defense minister will only agree). And like an empty rubber balloon that had been thrown aside, air is being blown into him, so that he will begin to rise like a true balloon, and look like a respectable peace partner to whom we can turn over 100 percent of Judea and Samaria.

"Creating" a partner for peace is something unprecedented in the history of international relations, and this Israeli-American venture will surely be studied in the academic world for years to come. But it is hard to believe that anyone really believes that the air so laboriously being pumped into the balloon will not sooner or later escape and leave the balloon flat.

This is not the first time that Israeli governments have tried their hand at manipulating internal Arab politics. The record is pretty bleak. It seems to be a self-defeating exercise.

But all is not lost. Olmert can still go back to unilateral withdrawals, which at the moment are held in such poor repute. Here he is being assisted by the defense minister, who is funding the development of a series of missile interceptor systems that will knock out of the sky anything the Palestinians on the other side of the security fence will fire against us. Once the development of these systems is completed, and the problem of tunnels under the fence is solved, we shall have nothing more to worry about, and will be able to turn 100 percent of Judea and Samaria over to Mahmoud Abbas, or if he his not there at that time, retreat from the areas unilaterally and implement Olmert's original realignment dream, and turn Israel into a "fun place to live."

These are all castles in the air, or castles built on sand. As everyone knows, their primary purpose is to keep Olmert's coalition afloat, until the next Winograd report, or until the Winograd Committee resigns, or until State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss gives up, or until the Israeli public gets completely fed up with spin politics.

But Olmert must keep an eye on his minister for strategic threats if his coalition is to survive. Not that blowing air into the Abbas balloon constitutes a strategic threat. But that 100 percent withdrawal formula may not sit well with Avigdor Lieberman's electorate. He too must be thrown a sop. So Olmert's plan is purported to include Lieberman's insane idea of stripping Israel's Arab citizens of their citizenship and transferring them to Mahmoud Abbas' care. They don't need to worry, as nothing will come of these wild schemes.

Sooner or later it will become clear to all that there can be no escape from reality. The peace process can take off only after Palestinian terrorism has been decisively defeated.
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  1.   Is this (the real) Moshe Arens....???? 10:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/08/07
  2.   Quite silly 10:44  |  Natallie Durson 14/08/07
  3.   Dino you no understand M Arens, he is being justifiably sarcastic 11:04  |  Pavel 14/08/07
  4.   ISRAEL IS WAITING A SUICIDE BOMBER 11:13  |  indrajaya 14/08/07
  5.   Maybe Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah in 11:24  |  Uzi 14/08/07
  6.   Dr No 11:52  |  Jeff 14/08/07
  7.   ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA UNDER EGYPT; PARTS OF W.BANK LINKED TO JORDAN 11:54  |  G. Marcus 14/08/07
  8.   the problem with moshe arens... 11:57  |  eric 14/08/07
  9.   At last some sense in a sea of stupidity 12:08  |  Nodre Mere 14/08/07
  10.   Believing in a failed Prime Minister....! 12:14  |  Dagma 14/08/07
  11.   right... 12:19  |  ravi 14/08/07
  12.   "Fight against terror" as pretext for annexation 12:49  |  www.kibush.co.il 14/08/07
  13.   Its all up to Abbas 12:52  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/08/07
  14.   It is an open secret, Fatah is on the payroll 12:55  |  El-Birawi 14/08/07
  15.   FATAH HAS NEVER RENOUNCED TERRORISM 13:08  |  paul harris 14/08/07
  16.   First eradicate Pal terrorism 13:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/08/07
  17.   El-Birawi: maybe you are right.So????? 13:20  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/08/07
  18.   #2: Natalie Durson 13:21  |  Thinkpad 14/08/07
  19.   Reply to Eric (Post No. 8) 13:27  |  Johnny Weintraub 14/08/07
  20.   #3 Pavel 13:27  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/08/07
  21.   One thing could end Palestinian "terrorism" 13:31  |  British academic 14/08/07
  22.   El Birawi (is it a name? or does it have other significance?) 13:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/08/07
  23.   Vodre Pere #9 13:40  |  S 14/08/07
  24.   adon kibush 13:41  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/08/07
  25.   Swiss Dino (Post No. 1) 13:46  |  Johnny Weintraub 14/08/07
  26.   El-Birawi: Choices and Blame 13:52  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/08/07
  27.   You can`t make peace with yourself 14:03  |  Hannah 14/08/07
  28.   "Political horizon" for the Pals... 14:57  |  Fritz 14/08/07
  29.   Good idea, # 5, but then? 15:05  |  Fritz 14/08/07
  30.   defeat the enemy 15:08  |  Al Yahhood 14/08/07
  31.   ARENS IS RIGHT.LOOK AT NORTHERN IRELAND 15:24  |  Ian 14/08/07
  32.   Mr. Arens is delighted 15:34  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  33.   # 25 Johnny Weintraub and "security risks" 15:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/08/07
  34.   "31" Ian in Geordie land 15:56  |  Labhras 14/08/07
  35.   Fritz #29, "Palestine" is no more, it died on 15 May 1948. 15:56  |  Uzi 14/08/07
  36.   14El Birawi,good post,well put,but there is a genuine Resistance/ 16:14  |  lakshmi 14/08/07
  37.   # 31 Ian 16:16  |  Lynn 14/08/07
  38.   Margie #22 16:22  |  Avi Yerushalmi 14/08/07
  39.   7. ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA UNDER ISRAEL ALL OF W.BANK TO ISRAEL 16:27  |  Man of Truth 14/08/07
  40.   Arens` ridicule well-deserved 16:28  |  Tosefta 14/08/07
  41.   British Academic 16:28  |  Jewish Academic 14/08/07
  42.   On eradicating "Palestinian Terror" 16:29  |  Ibrahim 14/08/07
  43.   Indrjaya - no self-exploding homicider change anything 16:33  |  17 14/08/07
  44.   Swiss Dino, you read Arens incorrectly. 16:35  |  Ibrahim 14/08/07
  45.   Reply to Paul Harris (Post No. 15) 16:37  |  Johnny Weintraub 14/08/07
  46.   #21 MAN CLAIMS TO BE ACADEMIC 16:43  |  paul harris 14/08/07
  47.   #16 Margie in TA 16:48  |  Labhras 14/08/07
  48.   Arens remains sane, hence he wont be elected! 17:00  |  eddie 14/08/07
  49.   #34 edited version 17:11  |  Labhras 14/08/07
  50.   44Ibrahim is a spent force,and whether one likes it or not there 17:24  |  lakshmi 14/08/07
  51.   Tosefta - we are dealing with men who think 17:31  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  52.   Lakshmi, who is a spent force? 17:59  |  Ibrahim 14/08/07
  53.   Reply to Swiss (Dino) Post 33 18:02  |  Johnny Weintraub 14/08/07
  54.   #44-Ibrahim are you up to it 18:04  |  peter 14/08/07
  55.   # 44 Ibrahim 18:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/08/07
  56.   #47 dungkeeper doesn`t get it 18:22  |  peter 14/08/07
  57.   To #2 and #50 18:39  |  J.M.Jordan 14/08/07
  58.   Progress Not Perfection 18:39  |  Jane 14/08/07
  59.   # 53 Johnny Weintraub, political differences and "priorities".... 18:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/08/07
  60.   56Ibrahim,abbas is the old moribund order and his teaming up with 18:51  |  lakshmi 14/08/07
  61.   The result of keeping Hamas out 18:51  |  Tosefta 14/08/07
  62.   Margie #24 18:57  |  guido 14/08/07
  63.   55Swiss Dino to Ibrahim,the Peres 5 % solution ain`t going to fly 18:57  |  lakshmi 14/08/07
  64.   Worse than you think (Mark Lincoln #51) 18:58  |  Tosefta 14/08/07
  65.   Swiss 19:05  |  Gina 14/08/07
  66.   Abbas is like the criminal neighbor in the next apartment 19:30  |  Chick 14/08/07
  67.   #47 labhras 19:33  |  peter 14/08/07
  68.   Tosefta - I see what you are saying 19:36  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  69.   An airplane designed by Ideologues 19:40  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  70.   Creating our own future 20:03  |  Kate 14/08/07
  71.   Ronnie Wollman #26 20:04  |  David Israel 14/08/07
  72.   Guido 20:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/08/07
  73.   Lakshmi, no thanks on the green flags. 20:08  |  Ibrahim 14/08/07