The behavior of the Palestinians since the publication of the "road map," and particularly after the achievement of the cease-fire between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, arouses the suspicion that Israel is a partner to laying the foundations of a terrorist state to be called Palestine - a state that will in fact reach an agreement with Israel, but will continue the war against it by means of various Palestinian organizations, claiming that the conflict has not ended.
The first mistake stems from the fact that the "road map" guarantees that a Palestinian state will be established already during the second stage of the process, even before basic problems between Israel and the Palestinians have been solved. Some console themselves that this is a state whose borders will be temporary. But that is of no significance if the conflict, along with the terrorism, continue in other ways.
Israel also had temporary borders for many years until the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan were signed, and even today some of its borders are temporary. If the terrorism against Israel from Palestinian territory continues, and Israel crosses the border in order to defend itself, the international organization in which there is an anti-Israeli majority will consider Israel an aggressor against whom sanctions should be applied.
The second trap underlying the "road map" is that it provides the major excuse for continuing the conflict. The Palestinian state is supposed to be established when the problem of the refugees is still unsolved and the Palestinians continue to demand what they call "the right of return" to Israel. The new Palestinian state will use nice words, but the Palestinian Liberation Organization will claim that it and not the state represents the Palestinian refugees, most of whom are dispersed outside that state.
Two separate entities will confront Israel - as is the case already now - the Palestinian Authority on the one hand, and Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the other. The Palestinian state will make the peace agreements, whereas the PLO and "refugee organizations" outside will continue their war against Israel.
Yair Hirschfeld, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, also spoke about the danger of a long-term struggle and war against Israel using the "salami method." Several Americans who were involved in writing the "road map" are also responsible for the existence of this trap. They admit today that they objected to making the establishment of the Palestinian state conditional on a parallel solution to the refugee problem. In that way they helped to sweep one of the most difficult problems under the carpet, and invented an excuse for the Palestinians to continue the war after the establishment of their state.
Israel was careless in its handling of its political steps concerning the "road map." Even the Americans say that for about four months Israel didn't reply to their suggestion to come up with its own ideas. Instead of proposing ideas, Israel relied excessively on the belief that "Sharon's friend" in the White House would do everything for it, even regarding the "road map." That didn't happen.
Now we must act with determination to repair the distortions. The Americans say the vision underlying the road map will remain unchanged. But the "road map" is not the Tanakh [Hebrew Bible], and anyone who thinks it is has to write the "New Testament" as well.
The necessary amendments: No transition from one stage of the "map" to the next without Israel's agreement - and not the agreement of the Quartet alone. Second, whatever hasn't been implemented in one stage is not to be transferred for implementation in the next stage. Third, a Palestinian state will be established after the basic problems have been solved. And primarily, that the establishment of the state will be considered part of the elimination of the "right of return" to Israel, which is defined as a Jewish state.
And don't let them tell fairy tales about surveys showing that the refugees ostensibly don't want to come to Israel, and that Israel must therefore accept their "right" to destroy it from within.
