Before the foundations are laid
The 'economic peace' plan requires Israel to take immediate steps: remove illegal outposts and most roadblocks, and make the Jordan Valley and the Judean Desert a space for Palestinians.
By Shaul Arieli Tags: Israel newsThe rationale behind the road map and Benjamin Netanyahu's "economic peace" is the Israeli demand that a Palestinian state be built before a final-status solution is discussed and implemented, or at least as negotiations are taking place. A well-established Palestinian Authority maintaining good government and enforcing law and order would calm Israelis' fears that violence will flare up again and that the rifles of the Palestinian police will be aimed at them, and would ensure their support for "painful concessions."
But such a welcome process - sponsored by the Quartet and with the involvement of the Americans, as represented by Gen. Keith Dayton - has a very low chance of getting anywhere, because of the reality on the ground created by Israel: the expansion of the settlement enterprise, the growth of illegal outposts and the powerlessness of the security authorities, the opposition of the settlers' leaders to the removal of roadblocks, and the prevention of Palestinians from using main roads close to Jewish settlements.
The challenge that IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi posed to the Palestinians, when he said, "The more you do, the less we'll do," was taken up enthusiastically. Over the last year, a number of battalions trained in Jordan by the Americans have taken over in the Jenin district, where there are no Israeli settlements, as well as in Nablus, Bethlehem and the outskirts of Hebron, all to the satisfaction of the Israel Defense Forces.
The removal of roadblocks in these areas, along with stepped-up economic activity by Israeli Arabs in the West Bank and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's plan to support small businesses with international aid, have prevented the Palestinian economy from completely shattering. For the first time since 2001, there has even been a slight improvement in its performance.
But in recent days it has emerged that several hundred Palestinian policemen who completed their training recently have been grounded in Jericho and have not been deployed to Ramallah as planned. That district, whose Jewish areas are part of the Binyamin local council, includes many unauthorized outposts and more than 90 roadblocks on roads leading out of Arab villages and at the entrances to Ramallah, and Palestinians are barred from traveling on Route 443, which connects the agricultural hinterland with Ramallah's urban center. In addition, there are two other roads for the exclusive use of Israelis. All this makes Palestinian economic traffic impossible, and does the same to the coordination necessary for the Palestinian police to move freely in the Palestinian areas.
Both the "economic peace" plan and Fayyad's program for the establishment of a Palestinian state require the Israeli government to take a number of immediate steps: remove the illegal outposts, as it has promised the Americans it will do; remove most of the roadblocks; and make the Jordan Valley and the Judean Desert a space for Palestinians to live again. In addition, roads must be opened to Palestinian traffic and corridors opened for the continuous use of Palestinian police.
These moves, along with permits for operating Palestinian enterprises in Area C and free access to markets abroad, including Israel, could bring about the desired economy and government on the Palestinian side. They would also block Fatah's and Hamas' criticism of Fayyad's cooperation with Dayton; some Fatah members fear a rise in Fayyad's prestige and Hamas deplores what it calls "Dayton's Palestinian army."
In the absence of such steps, and in view of the diplomatic deadlock, the building of the Palestinian state will come to a standstill even before its foundations have been laid. Israel cannot enjoy the best of all worlds. Palestinian security forces would rather fall into line with their opponents than take part in a hopeless process without a Palestinian state at its end. Investment from the outside, which is sensitive to political uncertainty, will diminish. Without it, the rapid economic growth will end and the idea of economic peace will be dead and buried.
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Ms. Durson, either you wish to remain ignorant of the position of the Israeli "left", or you are too lazy to google the subject. I have no respect for Israelis hiding from the knowledge of IDF overkill, nor would I wish to exaggerate the current effect the left has on the actions of the current Israeli government. None the-less, I object to your preaching safely from Los Angeles to Israelis who do can only hope that President Obama will put sufficient pressure on both sides to accept binding arbitration.
There will never be a 'Palestinian state inside Israel, much less Jerusalem. Those who believe in such a fairy tale will never live 'happily ever after', at least not in this world.
If you want a pat on the back for Israel's acceptance of 1 million Arabs living as unequal citizens of the state.... ...so be it...pat on the back from you to me. But I am referring to Israeli's general acceptance of a status quo which sees no problem with 3 million Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank as stateless people with no real rights or control of their destiny all so the settlers can continue to encroach on their land and freedom. How are Israelis able to accept this state of affairs so easily? My theory is that they are bred on hatred of Palestinians and Muslims in general. My theory is generally proven each day by reading the posts on Haaretz. best regards.
Lets not lie ourselves, a state called Palestine must be established in order to guarantee Israel's survival. History of the last 60 years have shown that Time is not a favourable factor for Israel. Willy Brandt, Yitzkhak Rabin (with Shimon Peres) and Barack Obama have indicated that a policy based on COOPERATION is preferable to a policy of continuous CONFRONTATION. It's the only feasable alternative and the only path to peace.
In israel 1 million Arabs live as citizens conducting their daily business, getting the best education, healt careand freedoms in the ME. I know that there are sometimes frictions but they are dealt by law and most israeli Arabs are happy to live in Israel. They dread to be made part of an Arab state. On the other hand, how many Jews are left in Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Iraq? Just imagine an orthodox Jew walking in th estreets of Jeddah or Riyad? can you? And nor re consider in all honestly your previous words about hatred and remember the cartoon charater Farfur.
YES,YES,YES...ON THE EAST BANK OF THE JORDAN,ON TERRITORIES ROBBED FROM THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN 1923!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You two are always way out there on the right, and now you have approached the position of joining an apartheid state. Mr Zionist: you said there must be a give and take..that's right..since Israel did the taking for decades, especially in '67..that's why Israel must give and give alot to the Palestinians. Zionist you said the Palestinians never accepted peace..yes they did it's called Oslo...Israelis reversed it. Petra...do you really believe in apartheid type of governing?
Far too many Israelis have been bred on hatred of muslims and arabs and still to this day, reject the concept of a Palestinian state. They claim they've given up too much all ready and only got "terror" in return. These people are obvious not thinking honestly. But it is they who appear to have control over Israel's destiny. Therefore, the highest priority of the international community should be stepped up pressure on Israel to stop behaving like old-school colonial settler state expansionists....
There is very little difference between the far left and the far right in Israel. Both support the invasion, the occupation and the expansion at least as far as the 1967 borders are concerned. Considering this, Israelis are not the best partners for the Palestinians to do anything. The Israelis of all political persuations will have their own interests at heart as they "help" the Palestinians. Any Israelis that truely want to help the Palestinians will get out of the way and support binding third party arbitration. Of course, this will never happen, but it illustrates that mealy mouthed Israeli do -gooders will only help the Palestinians to the extent that it is convenient and comfortable for themselves. Personally, I prefer an honest wolf to a wolf in sheeps clothing.
"There is much healing that needs to take place, and Israel with its economic and military strengths can help that happen. It truly is time to discard the distrust and hatreds propagated by zealots and fearful peoples. Israel has the ability to nurture trust." - Vladek We need to understand that we can afford it. We can afford to help healing happen, we can afford to discard the distrust nourished by not only zealots but also fearful governments and we can afford to nurture trust. It's a question of daring.
So, this is the new plan (or a rehashing of the old one): Israel has to commit to EVERYTHING before the palestinians commit to ANYTHING; that Israel has to create a state for the pals BEFORE the PA promises peace. Oh, don't forget, all Jewish settlers have to leave the West Bank (like they did in the Gaza Strip), although Arab citizens in Israel can stay.
If the palestinains want ANYTHING out of Israel then its got to be GIVE as well as take which is a concept the arabs have never quite grasped. Arab thinking is we draw up a list of demands and say to Israel you will agree to every single one of them or else we will make you regret it through violence. When the palestininians are ready to compromise and guarantee that from now on they will ONLY fight their battles at a negotiating table and there will be a complete end to terror then and only then will Israel own the palestinians in return. RABIN PERES BIBI ( first time round ) BARAK SHARON OLMERT They all made concessions and each time the palestinians refused to compromise and we got terror. Now we have Bibi talking about a settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria but Abbas is saying unless it includes Jerusalem he will not even sit and talk. No government has offered a full freeze in the territories before Bibi is but according to Abbas its not enough to even talk.
You mean Israel to help self destruct in order to fulfill the Arab quest to replace Israel with another Arab nation called "Palestine". No thanks! During OSLO Israel did everything to help the PA but the PA chose and planned to use the weapons given them to fight terror to use them to make terror. The Arabs have shown no desire, interest, intention to make themselves a nation and that is why there is none and never will be. What Israel needs to do is win it's independence war and force Arabs to recognize Israel and opt for peace and not the violent deception called Palestine.
who're you going to negotiate w/ Hamas? Fatah? Suuuuurrreee you will. They wont talk to Israel or to one another.
the logistics of dreamers and of arabs and the difference between 1967 and today is remarkable ! yet no peace from the terrorists and their desire to destroy israel ! esther can you make a cup of coffee ! i doubt it !!
it's like rewarding assassins for terror. No way Jose.
... so far all official Israel has done is impede the evolving of a Pal state...
IDF withdrawal, eliminate roadblocks, contain/reduce settlements with land trades, allow family reunification, allow freer international travel, eliminate the threat of home demolitions and land confiscation, and help develop the Palestinian economy. People treated justly and provided economic opportunity become partners rather than enemies. There is much healing that needs to take place, and Israel with its economic and military strengths can help that happen. It truly is time to discard the distrust and hatreds propagated by zealots and fearful peoples. Israel has the ability to nurture trust. We need to let our government leaders know that, and we need to let our fellow Jews in other countries know that, so that the USA will support this initiative.