Children in the Gaza Strip settlement of Neveh Dekalim on Tuesday preparing salad as a show of support for the IDF. (AP)
Posted on 02/10/2004 11:27:08 AM PST by Cinnamon Girl
U.S. officials said Tuesday that they are worried that unilateral Israeli moves to relocate settlers from the Gaza Strip will boost the standing of Palestinian extremists amid concerns about a growing "anarchy" on Palestinian streets.
The radical Hamas group could be expected to claim credit for the Israeli withdrawal and may become the "dominant" force in Gaza by undercutting an already weakened Palestinian Authority, the officials said.
"That would be a real big negative for President (George W.) Bush's vision of two states living in peace and security because the Hamas vision is one state with no Jews in it," one senior U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday.
Other U.S. officials said the initiative could be beneficial if it is carefully thought out and well executed but this is not always Israel's approach to Palestinian issues.
"If they took the settlers out of Gaza that would be a real big deal. That's a huge flash point," one U.S. official said.
But, he added: "Does Hamas get credit and basically become the really dominant authority in Gaza or is the Palestinian Authority able to deliver services in such a way, and is the international community able to support the delivery of services in such a way, that Hamas doesn't become the big guy on the block?"
"Somebody is going to have to help the Palestinian Authority. They don't have the resources" to compete with Hamas," another official said.
Ze'evi: Palestinians will see Gaza plan as victory for terror
The director of Military Intelligence, Major General Aharon Ze'evi (Farkash), on Tuesday warned lawmakers that the Palestinians will interpret Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to "relocate" 17 settlements in the Gaza Strip as a victory for terrorism, and encourage them to step up terrorist attacks.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office subsequently issued a statement late Tuesday afternoon saying "the remarks made by the Military Intelligence director related strictly to the possible Palestinian responses to the disengagement plan presented by the prime minister. The Military Intelligence director said that there are among the Palestinians some who relate to the plan with suspicion and others, including extremists, who are liable to see the plan as strengthening their camp. Ze'evi said the evacuation of Israeli settlements is also liable to hurt the terrorists' motivation."
There were some suggestions the IDF statement was issued because Ze'evi's remarks had angered Sharon.
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ze'evi added that Syrian President Bashar Assad was serious in his offer to hold peace talks with Israel.
Sharon's plan to evacuate the settlements has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum, although it was welcomed by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.
On the right, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom repeated his opposition to any unilateral withdrawal from the territories.
Further right, Likud MK Yehiel Hazan, who heads the Knesset lobby on behalf of the Yesha Council of Settlements, said: "Sharon preparing evacuation plans from Gaza are very dangerous for Israel. His disengagement plan will end up disengaging Jews from the Land of Israel. We should not sacrifice Israeli security and its citizenry on the altar of American demands."
The former Meretz chairman, MK Yossi Sarid, expressed skepticism that Sharon would carry out his plan.
"The prime minister is simply not credible. We know how Sharon gives instructions and what their real value on the ground is. After every instruction for an evacuation, another outpost pops out of the ground."
His Meretz colleague, Ran Cohen MK, who is seeking the leadership of Yahad, the new Social Democratic Party, said: "The amazing correlation between the progress in the investigations of the Sharon scandals and his readiness to at least declare readiness to evacuate settlements is another reason to accelerate the investigations - as well as the need for clean government."
The thing that will stop this plan will be rightwing parties leaving the coalition, breaking up the government, and causing a move to new elections in 60 days. This will happen very soon.
It will be impossible, unless the Labor party comes into the coalition, which they have said they will not. As a result, the new coalition, which is missing around 15-20 members now in Parliament, will no longer have majority in the parliament, which will lead to new elections.
Like a two year old who just learned to finger paint, watch out for the walls!
I think you're mistaken. None other than Peres himself has said Labor would support Sharon in view of the Gaza withdrawl. There will be no elections.
I thought he said he would not support the government until the plan is executed in the field.
Interesting question. Likud party won 40 seats, running on a platform against supporting evacuation of territories. But in the new elections, there is a chance Labor will be elected with a number of seats, which will allow it to form a coalition.
This could occur with some rightwing voters stopping to support the Likud, which has now adopted leftist policies, and move to support real rightwing parties. But these parties never get more then 20 seats, each.
Some degree of transfer is the only solution.
Another thing we should watch, as IMRA has shown, is that Shinui on its website shows that it is against unilateral pullback from the territories. And they have many seats. This may be a problem.
The US has some fears this will end their roadmap to "peace" (their version on how to create the PLO terrorist state).
Children in the Gaza Strip settlement of Neveh Dekalim on Tuesday preparing salad as a show of support for the IDF. (AP)
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