Its been a bad month for Peace in the Middle East. Following months of positive developments, there have recently been a number of setbacks - the strong showing by Hamas in local elections, an increasing level of violence spilling out of Gaza and the depression confirmation that despite Abbas' rhetoric in English, he has done little to curb virulent anti-Semetic incitement from being broadcast on Palestinian television. All of which would seem to be fuel to fire of the hawkish opposition to Sharon's Gaza plan. Yet on Sharon presses, impervious to the desperate settler protests, whose civil disobedience campaign has led average Israelis to respond with a combination of annoyance and indifference.
The Peace Processors are equally miffed at Sharon these days, for his similar head-down approach to link Ma'aleh Adumim, the large Jewish suburb east of Jerusalem, to the capital. The final status of Jerusalem is to be determined, they point out according to mutual agreement of both sides under the Road Map to the Preliminary Initial Prefectory Peace Process Towards an Eventual Agreement. (The final status under such agreement is of course, according to the Processors, is joint sovreignity over an open and peaceful city. There is even talk of recruiting the Jedi Knights to "keep the peace" given they are no longer wanted in the Galactic Republic).
It seems to me that if Sharon is upsetting both the settlers and the Processors than he must be doing something right. In fact, Sharon's plan for a strategic withdrawl, in which Gaza settlements are abandoned, while Israeli control over Jerusalem is strengthed is in the finest tradition of Israel's founders. Ben-Gurion and his Mapainiks took an approach to building a Jewish state that was pragmatic, unsentimental and farsighted - ever act was taken with the ultimate goal in mind, and with the proper priorities. As Benni Morris aptly noted in a TNR article, Sharon, despite his many years of Likud affiliation, is truly the "Last Mapainik"
In contrast, the opponents to the Gaza withdrawal are the ideological descendants of Begin and the Herut. Like Begin they valorize the ideal vision of the Jewish state, and disdain compromises with reality as weak. Thus, even for those who do not attach to Gaza religious significance as part of the land of Israel, nothing short of total victory in which the Arabs have laid down their arms and recognized Israel as legitimate in grounds from which to withdraw.
As the withdrawal gets closer, mobilization against Sharon's plan is starting to mirror the mobilization against Olso. Once again, Israel's supporters are being asked to speak out against not only Israel's enemies, but its government. I for one will not be joining in this process.
The claim being made by the rationalist opponents to the Sharon Plan (I'll put to the side the arguments of those who consider the ruins of ancient Phillista holy), is that a retreat anywhere is the first step to a retreat everywhere. Hamas and the other existential enemies of Israel will only be further encouraged to press to further concessions. Today, Gush Katif, tommorrow Gush Etzion, the day after that Jerusalem.
This position however a fundamental flaw - the withdrawal from Gaza is not a concession. It is not a concession because the Gaza is not an asset, but an albatross. (Whether Gaza ever becomes an asset to the Palestinians is up to them - but a first step would probably be to keep Hamas off the local school board). It is further not a concession because it is not being made in response to any Palestinian action - it is not a concession to terror OR to cracking down on terror.
The second fundamental flaw is that time is on Israel's side. With respect to demographics it most certainly not. I have never quite understood why the same hawks that are so attuned to the threat of conceding a Palestinian "Right of Return" are so oblivious to this problem. In fact, it is only on the extreme of hawkish spectrum that the problem is even addressed. The current favorite on the hard right, replacing the euphemistic and morally repugnant "voluntary transfer" is Benni Elon's "virtual transfer" in which the Palestinians remain in the West Bank, under Israeli sovreignity with Jordanian citizenship. Clearly, dealing with reality is not exactly at the top of the Herutist agenda.
In contrast, Sharon plows forward, with the stones from both left and right clanging off his bulldozer. Ben Gurion would be proud.
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