Disengaging Idea

27 October 2004


Sharon Wins Knesset Vote on Gaza Pullout

Ariel Sharon was the hardest of the hardliners in Israeli politics. Then, he got the top job and the responsibility that goes with it. Suddenly, the hawk started floating some dovish ideas. Any plan pullout out from the Gaza Strip would have been unthinkable by General Sharon, but Prime Minister Sharon has been pushing it for months, much to the annoyance of the rejectionists in Israel. He won his vote in the Knesset yesterday. These days in Israel politics, as in most places, there are plenty of hawks, and plenty of doves, but there is a shortage of wise old owls.

On a vote of 67 to 45 with 7 abstentions and 1 absence, the Israeli parliament approved of the Sharon Plan. Most of those votes in favor were not his Likud bloc’s but those of the opposition Labour Party. The bill calls for the removal of settlements in the Gaza Strip and four on the West Bank. Another bill to pay compensation for the settlers will sail through the Knesset soon.

Mr. Sharon was attacked in the press and in person as a traitor and a fool. He clearly understood the situation when he said, "I know what the consequences are for thousands of Israelis who have lived for many years in Gaza, and were sent there by Israeli governments, and had children there, who didn't know another home. I know. I sent them. I was a participant, and many are my personal friends. I am aware of their pain, their anger, their despair.” Full marks for taking responsibility and being a grown-up (please note, Mr. Bush). The PM also said, "We have to do this, despite all the suffering involved. This will decrease hostility, and will lead us forward on the path to peace with the Palestinians."

No, unfortunately, it won’t. And the withdrawal is mistimed and is going to cause greater strife as a result. The settlers have vowed civil war, and while their numbers (8,000 Israelis live in Gaza) don’t allow it, there will be a great deal of unpleasantness in forcing them out. Meanwhile, Yasser Arafat remains in his Ramallah compound, effectively under house arrest since 2001. He and his followers have no interest in letting this withdrawal improve relations because it comes with the security fence and demands that new Palestinian leadership arise to negotiate.

As a result, there will be anger and pain on the Israeli right, the very people who need to be convinced that peace is the way forward even if it means compromise. At the same time, because it is a self-serving unilateral move, the Palestinian Authority has no reason to embrace the concession. Giving up something for less-than-nothing is counter-productive. It is still not too late. Mr. Sharon could suspend implementing the withdrawal as a gesture to get real talks going. As unlikely as they are to succeed, jaw-jaw does beat war-war. The Israeli Prime Minister has been a hawk, and now a dove. Does he have it in him to be an owl?

© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.

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