Monday, February 10, 2003

The Road Map - Kevorkian-Assisted Suicide in the Middle East


The Road Map - Kevorkian-Assisted Suicide in the Middle East
 February 10,  2003

(This article was prepared in conjunction with an article in Hebrew called
“The Road Map – a tragedy known in advance" by Eliyakim HaEtzni, dated Feb.
5, 2003.)

Doomsday prophecies aren’t my thing. It’s always good to look at the bright
side, to be optimistic, to take life one step at a time.

However, there are times when, left with no choice, reality must be faced
head on. And now is one of those times. The state of Israel, led by Ariel
Sharon, is on a crash course with major catastrophe. This unmitigated
disaster is known as “the Road Map,” or in its full glorious title, “The
Road Map for implementation of a permanent solution for two states in the
Israel-Palestinian Dispute.”

Rather than mince words, let me lay out the basic elements, as they are
presently known, of the ‘road map.’

1. The central goal of the ‘road map’ is creation of a Palestinian state.
This state is to be sovereign and independent, including “maximum
contiguous territory.” Totally rejected are Ariel Sharon’s preconditions,
including Israeli control of borders, arms limitations, Israeli control of
air space, and more.

This state will be created in two stages: Following elections in the
Palestinian Authority, declaration of a state with temporary borders, by
the end of 2003, that will receive international recognition and a seat in
the United Nations.
Permanent borders will be established after determining solutions to issues
such as Jerusalem, refugees, and ‘settlements.’

Here again, Ariel Sharon’s stipulation of a ‘long-term process’ lasting for
at least ten years, falls by the wayside.

2. The Road Map involves two international conferences, the first in 2003
following PA elections, with the marked goal of “initiating negotiations
leading to declaration of a Palestinian State with temporary borders.”

The second international conference is scheduled for 2004, to give final
approval to a Palestinian state with temporary borders, and to initiate
negotiations for a permanent agreement.

It should be noted that past Israeli governments have always avoided
international conferences at almost any cost, because the deck was always
stacked against us. So why now, is Ariel Sharon willing to risk such a
precarious symposium?

The so-called Quartet is the instrument by which a sovereign Palestinian
state will take form. Composed of representatives from the United States,
Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, this group has supreme
decision-making control. For instance:
a. The quartet decides when conditions have ripened for progress, taking
into consideration achievements of all of the sides involved. In other
words, this foreign body will decide when to recognize a Palestinian state.
This bypasses Ariel Sharon’s precondition that all progress be determinant
on Israeli judgment, taking into account factors such as cessation of
terror, collection of illegal armaments, cessation of incitement, etc. In
other words, Israel’s decision-making control is severely restricted, if
existent at all.
b. The quartet will initiate an international observer force, which will
examine Israeli-Palestinian progress. Here again it is worth noting that
Ariel Sharon did not take major military actions against the PA for a year
and half, in order prevent implementation of an international observer
force in Yesha.
c. The Quartet will guarantee that both sides implement all obligations
simultaneously.

This directly contradicts Sharon’s plan, by which any Israeli
implementation happens only after full implementation by the Palestinians.

For example, the Palestinian obligation to eradicate terror will be
equivalent to Israeli obligations concerning settlement activity.

d. The Quartet will be directly involved in all negotiations between the
two sides, totally negating a cardinal Israeli rule insisting upon direct
negotiations between the parties involved.
e. The Quartet will be involved in all facets of a Palestinian transition,
including, financial, administrative, legal, and security issues. This
involvement has already begun.
f. The Quartet will be involved in decisions and negotiation concerning the
‘permanent agreement,’ including Jerusalem, refugees, and settlements.

Concerning settlements, Israel will be obligated to:
a. uproot all settlements formed since March, 2001. 
Implementation is not dependent on Palestinian cessation of terror or
incitement. Rather, the obligations must be fulfilled simultaneously.

b. Israel must freeze all settlement activity, including any “natural
growth” of Yesha communities. Implementation priority must be given to
areas which threaten contiguously populated Palestinian regions, including
areas around Jerusalem.
c. Towards declaration of a Palestinian state with temporary borders,
Israeli must allow maximum geographic contiguity, including further
measures concerning settlements, i.e., uprooting of settlements that
interrupt Palestinian territorial contiguity.

Concerning Jerusalem, Israel must agree to reopen all Palestinian offices
and institutions dealing with commerce, business and economy, which were
closed in East Jerusalem, including, of course, the Orient House.

The goals of discussions concerning a permanent solution will seek to
achieve a realistic and just solution to the problems of the refugees and
the status of Jerusalem, which will take into account the political and
religious stands of the two sides. In other words, the Palestinians enter
into negotiations on an equal footing with Israel.

Three other interesting points:
a. Concerning security, the United States, Egypt and Jordan will be
involved in revitalizing security guarantees between Israel and the
Palestinians.
b. The solutions reached will take into account the program initiated by
the Saudi Arabians. This program calls for a total withdrawal of Israel to
the 1967, pre-Six Day War borders.
c. The road map demands an international conference to attain peace on all
fronts, including the Israeli-Syria-Lebanese, disputes. In other words, not
only is Yesha on the chopping block. The Golan Heights is also in jeopardy.

These are some of the elements of the Road Map – delegating responsibility
for almost everything that occurs in Yesha to the European Union and the
United Nations. The Quartet is nothing less than a death council whose job
is to speed up a step-by-step annihilation of the State of Israel.

The road map, with quartet participation cannot come into being without
full Israeli approval. If Israel says no, it doesn’t happen.

In other words, the Road Map is an assisted suicide pact that could have
been designed by Jack Kevorkian.



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