Posted by Avigdor Lieberman
Ariel Sharon instructed our youth to “charge the hilltopsâ€. The State allowed water and electricity link-ups, provided infrastructure and roads, encouraged the settlement of the outposts with grants and financial incentives. There is no such thing as an illegal outpost. Some were erected with the State turning a blind eye, some were authorized behind closed doors with a wink or a handshake. But there is no such thing as an illegal outpost.
[Leiberman is coming on strong.]
It is true that Ariel Sharon, as Prime Minister, adopted President Bush’s Road Map, and that one of the clauses in the agreement (out of 38 clauses) is that the government of Israel will dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001. It is also true that the Road Map is “Performance Basedâ€. The very first clause of the Road Map, to be carried out at the outset of Phase I, has yet to be met. It reads: “Palestinian leadership issues unequivocal statement reiterating Israel’s right to exist in peace and security and calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere. All official Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel.â€
Nor have the clauses requiring “confiscation of illegal weapons and consolidation of security authority, free of association with terror and corruption†and “Arab states cut off public and private funding and all other forms of support for groups supporting and engaging in violence and terrorâ€.
What happened to these clauses? Why is the left wing so zealous about pursuing clause number 24 (dismantling of settlements), yet so apathetic when it comes to the remainder 37 clauses? Why jump straight to clause number 24, when the previous 23 clauses are left unfulfilled? Those who claim it’s a law-and-order issue are also tainted by duplicity and political agenda.
Why is there no Ministerial Committee on the dismantling of illegal Palestinian building prevalent throughout Israeli controlled Area C of Judea and Samaria (such as the one on Jewish outposts)? Why is there no Ministerial Committee on the dismantling of illegal Bedouin building rampant throughout the Negev, or illegal Arab building consuming the Galilee? There are over 70,000 illegal Bedouin buildings in the Negev (only 1,600 in the outposts) and over 260,000 dunam of land unlawfully seized, equivalent to the combined area of Jerusalem + Tel Aviv + Haifa + Hod Hasharon + Yahud. I have demanded of the Prime Minister to set up these committees, while fighting the double-standard from within the committee.
It was not so long ago that Israel had evicted its Jewish citizens from Gush Katif and Northern Samaria. This is still an open wound, a continuing rift in Israeli society. We do not need a repeat of Gush Katif or Amona. Especially when the government has yet to find those evicted families suitable rehabilitation.
Lieberman is as bogus as a 2 dollar bill. He when he was with the Likud was a not one inch politician, then he went solo and said for national unity (what ever that is?) he would favor relinquishing some territory. Then he left those positions completely and advanced transfer in plave of Israeli Arab towns and villages whereby we give them those populations and territory the reside on and annex Jewish settlements in Yosh(Yehuda and Shomron). Now he has been quiet on these issues and is trying to shore of the right wing with all of his statements re: illegal settlements. most of which under his previous plans would be given up under his leadership either directly or indirectly. He knows (as he lives on W. Bank) more than most that without IDF control of all of W. Bank all Of Israel would be under the Kassam just as western negev is today. He knows more than most that Israel is not defendible without control of W. Bank. He knows that giving up our political rights in the W.Bank endanger our political rights in the whole of the Land of Israel. He plays word games with our stupid public by using the stability card (Israel can’t afford new elections every 2 years etc.) Few buy his flimsy excuses for supporting the coalition with their continuation in the coalition. We all know that Personal political ambition of failed leaders, who have betrayed us time and again will hopefully meet their just rewards. In any evernt the russian mafia who some claim are supporting Lieberman and have made him a multi millionaire in short period when he was out of public office and has been under investigation now for many years without conclusion. The means either they cant’t pin anything on him but know enough to believe he is guilty or they have put evidence in a vault to be brought out if Lieberman becomes a threat to gin important public office and this has been done successfully to many wannabi politicians over the years. What cannot be denied though is his personal wealth and his contacts in Russian Underworld or at least less than respectable characters.
Lieberman has paced himself politically between an anvil and a hammer. His ex CIS voters will punish him for staying in the coalition thus prolonging Olmert and our current negative government. He has basically 2 alternatives: Stay in and hope that his staying won’t cost him later what the polls say he will lose if elections were held today or to pick his political moment and bring down the government,and thus trying to recoup what he has apparently lost by staying in and propping up Kadima and Olmert. Lieberman is smart but has made the same mistakes BB and Barak have always made, that is placing short term political ambitions ahead of what they all know is the right thing to do for the NATION! All seem to be Boyed by the stupidity and short memory of the Israeli electorate, who seem to prefer the devil they know rather to take more risks on unknown elements. This is why there is no excitement or mass movement to affect immediate change. Since BB is leading in pre election polls he has no immediate stimuli to do more than he is doing and is willing to wait out the process rather than disaffect more potential voters with controversial positions. The same goes with Barak he is steadily rising in the Polls and Olmert has hopes of going to term and even contesting the next elections as his popularity is also rising slowly (25% as of yesterday before Kassam attack).
The only leader I see that might be trustworthy vis a vis placing Israel on the right road forward is Eldad but I know he is unelectable, so any of the mentioned leaders including Lieberman will only with nuance give us more of the same.
This is heartening that finally someone in Israel is speaking out on this subject. Lieberman would be doing himself and the rest of Israel the biggest favor if he mounted a coalition to stop Olmert from speaking further to Abbas and from attending the Washington Peace Conference in November.