By Ted Belman
The Campaign to save Jerusalem is worthless, if it allows Annapolis to go ahead.
In focussing on Jerusalem, the campaign allows the “peace process” to continue. This process will ultimately involve a settlement on Jerusalem and most certainly will divest Israel of Judea and Samaria. To avoid this from happening, the campaign should have been to abrogate Oslo. Anything less will only produce pyrrhic victories.
Aryeh Eldad MK wrote today Lieberman Outlines Yisrael Beiteinu’s ‘Red Lines’ in which he pointed out that Leiberman’s red lines are not our red lines. Leiberman still wants to give up parts of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and even part of Israel. Olmert has assured him that his red lines or “core issues” will not be discussed, so Leiberman remains in the government.
That being the case, Annapolis will discuss and commit on giving away parts of Jerusalem, not including the Holy Basin, and most of Judea and Samaria. It will also commit to a Palestinian state subject only to the Palestinians satisfying Phase I of the Roadmap. Livni and Rice have assured us of that. They also pointed out the responsibilities of Israel in Phase I must also be satisfied. What are they?
- “GOI takes no actions undermining trust, including deportations, attacks on civilians; confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property, as a punitive measure or to facilitate Israeli construction; destruction of Palestinian institutions and infrastructure; and other measures specified in the Tenet work plan.
“GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001.
“Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements).
“GOI reopens Palestinian Chamber of Commerce and other closed Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem based on a commitment that these institutions operate strictly in accordance with prior agreements between the parties.”
Israel intends to comply.
In fact, the campaign allows the Roadmap to proceed with renewed vigour. So what if the Holy Basin or the “right of return” is not discussed now? Israel will be made much weaker to resist both issues when they are discussed. So the campaign yields only temporary respite.
I recently argued To save Jerusalem, we must kill the “peace process”.. And so we must. Nothing short of that will suffice.
As a matter of urgency, we must all campaign to stop the “peace” process.
If Israel goes to Annapolis, all is lost.
