11 - 17 May 2006
Issue No. 794
Front Page
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875
End of Palestine
By Salama A Salama
Since Ehud Olmert and his party won the elections, Arab politicians have been
trying to get on the Israeli prime minister's good side. Perhaps Olmert would
give us some insight into his future policy regarding the Palestinians. Perhaps
Olmert would revive the so-called peace process. Or has he made up his mind to
implement Sharon's policy of disengagement? Would he draw up Israel's borders
unilaterally? Would he do so even without waiting for the consent of
Palestinian and Arab parties?
For the time being, Olmert is too busy preparing for talks in Washington on 21
May to talk to us. In all likelihood, Olmert is seeking US approval of his
plan, of his scheme to carve out substantial chunks of the West Bank. Olmert
apparently wants to dismantle minor settlements and incorporate major ones
within the new borders of Israel, behind the Great Wall of Israel, so to speak.
According to the new scheme, Jerusalem would be divided, with Israel
maintaining control of Jewish parts and disputed religious sites. The
Palestinians would be given the Arab neighbourhoods, but only according to
special arrangements that would keep the city under Israeli sovereignty. In his
acceptance speech at the Knesset, Olmert said that Israel's final borders would
be drawn up by 2010.
Olmert's position is that a Hamas-led Palestinian government is not a viable
peace partner. The Americans agree, and the Europeans are toeing the US line,
as usual. The EU has discontinued assistance to the Hamas government,
practically strangulating the Palestinians in the hope of making them submit to
Israel's demands.
Arab reluctance to provide humanitarian aid and donations to the Palestinians
is the worst part. The US has threatened to place any banks transferring funds
to the Palestinian Authority on the list of supporters of terror. Mahmoud Abbas
has toured various countries but failed to resolve the problem. The Palestinian
president is now in the same place Arafat used to be, before he was poisoned.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians remain bitterly divided, with Fatah and Hamas
bickering, Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh in disagreement, gangs seeking power at any
cost, and a doctrinal movement in government refusing to give way. Hopes are
fading for all Palestinian factions to come together, as are hopes of a
government of national unity seeing the light. Israel is about to achieve its
goals.
Israel has persuaded everyone that it has no partner for peace. Israel is not
going to negotiate with Abbas, irrespective of whether Hamas is in or out of
government. At most, Israel may ask Abbas to sign a document recognising its
unilateral plans. As things stand, Olmert is unlikely to have any trouble
getting America's endorsement. Washington, after all, has been trying to weaken
Abbas and deprive him of moral or political backing.
Abbas received nothing from Sharon but false promises. Abbas couldn't deliver
any tangible results to his people, neither with the help of the roadmap nor
the Quartet. Israel made its intentions clear to the world the moment Hamas won
the elections. Sharon's plan, which started with the Gaza pullout, was only a
taste of things to come.
The Quartet meeting -- due to be held in New York with the foreign ministers of
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in attendance -- is at best a formality.
Anything you will hear about the roadmap is likely to be little more than lip
service; a ruse meant to give Israel time and delude the Arabs and
Palestinians. With Hamas in a fix, with democracy uprooted, and with Israel
getting its way, what exactly is left for Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and Abu
Musaab Al-Zarqawi to accomplish?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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