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February 13, 2012
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
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January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 29, 2004
/ 8 Iyar, 5764
A wall — and a way forward
By
Mortimer B. Zuckerman
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http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
In light of the much-misreported Sharon- Bush meeting, here's a little quiz to put the event in a perspective that eluded the media.
Q: Which Palestinian leader demanded the following immediate concessions as a condition for further talks:
(i) Israel must withdraw all 7,500 settlers from Gaza and leave the housing and infrastructure there intact.
(ii) Israel must remove settlers from four communities on the West Bank.
(iii) Israel must remove the military installations and checkpoints around these communities so there is an area of contiguous self-government and freedom of movement for Palestinians.
A: The Palestinians have not had to demand these concessions. They were made unilaterally by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon without any quid pro quo. Why? Simply because Israel has finally concluded that it cannot expect to live in peace with a Palestinian state led by Yasser Arafat. A protective wall, virtually everyone in Israel believes, is the only way left to protect innocents from anarchic terrorism. Every day, 40 to 50 murderous assaults are threatened against Israeli citizens and foiled only by the vigilance of Israeli security forces, with no help from the Palestinians, whose leaders have betrayed every promise on security. The nature of the beast was manifest at Passover, when a terrorist was intercepted with explosives meant to be laced with HIV-infected blood intended to enter the wounds of his victims.
Horror chamber. President Bush described Sharon's actions as courageous, historic, and deserving of America's support, and that is a fair appreciation. Sharon, the architect of the settler movement, is the first Israeli prime minister, and a member of Likud at that, to propose dismantling settlements unilaterally. He has demonstrated his willingness to eliminate all illegal outposts by a set date, stop construction of new settlements, and agree to a building line on construction within existing settlements that will be monitored by the United States. He has also agreed to review all roadblocks in the West Bank and give Palestinians all tax revenues now withheld (correctly) on the grounds that they have been used to finance terrorism.
Instead of assessing all this, the media got stuck on two aspects of the president's statement that weren't really new at all. The first was that Palestinian refugees would be absorbed in a future Palestinian state rather than within Israel. The second was that any subsequent agreement over permanent borders must recognize Israeli sovereignty over established population centers. In this, President Bush was simply making explicit what veteran observers of the Middle East have long understood. That is that these are the two preconditions essential to any Arab-Israeli accord to guarantee the viability of the Jewish state demographically, in terms of the mix of Arab and Israeli birthrates, and psychologically, in terms of security.
The president underscored the exclusivity of the American-backed road map as the only framework for peace. That's important because the road map obliges Palestinians to stop their campaign of violence and has a better chance of success than any of the other options, such as the half-baked Saudi initiative and the sundry European plans that all tilt unfairly against Israel.
Ariel Sharon's wall, President Bush understands, affords the first real opportunity to unlock the horror chamber of terrorism, violence, and despair in which Israelis and Palestinians have been trapped for more than three years. With the wall and the proposed Israeli withdrawals, there is now, finally, a chance to break the retaliatory cycle of suicide bombings and reprisal.
The wall is a security barrier, not a political one, an expedient that doesn't prejudice any final-status issues, including borders. It will give Palestinians the opportunity to show how they govern in Gaza and on 60 percent of the West Bank. The wall will encompass less than 10 percent of the West Bank and leave 99.4 percent of the Palestinian population on the east side, meaning future negotiations will start from that point.
Not that this is enough to make the proposal succeed. If it is to jump-start the peace process, Washington will have to make sure the Palestinians get the message— that here is another test of their capacity to behave like a respectable government and halt the corruption and the terror that have so tainted the Arafat regime.
President Bush has spoken truth to terrorism and scored a genuine diplomatic achievement. It is the first time Israel has been persuaded to evacuate settlements, and if the president is right, it will be a beginning, not an end.
Now we will have a chance to see whether miracles are still possible in the Holy Land.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mort Zuckerman is editor-in-chief and publisher of U.S. News and World Report. Comment by clicking here.
© 2004, Mort Zuckerman
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