Sharon And Mofaz Oppose Cease Fire

Abdulwahab Badrakhan     Al-Hayat     2003/08/9

Israel fought the Palestinian Intifida with planes, tanks and missiles. But its main weapon was provocation, from Sharon's 'break-in' into the holy mosque to the separation wall. In between, as always, there is the successful employment of the American administration and the containment of its Middle Eastern policy, and the also successful employment of the political-security hysteria that hit Washington after the attacks of September 11. As well as the disparate success of exaggerations and lies that showed the war on Iraq to be a tool of making policy and decision-making in the United States and Britain by involving Congress and the House of Commons and misleading and luring them to specified standpoints.

Sharon began his tenure in power, along with another criminal, Shaul Mofaz, by vowing to end the Intifada, whereas the Palestinian side was using any period of relative calm to declare a cease-fire or truce. The Israelis abandoned the thought of peace by carrying out assassinations and limited invasions in order to keep the fire alight. Since the continuous confrontation gave Sharon and his gang an "American legitimacy" to carry on with the killings, the destruction, the starvation and the torture, until it reoccupied the West Bank in March 2002.

That was what the most that Sharon could do, since the Israelis had occupied the West bank and Gaza Strip for over 20 years and could not prevent the rise of the Intifada. By renewing the occupation, Sharon thought he could prove something: either to gain an international approval for the occupation as the only "good" solution for Israel's security, or to win a clear Palestinian surrender, which could be included in any final peaceful solution in which his conditions would be imposed on the Palestinians.

Both possibilities were an illusion; at least that was what the Roadmap tried to propose. First, by registering what is called "Bush's vision" of two states and this vision's conditions on Israel. Second, by adopting Israel's security demands in exchange for going back to the negotiations table with the Palestinians. The Palestinians did not consider the Roadmap a political gain, rather, they have many reservations and objections. Moreover, they want to resume the negotiations. Negotiations? That is what Sharon thought that he is rid of, forever, preparing himself to conclude deals with the Palestinians - not through negotiations but by "Diktat."

Therefore, he moved Yasser Arafat out of the way, and considered that the "new Palestinian leadership" is more open to accept his diktat. The Roadmap practically changed the course Sharon had chartered. Despite the amendments he induced the Americans to accept, some of the Roadmap's details remained an inconvenience, for the ceasefire revitalized international exchange with the Palestinians; it even revived a certain relation with the Americans, namely with this radical administration.

Thus, Sharon and Mofaz found that there is no way to turn the tables around except by provoking the Palestinians again. Hence, an Intifada, a suicidal attack, a bombing of a restaurant or nightclub are needed to blast the Roadmap, and save Sharon and his gang from in voluntary criminal unemployment. They first tried to resume the assassinations as if nothing has changed and received an American warning. Though Bush and his gang wouldn't mind the assassination of some leaders who are branded by Israel as involved in terrorism.

However, the American priority now is to calm the situation, which might help them to solve their problems in Iraq. The Israelis continued their chases and arrests; they even detained a number of persons equal to the one they have released. Yesterday, they killed some targeted Hamas leaders in Nablus in order to arouse a reaction. Two days ago, some Likudnik Knesset members tried to charge into the holy mosque. Earlier, Mofaz said that Palestinians are preparing for a "new Intifada" after the truce is over, and reiterated it in the hope that some of his words would be remembered. He even froze withdrawal from any occupied land.

It is obvious now that the last thing that Sharon and his gang hoped for was truce, after they had reached a way of work, which used the Intifada to the benefit of their own military plans. Provocation will continue and progress. It is in the interest of the Roadmap's sponsors not to bet on Palestinian self-restraint. What is required is to secure the truce on the Israeli side. Otherwise, ignoring the situation would allow Sharon and Mofaz to take the situation back to what it was before the "map."