By Ted Belman
Forcing Israel to embark on the peace process was a huge strategic error on the part of the US. The process started with the Camp David Accords in which Israel gave up every inch of Sinai for a cold peace. The only dividend the US got was the remove Russian influence in Egypt. Oh how I would love to have the Sinai back with its minerals, its land mass, its strategic importance. Israel would be unbeatable now.
Then the US forced Israel to attend the Madrid Conference and to put Jerusalem and refugees on the negotiating table. This resulted in the Oslo Accords. While Peres shares much of the blame, the US was pushing in that direction and wanted the PLO, headed by Arafat, to be the negotiating partner rather than the Arabs in the territories. I don’t have to review what a disaster Oslo has been coupled with the decision not to abrogate it because of Arab defaults. Subsequently, in trying to improve on the terms of Oslo, the US forced Israel to agree to a settlement freeze. Big mistake.
Every initiative of the US served to make things worse including the Roadmap which went nowhere.
Gaza First Option
Finally Sharon opted for the Gaza first option which took Israel out of the frying pan into the fire. Israel is so much worse off for having disengaged not to mention the former residents of Gush Katif and the present residents of Sderot.
At first the disengagement was to leave Israel in charge of the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent smuggling. But Rice was not satisfied with Israel having any control left so she forced the Rafah Agreement on Israel thereby removing any control it wished to retain. In that agreement there was also to be transports of people and goods by bus and truck between Gaza and the West Bank. Trouble developed right away so the transports weren’t permitted.
Then Rice, during the love affair with democratization, forced Israel to allow Hamas to run in the PA elections. Hamas won and the situation got worse exponentially.
Ultimately, with Hamas in the government, the peace process was deader than dead. So the US got rid of Hamas, or so it hoped, by getting rid of Gaza.
Onward to the West Bank First Option.
The US engineered a plan whereby Hamas would be removed from the PA government and a new Cabinet would be set up headed by their new favorite Fayyed. It was probably illegal from the start but that later became a moot point. The plan included giving life support to the dying Abbas. Most analysts didn’t give it much of a chance and for a change they were right.
Bush after a few fits and starts gave a policy speech a week ago in which he said what must happen and what should happen. But nobody was listening. Within a day Saudi Arabia and Egypt announced their decision not to attend the suggested international conference.l. But at least he got disparate Olmert to turn over money and to release prisoners on certain conditions such as signing a piece of paper. Olmert also called off the dogs and agreed not to pursue 180 terrorists. As Caroline Glick wrote, “The joke’s on us.”
To make matters worse, the Fayyed government is no more because it had to be ratified within 30 days by the PNC. Hamas made sure this wouldn’t happen. Thus, there is no longer a functioning government in the PA. But of course the MSM isn’t saying anything.
So Bush and Olmert are trying to revive the PLO as the negotiating party on behalf of the “Palestinians”. Now you understand why. Something, anything, to show they are alive.
And then segue into the Jordan First Option only for a couple of days.
And now the Syria First Option
And Olmert is disparately trying to resuscitate the Syrian tract with the assistance of the MSM,
though there is no prospect of success even on Olmert’s terms. Olmert is also playing the international conference card because he needs a diplomatic process to forestall the fallout from the Winigrad Report expected soon. Latest reports are that it won’t take long for Hamas to take over the West Bank.
Now let me see…is there anything else they can screw up? Are there any other Options left?
Ya, kill the peace process.
Uncle Ehud is taking us for a ride. Fasten your seatbelts; here we go…..
So how does Feiglin whom we have been discussing meet this challenge.
Now it seems sure to me that Olmert is a criminal type and will do anything to keep himself in power.
This Kadima is still working on the basis of what it did in Gaza. It has not resigned though it should.
The people hate them for that. The people are not stupid. They are ahead of the game but are hamstrung for lack of leadership.
So then Feiglin how does he address this. Does he?
It seems to me that immediately that Likud must reorganize itself, despite its supineness in the face of the Sharon ultimatum, when the Likud should have surely expelled Sharon from the party the moment he disregarded the party referendum on Gaza withdrawal.
I have no time for petty party interests at this time.
What would happen if Ted, our editor, wrote to these two guys.
Ask what they propose doing to get rid of Olmert.
At the same time I want to know very very badly Ted what is the position of all in the American Jewish movement, all of them, and especially I want to know the position of Hagee (have I his name right?)of this Christian Zionist org.
You see I place my focus on these two areas…Israel and the US ordinary people, especially this vast Christian Zionist movement.
The Jewish disease is the delusion that concessions will lead to peace. After decades of concessions the “peace” outlook is worse than ever before. The Arab delusion is that Jewish concessions are a prelude to a Jewish military defeat. So, when the Jews give away too much the Arabs attack. That’s why I expect war this summer. Iran has been openly signaling a three front war is coming very soon. Israel has to use that opportunity to conquer its enemies and reestablish its hold on vital territory.
Ted is correct that Olmerts real aim is to try to survive in office till 09 elections, then as the saying goes all options are open. He needs a major diplomatic initiative to shore up the left wing and Arab Israeli Support,and He is Hoping that such a move might render both Winograd and other criminal investigations mute or at best disappear.Sharon and Hanegbi have used this tactic to keep the wolves off their backs. Since Israel is a media driven society and the people have almost no say or power to influence he might just do it.
He knows the right will mobilize against any real moves and this plays into his hand as it will force the left to rally behind him personally and Kadima as a lead party upping the Poll numbers and thereby restoring Him to national prominence and Leadership.
Remember that the goal here for Olmert is Political survival and consequences of negotiations are secondary.
We have no effective opposition, and as long as he pays off various politicians, parties, and sectorrial interests combined with disorganized right, and no political opposition(BB) he might just pull it off. A leader he is not but a consumate politician you bet!
Is Olmert willing to destroy the Country in the process, to weaken us further, to divide us further and to bankrupt the treasury in the process? Maybe? Who is there to stop him? Not a Feiglin, Not an Eldad and for sure not a BB who would do no differently if he were in office. In fact I believe Part of BBs stratagey is to let Olmert cause as much damage as possible so he can come in with opposition and become the savior of Israel.
It is a sorry mess these guys have brought us to but the people cannot run from blame they elected these Bums and refused to heed the warnings of others who foresaw what would be. WE CANNOT CHANGE THE PEOPLE BUT IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO THROW THE BUMS OUT! THE QUESTION IS WHO WILL BE THE ONE TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE?
The UK is also folding on the exclusion of Hamas and insisting on an expedited ME settlement.
Watch Olmert carefully.
Is it legally and governmentally possible for Olmert to give up more territory when the country disagrees with him? This is a question; not an exclamation. Are there impediments to him proceeding or not? Can he do it on his last day in office, like a pardon for prisoners in the US?
I just dashed this off. I am thinking a rewriting it to make it far more detailed.
Its quite a sorry tale.
I think events are unfolding even beyond what you have described here Ted. Tony Blair’s appointment and appearance on the scene have already elicited public statements from Olmert, Ramon, and Livni that they are prepared to sit down with Abbas to renew “negotiations”. Although Olmert’s office said a few days ago that these negotiations would not address final status issues, there’s really nothing else to negotiate. Monies and prisoners have been released, checkpoints are coming down, and Fatah is going through the motions of disarming. Olmert could be preparing for a swift retreat from the outlying settlements and final border delineations with a token nod from Abbas to sanctify the deal.