2005-03-15—West Bank pullout |
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By Ira Sharkansky
Are we at a hiccup or a serious problem?
Yesterday (March 14) Israel
and the Palestinians
agreed on the transfer of control over the towns of Jericho
and Tulkarm to the
Palestine National Authority. This was the second or third time that the
parties agreed on the issue. Previous agreements fell apart when the
Palestinians demanded the removal of several checkpoints around the cities,
and an enlarged conception of Jericho that included a village the Israelis
were not willing to hand over. This time, those issues were settled, pretty
much on Israel's terms.
This morning Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazan), said that the
turnover of Jericho would allow the freeing of two Palestinians held in
prison there. One of them was involved in the murder of Israeli government
minister Rahavam Zeevi, and another in a large scale shipment of arms that
Israel intercepted on the high seas. Both men were imprisoned under a
deal involving international auspices, where Britain
and the United
States assured that they would remain in custody, and the Israelis
agreed not to attack Jericho in order to deal with them.
Abbas claims that the Israelis knew of his intention to free
the men. Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defense Minister who negotiated last
night's deal, asserts that it included a specific agreement that the men
would remain in prison. Israeli officials are also waiving the international
guarantees signed by the US and Britain. And they are saying that if the
Palestinians release the men, Israel will go after them.
So far this is amounting to another game of chicken, not
unlike the kind of bargaining familiar to all those who have visited the
Middle East. It's not the first time the Palestinians are accusing the
Israelis of lying and breaking agreements, while Israelis counter with their
own charges that Palestinians are lying and breaking agreements. So far
Israel has played tough, not giving up its advantages until the
Palestinians give up on their assertions. No one expects the Palestinians to
back down explicitly. Silence will be sufficient.
Another issue on the table is the Palestinian decision to
execute a number of Palestinians said to have been convicted of cooperating
with the Israelis. Israeli officials are saying that must not happen, and if
it does . . . .
Meanwhile, today and tomorrow (March 16) is a time to
stay off Jerusalem's roads. There are great ceremonies in store for
the opening of an enlarged and refurbished Yad
Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
We hear that 40 presidents, prime ministers, and other worthies are in town
for the events.
Key roads will be closed for the convenience of the dignitaries.
You'll be able to hear the sounds of honking where you are. It is also
likely that settlers will use the opportunity to vent their wrath against
Sharon and the rest of the world. Yesterday they blocked traffic during
rush hour on a key Tel Aviv artery. It took the police an hour to clear
the mess.
It's a good day to take some pictures on our balcony. Sharkansky is a member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem |