NATAN SHARANSKY - Deputy Prime Minister of Israel Plan, the answer
                                          MAY 4, 2002

Please read below the NATAN SHARANSKY - Deputy Prime Minister of Israel Plan
and you will understand why I SAID
IT WILL NOT WORK.

Abouna Labib Kobti
 

Dear Friends:

The main problem is and always be the Israeli Occupation not any other, it is the root of all violence that has manifested itself today.

Based on the UN resolutions 242, 338 ..

After years of denying the existence of the Palestinians Jews claim they came to a land "without a people."  At Oslo, they were forced to admit that they lied to the world and the Palestinians do exist.  In fact Israelis realized that they came to a land where people were waiting for their independence already.  Most other Arab countries got their independence between the 1940s and 60s.

In fact most encyclopedias throughout the world refer created prior to 1948 refer to modern day Israel as Palestine, not to mention that under British administration even they referred to the land as Palestine and the people as Palestinian.  It took Israel a long time to admit what the rest of the world already knew.

1) In Oslo the Palestinians recognized Israel and relented to a Palestinian state on only 22% of historic Palestine.

2) In Oslo it was agreed that the Palestinians would establish an independent State on 22% of historic Palestine.

3) According to Peace Now and Ha'eretz Newspaper, during Oslo and under the government of Ehud Barak the expansion and creation of settlements expanded by 91%.  During the Oslo period Israel implemented a massive campaign to import Russian Jews into the remaining 22% of Palestinian territories that was to be the future state for Palestinians.
170 settlements were built during Oslo and Sharon during this last year has added an additional 35 settlements--Sharon is calling for a million Jews to come to these settlements.  In essence the Israeli leadership is trying to undermine any future Palestinian state by inundating it with facts on the ground that will be surrounded by Israeli military forces and which would thus make any prospects for a continous Palestinian state a sham.

4) Any dialogue for a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would call for the immediate cessation of focusing on suicide bombers, and to shift the focus on the root cause of all this violence:  the occupation and the settlements. A constructive dialog cannot exist while parties refuse to recognize that at no time has Israel taken any steps towards peace.  At minimum an Israeli step towards peace would mean a cessation of the building of settlements.

5) The continued Israeli policy of occupation is resulting in frustration and despair within the Arab community that is unparralled and the Palestinians have begun to deal with violence TO VIOLENCE.  The international community cannot expect the Palestinians to sit idly by while thier entire infrastructure is destroyed and any possible chance for a viable state is in ruins.

6) The Clinton-Barak proposal to Arafat proved more than ever that America is complicit with Israel in stealing more Palestinian land.  Even Clinton supported giving the Palestinians less than 22% of historic Palestine.  Please see: http://www.al-bushra.org/israel/0israel.htm  (please scroll down at the middle)

7) Arabic Countries presented a peace plan at the Arab Summit and have decided to recognize all of Israel.  In return they are only asking that Israel abide by International Law, particularly United Nations Resolutions 242, 338 and 194.
Is it so outrageous that the Arabs ask that international law be implemented?  Instead of abiding by international law, Israel continues to tap dance around vital issues by coming up with "solutions" like Natan Sharansky's which do not take account International Legality and does not promise adherence to International Law.

7) NATAN SHARANSKY - Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and his "solutions" do not assure the cessation of settlement building, nor does it demand the dismantling of all settlements now.
 

HIS PLAN WILL NOT WORK AS LONG AS THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION AND THE ISRAELI INDIFFERENCE TO INERNATIONAL LAW GOES ON.

Recently, the Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Patriarch Michel Sabbah presented these same points at a conference of US bishops who met in Altanta on June 13, 2001: http://www.al-bushra.org/latpatra/j13.html

Father Labib Kobti
San Francisco
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Jerusalem Post, May 3, 2002
Where do we go from here?
NATAN SHARANSKY - Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
 

Today, as the Israel Defense Forces are engaged in destroying the terrorist
infrastructure, we must ask ourselves, "Where do we go from here?"
Is there any other option besides reestablishing full Israeli control over
Judea and Samaria, or resigning ourselves to the fact that Yasser Arafat is
the only address that we have?
I believe there is, and it is based on the premise that only democracy and
economic prosperity for the Palestinian people can bring security for Israel.
In order to ensure our own security, the Palestinians must be encouraged to
form an open and free society that is not burdened by the fear, hatred, and
terror that have been sown in recent years by Arafat and his leadership - a
society that affords real economic opportunity for all its inhabitants.
Only such a society can serve as a solid guarantee for normal relations
between the two peoples, and as a promising starting point for negotiations,
ultimately leading towards a permanent peace settlement.
This cannot happen overnight; for this we need a Transition Period.
Last week, I presented the following seven-point plan of action to Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon, defining the principles for a three-year Transition
Period, leading the Palestinians away from terror and towards peace:

1. Establishment of an international coordinating body
A coordinating body, headed by the United States, with those Arab states
which
recognize the State of Israel as its members will be responsible for
establishing a Palestinian Administrative Authority (PAA) in the areas under
Palestinian control.  Israel will not be involved in this process, and will
only maintain the right to veto candidates to the PAA in the event that such
candidates had been connected to terrorist activities against Israel.

2. Day-to-day administration
The PAA will be responsible for administering the day-to-day lives of the
Palestinians, in matters such as the economy, law enforcement, education,
etc.

3. Security
During the Transition Period, Israel will continue to be responsible for
security, as well as for the freedom of passage, in all of Judea and Samaria.
Israel will have the right to set up transition zones and buffer zones, as
well as using any other appropriate method, to prevent the resurgence of
terror activities.

4. Development of democratic life
During the transition period, the coordinating body and the PAA must develop
the infrastructure for democratic life among the Palestinians. This must
include the formulation of new educational programs, inculcating values of
peace rather than of terror; securing freedom of political, social and
religious association; and guaranteeing full freedom of speech and press.
These three principles must be a prerequisite for all economic and other
international assistance to the PAA.

5. Dismantling of refugee camps
The coordinating body will act immediately to dismantle all Palestinian
refugee camps, and normal existence will be offered for those evacuated from
the camps. Arab countries, with the assistance of the United Nations, will
finance this effort.

6. International economic fund
An international fund will be established for the creation and financing of
industrial zones, infrastructure projects, R&D companies, etc. in the areas
under the PAA.

7. Negotiations for permanent peace
After the three-year transition period, free and open elections will be held
in the areas administered by the PAA. Israel will then negotiate the terms of
a permanent peace with the elected representatives of the Palestinian people.

Why do I see this plan as viable?
The Oslo Accords were based on two fatally erroneous assumptions. The first
was that if control of territories in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, along with
their inhabitants, were transferred to Yasser Arafat, he would then act as
Israel's partner in the effort to maintain security and peace in the region.
The second, held by many Oslo supporters, was that the existence of a
dictatorial regime in these territories was more of an advantage than a
disadvantage. They assumed that Arafat, uninhibited by the constraints
imposed
by democratic rule, would find it far easier to contend with Hamas
terrorists,
while simultaneously concentrating on economic prosperity for his people.
The past decade has proven these assumptions to be naive and unrealistic, as
they ignore the fundamental difference between the interests of democratic
leaders and those of dictators. In a democracy, the leader is dependent on
the
will of the people. In a dictatorship, the people are dependent on the will
of
the leader. In a democracy, therefore, a leader always strives to bring about
economic prosperity and peace for his constituents, opting for war only as a
last resort. In contrast, a dictator, who lives in constant fear of a popular
uprising, must always look for methods of maintaining full control over his
people. Such control must be perpetually strengthened by seeking out an
external enemy, and mobilizing the people to war, or even better, holy war,
against it.
It is for this reason that, while Israel and other countries in the free
world
sought to strengthen Arafat (believing that "a strong leader will bring about
a strong peace"), Arafat exploited this to the hilt by investing every shekel
and dollar of Israeli and international aid to encourage the inflammatory
hatred of Israel and to construct a terrorist infrastructure.
Given a choice between peace and economic prosperity, or tyranny and terror -
Arafat always chose the latter.
The time has come for a new leadership, which, unlike Arafat, is interested
in
improving the lives of the Palestinian people in ways that include building
peaceful relations with Israel. The time has come for a leadership that is
dependent on the will of its people. Of course, it is impossible to ignore
the
fact that, after a decade of demonization of Israel and incitement to terror,
it will be very difficult to find Palestinian leaders who dare to work openly
for genuine peace.
In order to enable such leaders to emerge and to operate free of fear, a
period of transition is absolutely necessary. During this period, the
foundations of democratic life can be laid in Palestinian society so that the
effects of the hateful propaganda and terrorist activities against Israel can
be neutralized. At this stage, a widespread international effort should be
made to establish the foundations of a modern economy, infrastructure, and
welfare services in Palestinian society.
Just as Germany and Japan had to undergo a process of political and economic
rehabilitation in order to rejoin the international community following World
War II, Palestinian society will need to undergo a similar transition.
A people consumed with hate cannot be persuaded to coexist with another
people
in harmony; a people with no hope of feeding their families will not adopt
democratic procedures. The Arafat leadership is corrupt, despotic and
dedicated to Israel's destruction. It is not and cannot be our partner.
We owe it to ourselves and to our future to help the Palestinians help
themselves. All of us will reap the rewards.
(Natan Sharansky is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction
and
Housing).
 

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More about Abouna Labib Kobti articles please visit:
http://www.al-bushra.org/LabibKobti/labib.htm