[lbo-talk] Knesset plenum votes: `West Bank and Gaza are not occupied territories`

[Bryan Atinsky]

With Sharon away, the Likud MKs play
By Gideon Alon in Ha'aretz
    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=318672

The Likud faction in the Knesset yesterday took advantage of Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's absence abroad to push a hawkish resolution through the
Knesset plenum.

In a 26-8 vote on the road map, the Knesset ruled "the areas of Yesha are
not `occupied territory' - neither historically, according to international
law, nor according to political agreements signed by Israel."

The decision says "the Knesset decides that the right of the Jewish people
to the Land of Israel is a national, historic, eternal right that cannot be
questioned" and that "the Knesset strengthens the hands of the settlers in
Yesha and calls on the government to continue developing the settlements."

The proposal, initiated by former cabinet secretary Gideon Sa'ar MK, was
backed by the prime minister's son, MK Omri Sharon, ministers Gideon Ezra
and Uzi Landau, and by National Union, Shas and National Religious Party
MKs. Opposing the bill were MKs from Labor, Meretz and the Arab parties.
Sa'ar said the vote represented a national consensus and is based on the
government's guidelines.

The resolution includes: "Red lines - Israeli sovereignty over all of
Jerusalem; preservation of security zones, including a security zone west of
the separation fence and one in the east in the Jordan valley; absolute
opposition to any Palestinian refugees being allowed to resettle inside
Israel; dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, and an end to incitement
as a condition for any negotiations over political agreements."

Asked if he didn't think the resolution would embarrass the prime minister,
in Europe for meetings in London and Norway, Sa'ar said "I learned
everything in the resolution from Sharon when we worked together. To the
best of my knowledge, all those red lines are acceptable to the prime
minister."

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http://www.miftah.org

Israeli Parliament: there are no occupied territories
By MIFTAH
July 18, 2003


The Israeli Parliament, known as the Knesset, approved a draft legislation
on Tuesday claiming that the West Bank and Gaza are not territories occupied
by Israel. This decision deals a major blow to the already faltering peace
process.

The proposal, presented by the ruling hard-liners of the Likud party, states
that “[the] West Bank and Gaza Strip, whether historically or based on
international law and agreements signed by Israel, are not occupied
territories.”

Outlining red lines that must not be crossed in future peace negotiations,
the approved resolution calls upon the Israeli government not to accept any
concession in relation to Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and the return of
Palestinian refugees.

The issue of refugees, specifically, may push back recent movements on the
U.S.-backed ?roadmap’ to peace, such as the Palestinian factions’ truce and
Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and Bethlehem. There are about
four million Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in surrounding Arab
countries, hoping for the right to return. But this law confirms Israel’s
refusal to recognize the right of Palestinian refugees to return, in fear of
destroying the country’s ‘Jewish character.’

The Knesset passed the bill with a majority of 26 lawmakers, including 17
Likud members, in favour and only eight opposed. Israeli commentators
consider the resolution part of the Likud party’s efforts to hinder Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon from advancing with the ‘roadmap,’ which
promises an independent Palestinian state by 2005.

Although the new legislation is not yet binding, it further weakens Sharon's
credibility as a man of his word, especially since he recently signaled
Israeli readiness to end "occupation" of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"I think that the idea of keeping 3.5 million Palestinians under occupation
is the worst thing for Israel, for the Palestinians and also for the Israeli
economy," Sharon said in statements carried by the Israeli Maariv newspaper
on May 25.

However, political analysts suspect Sharon’s statement was merely a
political manuever that would never be put to the test. But upon receiving
instant criticism from his Likud party, the Israeli leader immediately
retracted his statement and continued issuing orders for more settlement
construction, incursions and military control of the occupied territories.
Even so, as evident from the parliament’s decision, skepticism toward Sharon
’s political power lingers.

Sharon received another embarrassment this week during his European tour to
improve relations and gain support for Israel’s agenda in the peace process.
He failed to convince Britain and Norway to cut all ties and relations with
Palestinian National Authority President Yasser Arafat.

“We certainly meet with those we want to meet with. We shall not be told who
we can meet with. No way we are going to change our policy,” Norwegian
Foreign Minister Jan Petersen told AFP.

The Palestinian National Authority condemned the Knesset’s decision as
another obstacle and set-back to the settlement of the decades-old conflict.
With all the stumbling blocks in the peace process over the years, the PNA
questions ever finding a peace partner in Israel.

“Such decisions are dangerous, destructive for the peace process and
roadmap,” the PNA said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

The Knesset’s ratification of this legislation is one of many moves by the
Israeli government that undermine the current peace agreements. Since July 1
the Israeli government has violated every recent agreement it has made by
carrying out military invasions of Palestinian areas, implementing a
campaign of abductions, opening fire on civilian areas without being
provoked, imposing curfews and not relaxing its “draconian” closure that
restricts all movement for Palestinians. In addition, land confiscation and
destruction of Palestinian property continues unabated.

Despite promises to dismantle settlement outposts and halt construction on
settlements throughout the West Bank and Gaza, the Israeli government has
established 17 new outposts and called for the continuation of construction.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is expected to meet
with U.S. President Bush in Washington on July 25 to discuss the
implementation of the phases in the ‘roadmap.’

“This visit will be centered on the commitments made by Israel to freeze
settlements in the progress in the peace process,” a Palestinian official
told AFP Wednesday.