Disturbing the peace process
Disturbing the peace process
Apparently Ariel Sharon is disturbing the peace process:
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) accused the Palestinians of doing little to combat "terror", adding a note of discord to an otherwise positive atmosphere ahead of next week's peace summit.
"The Palestinian side hasn't done a thing except to deploy its forces in Gaza before taking significant steps in the war on terror," Sharon said in a telephone conversation with his Norwegian counterpart Kjell Magne Bondevik, details of which were released by his office.
So Sharon's statement, not Palestinian non-compliance is the problem.
In a related note the planned Israeli release of 900 convicts is apparently not enough:
The prisoner issue is one of the most emotionally charged on the Israeli-Palestinian agenda, and a large-scale release would boost Abbas' efforts to negotiate an end to the armed Palestinian uprising.
Israel holds more than 7,000 Palestinians prisoners, many of them arrested in the current round of fighting.
Palestinian officials have complained that Israel's decision to release 900 prisoners is insufficient. They are pushing for the immediate release of some 400 prisoners convicted before 1993, when Israel and the PLO signed a mutual recognition agreement.
Hisham Abdel Razek, Palestinian Cabinet minister in charge of prisoner issues, said that if Israel does not ease its criteria, it could hurt Abbas.
Yes it's emotionally charge. But does it help the cause of peace?
IMRA tells us:
Israel Radio defense correspondent Carmella Menashe reported this morning
that there is wall-to-wall opposition in the Shabak (ISS) to large prisoner
releases.
Opposition includes not only the senior officials but also the people
working in the field.
The Shabak officials cite two major consequences of the release program:
A decline in deterrence: terrorists considering action will assume that if
they are caught that they can expect to be released in a future round of
releases rather than remain behind bars.
A significant increase in skill level of the terrorists in the field: the
terrorists receive considerable training from their colleagues during the
course of their time in prison in the planning and execution of terrorist
attacks. Israel's experience with past releases is that the released
terrorists substantially strengthened and improved the ability of the terror
groups they returned to to carry out attacks against Israel.
The Shabak officials warn that the release would mean that the Herculean
efforts of the Shabak to capture the terrorists would be for naught and
suggest that Israel wait to see what happens with PA compliance before
taking this step.
The reason that prisoner releases are so important is because they're part of the Palestinian effort to whitewash their crimes against Israel. So they say that these releases are important. Israel then is in a quandary. Oppose the releases and oppose "peace." Or give in.
Another possibility would be for Israel document how many released terrorists returned to terror. Alas it seems that Israel's main consideration is to avoid being seen as obstinate, regardless of the conseqences.
Crossposted on
Israpundit and
Soccer Dad.
Posted by David Gerstman at February 7, 2005 04:13 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.israpundit.com/mt-tb.cgi/7705
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Disturbing the peace process:
» Disturbing the peace process from Soccer Dad
Apparently Ariel Sharon is disturbing the peace process:Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) accused the Palestinians of doing little to combat "terror", adding a note of discord to an otherwise positive atmosphere ahead of next week'... [Read More]
Tracked on February 7, 2005 04:39 AM
1
.
BobW
said:
All this is tangental. The prisoner release is merely an indicator lamp warning that Israel has no negotiating strength. The release is a fait accompli.
Plus, it is not relevant.
There will be no peace. Abu Mazen does not have the power and control to cause a cessation of hostilities.
Israel does not have governmental institutions to successfully confront the barbarians.
Israel does not exercise statesmanship. For any private citizen to read that the successor in office to King David had a telephone conversation with the chief of state of Norway - once a part of Sweden - is indicative of the situation. Third parties consider Israel a regional power. Some consider Israel a light unto the nations - and we read about PM Sharon complaining to one of many countries.
Without institutions practicing Jewish statemanship, Israeli Prime Ministers will be relegated to matters such as releasing murderers from prison.
"And they shall not have to bear again the taunts of the nations."
Ezekiel 34:29
Although Shabak is 100% correct - along with Aman's military perspective - any 18 year old kid showing up at Tel Hashomer for induction could have given the same accurate forecasts.
Kol tov,
BobW
Posted by: BobW on February 7, 2005 05:15 AM
2
.
mal
said:
I have two words Efraim Karsh
http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/10639
Posted by: mal on February 7, 2005 08:25 AM
3
.
Daniel
said:
I am studying at Hebrew U for the year and I have a site of about my experiences. Check it out at www.danielpaulrubenstein.com
Posted by: Daniel on February 7, 2005 11:07 AM
Disturbing the peace process
Apparently Ariel Sharon is disturbing the peace process:
So Sharon's statement, not Palestinian non-compliance is the problem.In a related note the planned Israeli release of 900 convicts is apparently not enough:
Yes it's emotionally charge. But does it help the cause of peace?IMRA tells us:
The reason that prisoner releases are so important is because they're part of the Palestinian effort to whitewash their crimes against Israel. So they say that these releases are important. Israel then is in a quandary. Oppose the releases and oppose "peace." Or give in.
Another possibility would be for Israel document how many released terrorists returned to terror. Alas it seems that Israel's main consideration is to avoid being seen as obstinate, regardless of the conseqences.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
Posted by David Gerstman at February 7, 2005 04:13 AM