Roadmap Hits Dead End
Friday, August 29, 2003
By: Jo-ana D'Balcazar
(Jo-ana D'Balcazar, M.A. Political Analyst in International Relations specializing in the Middle East Crisis and the European Union.
paktoday.com
As predicted in previous articles, this Roadmap was destined to fail since its inception for not addressing the root problem, which is to eradicate all terrorism without negotiations inside the disputed lands of Gaza, Judea, Samaria and the Palestinian Authority. Trying to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict through this roadmap was a totally naïve illusion as demonstrated when Phase I failed to stop violence. While Israel sustains that suicide bombings broke the truce, Palestinian officials argue that the murders were precipitated by Israel's targeted assassinations. The question is, was it a matter of eradicating terrorism or negotiating with terrorists? The policy of homicide bombings does not lead to peaceful progress but to more chaos.
The latest suicide attack in Jerusalem clearly demonstrates that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas either has not the will, nor the power to stop terrorism. Thus, Abbas has failed to convince Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to stop targeting Israelis. Yet, the Palestinian Authority blames Israel of trying to kill the Roadmap.
Let us see the cause and effect. The inaction of PM Abbas to effectively take direct action in the eradication of terrorism leads or, should we say, forces Israel to take a direct action. As long as Islamic suicide bombings, which target innocent Jewish civilians, continue, Israel is just reacting to that senseless brutality, by targeting known leaders of the terrorist groups.
So there is very big difference between the two, one is an action, the other a reaction. If the suicide bombings stop tomorrow, Israel would have no need to retaliate, and peace would be immediate. Does the PA expect Israel to do nothing while terrorists destroy their country? The fact is that PM Abbas neither has shown political power nor can he guarantee ending the violence. For instance, when PM Abbas demanded Hamas to stop its terrorist activities, Hamas simply demanded him to resign! What were the results? Hamas began bombarding the Israeli town of Sderot with Qassam rockets.
Yet, every time homicide bombers attack Israel, the world trembles when Israel counterattacks. The international community is fast to condemn Israel reaction and asks to act with restrain but, unfortunately, it fails to condemn the terrorism and demand instead immediate and direct action from the PA. The fact is that violence is not only killing innocent civilians but also the hope of a Palestinian state. Clearly, a rogue state will only endanger Israel's right to exist.
An effective measure to curb terrorism, would be for the quartet, especially the European Union, to freeze the assets of so-called charities groups supporting Hamas. Hamas is responsible for many terrorist acts, including last Tuesday's suicide bombing, which killed 20 bus passengers, and injured almost a hundred. The problem is that the EU has not added HAMAS in their blacklist of terrorist organizations because it considers that there is a difference between Hamas military and the political wing.
The U.S., for his part, sends a wrong message when it also calls Israel to act with restrain. Israel is doing what the Palestinian Authority should have been doing "eradicating the terrorists' infrastructures." If terrorists started attacks against the U.S., would the U.S. refrain from destroying the terrorists? I do not think so. Then, why ask others to refrain when in reality, Israel - a democratic country - is defending their right to exist? Can Israel afford to remain unprotected and not counterattack while terrorists are killing innocent civilians?
Israel does not practice homicide bombings. The PA has not done its share by stopping terrorism but it is also itself a part of terrorism as al-Fatah and the al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade are responsible for many terrorist acts. Instead of the PA going after Hamas leaders and other terrorist groups, Israel is doing their job. Israel's targeted killing is not against innocent civilians, but directed against terrorist leaders responsible for the growing violence. Hence, Israel is pursuing a direct-action approach punishing the responsible for the atrocities.
It was ironically that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell remarked to Sharon about two weeks ago that "no Israelis were dying thanks to the agreement." Really? Then who are the ones who have been dying as a consequence of homicide bombings and other terrorist acts? The famous June 29 cease-fire truce agreement to stop temporarily violence, was only a bluff to re-arm. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have never renounced to their creed of destroying Israel. How could the quartet then expected that indeed this truce was going to work?
The point is clear. The U.S. must keep a consistent policy to send a strong message. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are both listed as terrorist groups in the U.S. State Department list. Instead of making the PA to take direct actions in the eradication of terrorists, Washington puts the burden on Israel by hinting to stop the policy of targeted killings of terrorist leaders responsible for the murders of innocent Israelis. Hence, instead of accepting false peace negotiations, why not eradicating their infrastructures to stop the killings?
What happened to the concept of a "terrorist is a terrorist"? Did violence stop despite Israel dismantling roadblocks to allow more Palestinians to work in Israel and releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners? No. These are the types of mistakes that instead of helping to solve the problems, contribute to increase the problems and complicate the already turbulent Arab-Israeli conflict. Wisely, Israel did not liberate the more of 6,000 prisoners demanded by the false terrorist truce. It would have been one of Israel's biggest political mistakes.
The pressure to force the PA to take serious actions to stop violence is critical. Moreover, Egyptian security adviser Osama el-Baz visited the disputed lands of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to pressure Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to eradicate terrorist groups. Allegedly, Egypt adopted this approach suggested by the U.S.
Yet, rhetorical demands are not needed, they have no face value. Unless PM Abbas is prepared to take effective action against Palestinian terrorists, including those within the Palestinian Authority, Israel will have no choice but to eradicate them itself. Now, should the U.S. support Israel and eradicate Hizbollah and Islamic Jihad once and for all? Alternatively, should Israel build up the security fence to appease terrorism? |
