You be calm, we'll build

[Englander]

By Danny Rubinstein

In the coming days, the Egyptians will continue their efforts to invite the heads of the Palestinian armed factions to Cairo to discuss an extension of the cease-fire agreement (the "lull"), which is about to expire at the end of the year - that is, in less than two months. The original agreement was achieved by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), with the help of the Egyptians last March, and although it has been violated frequently, it can be said that it has held. Witness the relatively low number of attacks and victims this year, on both sides. The Egyptians have scheduled the start of discussions in Cairo for the middle of this month, but there may be a postponement of several days.

Those who clearly support a continuation of the lull are Abu Mazen's coalition partners, whom he inherited from Yasser Arafat. But these are small factions without public backing, headed by the communists (the People's Party) and Fada (those who broke away from the Democratic Front). The problem, of course, is Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the leftist fronts and Fatah groups such as the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and others. These groups, taken together, have very broad popular support, and a great deal of effort will be necessary to convince their leadership to continue with the current relative calm.

>snip

The chances of continuing the current calm are good, mainly because most of the Palestinian public - which has become very tired and greatly weakened during the five years of the intifada - is interested in it. All the public opinion polls in the territories prove that. Moreover, Abu Mazen is putting all his weight behind the lull, and is receiving a great deal of Arab and international support, the likes of which no Palestinian leader has received in the past.

In spite of all that, we should make no mistake, not about Abu Mazen and not about Palestinian public opinion. The willingness for a lull - i.e., for a halt to the violence - does not reflect a Palestinian willingness to accept even minimal Israeli demands. Neither the separation fence that is being built on their land, nor the effort to "Judaize" Jerusalem, nor the reinforcement of the settlement blocs. From their point of view, the Israeli demand of them is: You Palestinians will sit quietly, and we Israelis will build settlements and outposts, remove Arabs from Jerusalem and bring Jews instead of them. That's how it has been all these years, even during the Oslo period, and that's how it will continue.

In light of this situation, every time the PA is asked "to dismantle the terror infrastructure" - in the West Bank and Gaza, this is understood as a demand for surrender, as a demand not to do anything in the face of Israeli activity. Therefore, the lull that continues will be very temporary and fragile. A kind of time-out during an intifada whose end is not in sight.

More at;
Haaretz

[Wordie]

1. This is exactly what Americans fail to understand about the conflict! n/t

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Colorado Blue]

3. Onesided article. If dismantling the terrorist infrastructure

isn't absolutely a key to future normalization, including hopefully the removal of the wall, the roadblocks, the reestablishment of commerce - then I don't know what is.

[Englander]

4. You're right, you don't know.

The article wasn't 'one-sided', it didn't ignore the failures
& intentions of the GOI, or the PA. There was no rw propaganda, so
in that sense it was 'one-sided', the author wasn't fair to the
architects of the brutal occupation.


From the BBC, on Gaza;

'Although Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, it retains control over all the territory's routes to the outside world.

A deal may be struck soon that would open the border between Gaza and Egypt. But much more important to the economy here is the movement of goods between Gaza and Israel.

The Israelis operate an extremely tight security regime that has reduced the flow of trade to a trickle, and sometimes shuts it off altogether.

Recently - at best - just 35 trucks a day have been getting through. Five or six times that number will be needed if Gaza's coming harvest season is to be a success. '

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4414972.stm

[eyl]

5. Gee, I wonder

why movement into Israel has been restricted.

Or are you positing Israel is doing so just out of spite?

[Englander]

6. Sharon? 'Spite'?

He's only in it for the Nobel Prize, shurely?

[pelsar]

7. trading with gaza....

israel is not responsable for gaza.....once they have access to egypt and the outside world, they can trade with whomever they like. Israel can decide who enters the borders and who doesnt...just like every other country in the world....

now israel is being blamed for not wanting to trade with gaza?......sure why not....i suppose the suicide bombers in the terminals have nothing to do with it......

and i suppose if egypt puts restrictions on goods going their way from gaza...israel will be blamed for that as well... (who wants to bet?)

[Englander]

8. So;

How do you reconcile the claim that 'israel is not responsable for
gaza', with the info that 'Although Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, it
retains control over all the territory's routes to the outside world.'
Because that certainly sounds like Israel has control over, & is
responsible for, Gaza. As does this;

'Israel evacuated its settlers and troops from Gaza earlier this year.

However, the Jewish state continues to control the territory's airspace, coastline and borders.'

I reconcile the two claims by rejecting yours - sorry, pelsar, but
I've got to go with the Beeb on this one. Although, is this a Freudian
slip, or are you admitting something?

--Israel can decide who enters the borders and who doesnt...just like every other country in the world....--