Tag: West Bank

Gershon Baskin: "There is a package deal – and either we both win, or we both lose"

There has been a steady drip of leaks in the past couple of weeks. Something is in the air.

Today, Gershon Baskin, the Israeli co-CEO (with Palestinian Hanna Siniora) of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, wrote in the Jerusalem Post that the outlines of a package deal have taken shape. All that needs to be done is to grasp the opportunity.

Baskin writes: “The only way to prevent the next round of violence, which will signal the beginning of the end of the two-state solution, is to reach an agreement as soon as possible. It may not be possible before the end of the Bush administration, but the parties should already indicate their commitment to go beyond that deadline into the beginning of the next US administration. Both sides will have to make concessions on fundamentals, crossing lines that were painted “red” for them in the past. There is a package deal that can be reached and agreed upon.

“The Palestinian state will have to be established on about 96 percent-97% of the West Bank and all of Gaza (once the political regime there changes). Israel will have to give up most of the West Bank, including the ‘Ariel finger’, and should consider accepting a fair monetary price from the Palestinians for Ma’aleh Adumim – two areas that take up huge tracks of land in the West Bank . Most of the settlers will be able to remain in the areas where they live today.

“The parties have already accepted the principle of a 50-50 split of the ‘no-man’s’ land areas alongside of the Green Line. Finding 3%-4% of land inside of the Green Line for a swap is not so problematic. The Palestinians already understand and are willing to wait a period of at least five years for Israel to vacate all of the settlements that will be transferred to them. They are also ready to offer citizenship to settlers who may wish to remain within their state.

“PART OF the package includes recognizing that Jerusalem will be the capital of both countries. The Palestinian capital will be in the Palestinian parts of east Jerusalem and Israel ‘s capital will remain in west Jerusalem . The Palestinians understand that the Jewish neighborhoods within the municipal boundaries that were built after 1967 will remain under Israeli sovereignty. They account for about 1% of the West Bank .

“The Old City will be shared under a special regime, perhaps with international involvement, or through the division of sovereignty within its walls. The Palestinians will have sovereignty over the Muslim, Christian and Armenian Quarters and Israel will have sovereignty over the Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter is already physically separated from the other quarters by internal checkpoints. The Palestinians will have sovereignty or guardianship over the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and Israel will have sovereignty or guardianship over the Western Wall. Both sides will agree not to dig, excavate, renovate or construct anything on, around or underneath the “Holy Compound” without mutual agreement.

“All of the mainstream rabbinic authorities agree that no Jew should enter the area of the Temple Mount until the messiah comes. Until that time, the Temple Mount will be turned over the Palestinians de jure instead of just de facto as now. When the messiah comes, we can all agree to place the issue of sovereignty in his/her hands.

“Both sides will guarantee the right of access and prayer at holy places within their sovereign areas for members of the relevant faiths from the other state.

“PALESTINIAN REFUGEES will go home to the state of Palestine . Perhaps Israel will accept some humanitarian cases of family reunification. There will be financial compensation available for all Palestinian refugees for real property loss claims and for suffering. The State of Israel will participate in an international fund for that purpose.

“Palestinians and Israelis will recognize the Jewishness of Israel and the Palestinianess of Palestine. Both sides will agree to ensure the equal rights and opportunities for minorities within their state. Palestinian Israeli citizens will remain within the State of Israel, as part of their birthright and Jewish citizens of Palestine will be welcome to remain within the Palestinian state as long as they wish.
…
“It may take years to implement the agreement. Everything will depend on the security situation. Both sides will end up agreeing to an international force being stationed within the Palestinian state for an agreed designated period. That force will be composed of and led by European nations.

“It is quite clear that both sides will have to allow their people to vote for the agreement – for it to be ratified by the people…”

The article by Gershon Baskin in the JPost today can be read in full here.

Checkpoints — the reality is unbearable

Both of Israel’s major English-language papers published photos of checkpoints today that give a bit of an idea of what they are like.

The Jerusalem Post:

AP - file photo of an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank

Haaretz:

AP - file photo of Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah

 

But this is an old photo of Qalandia, because the new reality is of a concrete cattle house, and now these soldiers would be inside protective rooms, and the people would be channeled through confining turnstyles…

And the Jerusalem Post Press is reporting that Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad, speaking in Washington Monday night before meeting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said that “although is was impossible to remove all the roadblocks in one day, Israel should at least make a start”. This JPost story is here.

Daniel Levy comment on the Bush visit

Of course, this is not all that Daniel Levy wrote.

But he did say this: “In general terms, the president has displayed remarkable indifference bordering on callousness toward the Palestinian predicament. Being attuned to Israeli security concerns, as he should be, should not preclude the president from achieving a human understanding of the Palestinian reality. The president seemed to avoid any exposure to the harshness of Palestinian daily realities during his visit … President Bush went on to dismiss UN resolutions related to the conflict and he is apparently accepting a very limited definition of settlement freeze that does not include either the settlement blocs or East Jerusalem. These positions mark yet another negative contribution to dealing with the conflict from this administration”…

This excerpt is from a post on Daniel Levy’s blog here.

Bush reads out "report card" to journalists in Jerusalem

Bush read out a sort of “report card” to journalists this evening in Jerusalem after his two days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Here are some rough notes, in no particular order, from audio just broadcast on Kol Israel Radio:

“There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967…

“There must be a negotiation that will lead to a state of Palestine that is viable, contiguous, sovereign and independent. The establishment of a Palestinian state is long overdue.

“Security for Israel and viability for the Palestinian state are in the interests of both sides. No agreement, and no Palestinian state, will be born of terror.

“On Israeli side (there should not be) any settlement expansion and removing unauthorized outposts

“Implementation of any agreement is subject to implementation of the Road Map.

This agreement can and should happen by the end of this year, and I am committed to do what I can…”

Bush also expressed his “appreciation” of the Arab League initiative.

OK, here are the real words actually spoken, according to a White House transcript:

President Bush Discusses Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
King David Hotel
Jerusalem
5:27 P.M. (LOCAL)

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I’d like to, first, thank Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas for their hospitality during my trip here to the Holy Land. We had very good meetings, and now is the time to make difficult choices.

I underscored to both Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas that progress needs to be made on four parallel tracks. First, both sides need to fulfill their commitments under the road map. Second, the Palestinians need to build their economy and their political and security institutions. And to do that, they need the help of Israel, the region, and the international community. Third, I reiterate my appreciation for the Arab League peace initiative, and I call upon the Arab countries to reach out to Israel, a step that is long overdue.

In addition to these three tracks, both sides are getting down to the business of negotiating. I called upon both leaders to make sure their teams negotiate seriously, starting right now. I strongly supported the decision of the two leaders to continue their regular summit meetings, because they are the ones who can, and must, and — I am convinced — will lead.

I share with these two leaders the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. Both of these leaders believe that the outcome is in the interest of their peoples and are determined to arrive at a negotiated solution to achieve it.

The point of departure for permanent status negotiations to realize this vision seems clear: There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967. The agreement must establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people. These negotiations must ensure that Israel has secure, recognized, and defensible borders. And they must ensure that the state of Palestine is viable, contiguous, sovereign, and independent.

It is vital that each side understands that satisfying the other’s fundamental objectives is key to a successful agreement. Security for Israel and viability for the Palestinian state are in the mutual interests of both parties.

Achieving an agreement will require painful political concessions by both sides. While territory is an issue for both parties to decide, I believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and to ensure that the Palestinian state is viable and contiguous. I believe we need to look to the establishment of a Palestinian state and new international mechanisms, including compensation, to resolve the refugee issue.

I reaffirm to each leader that implementation of any agreement is subject to implementation of the road map. Neither party should undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudices the final status negotiations. On the Israeli side that includes ending settlement expansion and removing unauthorized outposts. On the Palestinian side that includes confronting terrorists and dismantling terrorist infrastructure.

I know Jerusalem is a tough issue. Both sides have deeply felt political and religious concerns. I fully understand that finding a solution to this issue will be one of the most difficult challenges on the road to peace, but that is the road we have chosen to walk.

Security is fundamental. No agreement and no Palestinian state will be born of terror. I reaffirm America’s steadfast commitment to Israel’s security.

The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it. And it will enhance the stability of the region, and it will contribute to the security of the people of Israel. The peace agreement should happen, and can happen, by the end of this year. I know each leader shares that important goal, and I am committed to doing all I can to achieve it.

Thank you.

END 5:32 P.M. (Local)
This transcript is posted here.

Another bloody closure — for Bush's visit

It is 11:40 pm in Jerusalem, and this notice just arrived by email: “In accordance with the decision made by the Minister of Defense and as part of the security measure adopted by the defense establishment in light of the upcoming visit of the President of the United States , Mr. George Bush, a general closure will be implemented in Judea and Samaria . The closure will begin tonight, Tuesday, January 8th at 12:00 am and will be lifted on Saturday, January 12th, 2008, in accordance with security assessments.  For the duration of the closure, the passage of Palestinians in need of humanitarian aid will be authorized by the District Coordination and Liaison offices.  The IDF will work to ensure the safety of the citizens of Israel , while preserving, to the best of its ability, the daily life of the Palestinian population that is not involved in terrorism”.

Rice says a settlement is a settlement — whether in West Bank or East Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post has reported that “US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that the US does not consider it legitimate for Israel to build homes in some neighborhoods of the capital which are located beyond the Green Line. In a conversation held in the ornate antechamber of her office, she went further than US officials have previously gone toward clarifying her government’s position on the matter. Her remarks set the stage for a confrontation over the issue when Rice and US President George W. Bush visit Israel this week and try to move the peace process forward. Israel, which annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 war, does not equate the capital’s Jewish neighborhoods over the Green Line with the settlements located in the West Bank. As such, it does not believe that construction there is bound by its obligation under the road map peace plan, which calls for a freeze of all settlement activity. But Rice on Monday clarified that the US believes that portions of east Jerusalem are considered to be ‘settlements’ and that Israel must stop building there as part of its commitment to implement the first phase of the road map.
Rice said ‘the United States doesn’t make a distinction’ between settlement activity in east Jerusalem and the West Bank and that the road map obligations are on ‘settlement activity generally’. She was speaking during an interview conducted by the Post and Ynet ahead of her departure for the region. Rice referred specifically to Jerusalem’s Har Homa enclave as one such proscribed neighborhood. “Har Homa is a settlement the United States has opposed from the very beginning,” she said in response to a question from the Post. She didn’t, however, clarify whether other Jerusalem neighborhoods over the Green Line, such as Gilo and Ramot, were also settlements in the eyes of the United States when asked. ‘The important point here is that we need to have an agreement so that we can stop having this discussion about what belongs to Israel and what doesn’t’, she said in response’.”

That was probably a nice quick recovery from Rice — how is she supposed to know every inch of the very complicated greater Jerusalem area? How is she supposed to know where Gilo is, where Ramot is, and all the details about each particular case?

This JPost report is here.

Hope Springs Eternal – Palestinians somewhat excited about Bush visit, after all

Ramattan News Agency reported today that American planes were spotted over Ramallah today, where Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas works out of the Muqata’a presidential compound. “RNA reporter said About six types of American airplanes, including helicopters, landed in the Palestinian presidential compound in Ramallah and in the city of Bethlehem. The US president George W. Bush will visit some Arab countries in addition to Israel to discuss some issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process … Hamas Movement in Gaza said that Bush’s visit is ‘a good chance to have photos’. Sami Abu Zuhri the spokesman of Hamas said ‘Bush visit is not welcomed; it aims to support Israel and to encourage its occupation to the Palestinian lands’.” The Ramattan News Agency report is posted here.

Ma’an News Agency reports that “48 hours remain before George Bush arrives in the Palestinian territories and Israel. Taxi drivers began to ask journalists about whether the Palestinian Authority will impose curfew on the residents of the West Bank during Bush’s visit to Ramallah and Bethlehem. Journalists reply, smilingly, no. The Israeli media has been busy covering the news and expectations for the visit. The Israeli government is also trying to benefit from the activity of the Israeli media in forming a front to exert pressure on the U.S administration so as to prevent any exaggerated US promises from Bush to the Palestinians. Palestinian officials and media outlets address the issue with unjustified caution, translating or quoting what the foreign and the Israeli media write on the topic. It seems the Palestinian media believe that abstention from commenting positively or negatively on the visit will be helpful to Palestinians or Americans. What has been written by the Palestinians was not more than exaggerated positive or negative comments without addressing the necessary questions on the visit. US helicopters and security guards landed on Monday in Ramallah and fled over Bethlehem arousing a smile amongst Palestinians. People wonder, ‘Are those the U.S choppers?’ Many called their friends and relatives to tell them to watch these helicopters and the Americans coming to visit us from the windows. These feelings remind some of us of the visit by former US president Bill Clinton to Gaza Strip, Ramallah and Bethlehem in 1998. He was then received in great hospitality by then-Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. So warm was the welcome that Palestinians joked with one another, ‘Oh guest, had you visited us, you would have discovered that we were the guests and you were the host’. A Palestinian security officer told Ma’an: ‘Frankly speaking, we do not know what this visit could produce. On the one hand, Bush promises to establish a Palestinian state before his term is over and that is good, yet when we watch the Israeli conducts on the ground, we become overwhelmed with despair and we fail to believe what Bush says’ … The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member from Bethlehem Muhammad Al-Lahham said: ‘We are before a very significant step. We should take advantage of the US president’s time and efforts to answer the Palestinian question. If the visitor does not stand before Arafat’s grave, it is more important that he answers the Palestinian questions of Jerusalem, independent state, freedom, right of return and Palestinian dignity which Arafat gave his life trying to answer”. http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=27066

Where would I take President Bush?

It has looked as though POTUS (the President of the United States, who happens to be George W. Bush at the moment) will be going to the Muqata’a in Ramallah, and to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem (which Condi found a moving experience). Jericho had reportedly also been on the schedule, but this is not certain.

Then, one of the Israeli papers seems to suggest Saturday evening that Bush will be having all his meetings in the King David Hotel in West Jerusalem (for security reasons?) — but this could just be the not-unusual Israeli ignoring of anything Palestinian to the extent possible.  (Other reports suggest that the IDF recent operations in Gaza and in Nablus could affect the Bush itinerary — though of course he is not going to Gaza at the moment, unfortunately…)

POTUS will be going to Yad Vashem next Friday — an obligatory stop, paying homage to the millions of Jewish victims of the Holocaust in World War II, an event which underpinned the urgency of the establishment of the State of Israel. But, but, as the Palestinians will say, he will not make stop at Deir Yassin (the sight of a 1948 massacre of Palestinian civilians), which is right nearby — thus failing to acknowledge the Palestinian “narrative”. (To be fair, virtually no heads of state visiting Israel have ever done such a thing, either).

Kim asked me yesterday in an email, after I complained that I feared Bush would not see even half of the story here, “If you were one of his handlers, what would you schedule him to do?”

OK, I’ll bite. Just off the top of my head, a non-exhaustive list …

If I could make his program, I’d take on a tour of The Wall — without missing the huge Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah (he’ll be going by another way if he goes to Ramallah — a DCO checkpoint for international organizations which is usually not too bad. I’d let him go and just hang out at a couple of checkpoints for a while — like the Israeli ladies from Machsom (Checkpoint) Watch. I’d take him to a refugee camp or two. I’d take him to Nablus, where the IDF has just been operating non-stop for three days, destroying a new and vaunted program approved by Gen. Dayton for PA Security deployment there (except at night, when the IDF normally ruled, to PA chagrin). I’d take him to downtown Hebron, where the settlers throw rocks at old women and Palestinian children have to be escorted to school by internationals. I’d drive him through East Jerusalem, and let him see the garbage piling up. I’d also take him on an East Jerusalem tour run by Ir Amim to explain the settlements intertwined all around and between Palestinian almost everywhere. I’d take him to the sites of a couple of house demolitions. I’d take him to the area around Bethlehem, where settlements are growing faster than mushrooms. I’d take him to Ofer prison camp, just outside Jerusalem, where people arrested in the West Bank are usually taken — many are processed and taken elsewhere, inside Israel — but many still remain in Ofer. Just last week, a 13-year-old was released from there after some two month’s detention. There are between 150-200 children detained at any point in time. I’d even take him to Gaza — and if not, then at least to Erez crossing into Gaza, which has a zone like a scene in Star Wars between the Israeli military and where the Gazans are allowed to come. It’s a pity he wouldn’t probably be allowed to visit the sites of targetted assassinations inside Gaza. I’d take him to the Dead Sea, then up the Jordan valley — now totally Israeli controlled — to the Sea of Galilee. I’d let him see the baptismal spot on the Jordan River where Christians immerse themselves in robes made of white sheets — just above, literally, by meters, a tourist complex where the toilets open directly into the river…

Gideon Levy – passionate on POTUS and on ending the Occupation

Gideon Levy has written passionately in Haaretz today about U.S. President George Bush’s imminent visit:

“George Bush is coming to Israel this week. He will take pleasure in his visit … There are also few other countries where the lame duck from Washington would not be greeted with mass demonstrations; instead, Israel is making great efforts to welcome him graciously. The man who has wreaked such ruin upon the world, upon his country, and upon us is such a welcome guest only in Israel … He led the U.S., and the free world in its wake, into two brutal and completely futile wars of conquest, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq. He sowed mass killing in these two wretched countries under the false pretext of a battle against global terror. But the world after these two wars is not a better world or a safer one … In Western Europe, in South America, in Asia, in all parts of the Arab and Muslim world and in parts of Africa, the sole global superpower has come to be viewed as a hostile, arrogant and ostracized entity. This is not good for America and it is not good for the world. Closer to home, it is worth remembering the damage Bush has caused to the Middle East. His seven years in power have been wasted years, barren and dangerous. Never has there been a president who gave Israel such an automatic carte blanche and even encouraged it to take violent action, to deepen and entrench the occupation. This is not friendship with Israel. This is not concern for its future. A president who did not even try to pressure Israel to end the occupation is a president who is hostile to it, indifferent to its future and fate. A president who endorsed every abomination – from the expansion of settlements to the failure to honor commitments and signed agreements, including those with U.S. such as the passages agreement and the freeze on settlement construction – is not a president who seeks the best for Israel or aspires to peace … This is all we got from Bush: a more entrenched and brutal occupation with the open, or tacit, encouragement of the U.S.; a green light for another superfluous war in Lebanon; a Hamas government in Gaza, which the U.S., and consequently the rest of the world, is boycotting – a measure that has only led to the starvation of Gaza, while failing to weaken Hamas; and U.S. authorization for “the settlement blocs.” The Middle East has only moved further away from peace during Bush’s tenure. His belated and feeble attempts to change this fact have not produced anything. Until a determined president is inaugurated in Washington who will engage in a serious effort to bring an end to the occupation, no peace will prevail here. Bush could have done this, but he abused his office” … This article by Gideon Levy on Bush’s impending visit is here.

Is Bush visit (to West Bank, at least) imperiled by Nablus operation?

The AP is reporting today that the Israeli operation in Nablus, which lasted four long and terrifying days, has now “wound up”.

Reporting from Nablus, Ali Daraghmeh writes that “Israel has largely scaled back its operations in the West Bank, controlled by moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, with whom Israel is holding peace talks. Palestinian officials said more than 40 people were wounded in the Nablus operation, which together with ongoing Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Gaza, has cast a shadow on an upcoming visit by President Bush. A leading Palestinian militant was hiding under a house where the Israeli military detonated seized explosives on Saturday. But he was pulled out the rubble unharmed and paraded through the streets on the shoulders of cheering supporters … Hundreds of soldiers patrolling on foot or in jeeps had barged into homes and shops since Wednesday night. As food supplies dwindled, some 30,000 people in Nablus’ center and Old City were placed under curfew, but the streets of the city of 170,000 had been largely deserted throughout the operation because residents were fearful of the raiding troops. Twenty militants were arrested by Saturday afternoon, and the military reported discovering a hidden store of weapons with rocket-making materials, an explosives laboratory, an explosives belt and ammunition … Before troops pulled out, Massoud Kalboneh, a 35-year-old construction worker, accused soldiers of roughing up his 5-year-old nephew after he dived under a bed, unaware that he was a child and thinking he was trying to escape. Because food supplies weren’t able, Kalboneh said he and his family lived off stored cheese and olives, and baked their own bread. “This was one of the most aggressive raids” Nablus has known, he said. Abbas’ government has singled out Nablus as a test case of its program to impose law and order in the chaotic West Bank. The city is a center of militant and criminal activity, and has often been the target of Israeli raids and extended curfews. Ohood Yaish, a 52-year old social worker who has been trapped at home by the curfew, said she was surprised by the Israeli raid after the Palestinian Authority assured city residents that their own police were in control. ‘All their reassurances were untrue’, she said. ‘Israel is the one in control, it is the one that decides and it has decided that we should stay at home all this time’. After the raid ended, residents booed Nablus Gov. Jamal Muheisin as he approached the Old City because he symbolized the authorities they felt had failed them. Muheisin quickly left the area”. This AP report on the IDF raid in Nablus is posted here.