Operation Defensive Shield brought to a climax Israel's military actions against terrorist elements in the West Bank. According to the army and the government, the IDF damaged the physical infrastructure and membership of organizations responsible for a long series of terror actions in the heart of Israel, and dealt a blow to those who planned more attacks. Many hope the blows suffered by these organization during the 23 days of the operation will contribute to the IDF's deterrence capabilities.
Government spokesmen made clear that the military operation is no replacement for political action. They reiterated and emphasized that the operation was meant to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure, thereby paving the way for a peace process. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon repeatedly declared that when quiet returns to the territories, the Palestinians - and the entire world - will be surprised by what he calls his proposals for the "painful compromises" he plans to put on the negotiating table.
During U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent visit to the region, Sharon proposed convening a regional peace conference in June, attended by the Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The prime minister even left open the possibility of discussing Saudi Arabia's plan, which is based on an Israeli withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 lines, as the format for a permanent arrangement in the territories and normal relations between Israel and its neighbors.
But in one go, Sharon's declaration at this week's government meeting changed the goal of the military operation and emptied his declarations of peace of their meaning. In response to a comment by one of the Labor Party ministers, who proposed translating the military success into political form by expressing readiness to dismantle some of the isolated settlements, the prime minister firmly stated he has no plans to discuss the issue before the next elections slated for November 2003. Yesterday, he reiterated to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he does not see any difference between an isolated settlement like Netzarim and Tel Aviv. With such statements, Sharon has erased hope that after the blow to the terrorist organizations, he now intends to offer hope to Israel's peace-loving neighbors. His words cast a dark shadow over U.S. President George W. Bush's statement that Sharon is a "man of peace."
Removing discussion about dismantling settlements from the political agenda - even if only referring to isolated settlements that are a major security burden, such as Netzarim and Kfar Darom in the heart of Gaza - essentially removes the political horizon from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The only message the Palestinians can find in Sharon's statements are that if they put down their weapons, the government has no plans to end the occupation in the foreseeable future. These statements, matched in deeds by adding the National Religious Party to the government, make null and void the heart of the government's political guidelines.
The Labor Party must demand the prime minister hold a debate on evacuating settlements, and if it receives a negative reply, it must quit the government and work with all its might to advance elections. Ariel Sharon must be made to understand that he can no longer fool those who support a political solution
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