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Sharon will press ahead with disengagement plan
By: MARILYN H. KARFELD Staff Reporter
Despite opposition from settlers and his own Likud party, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is determined to press ahead with his disengagement plan, says Daniel Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States.
Speaking last week on a variety of issues to a half-dozen Jewish reporters participating in a conference call, Ayalon said Sharon had the full authority to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and will do so "in Israel's best interest." The plan also includes evacuating four isolated settlements in the northern West Bank. At the same time, Sharon has said he plans to strengthen Israel's hold on large West Bank settlements.
Referring to an exchange of letters on April 14 between President Bush and Sharon, Ayalon said the U.S. endorsed and promoted the disengagement plan. "Now it is universally supported not just by the U.S., but by Europe and the G8 (U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom) and the (United Nations). I think it will take place."
Removing the 8,000 settlers in 21 settlements from Gaza, home to 1.8 million Palestinians, has the support of 70% of Israelis, Ayalon notes. The fact that his own party has rejected his disengagement plan is a challenge for Sharon, who has "to translate his popular support into the political arena," the ambassador said.
He scoffed at allegations that Larry Franklin, a mid-level Pentagon analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, passed classified documents about U.S. policy on Iran to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and that AIPAC, in turn gave the material to Israel.
"This is a non-issue," said Ayalon. "Whoever brought (the investigation) about is (motivated) either by incompetence or malicious intent."
The allegations, which he called "ridiculous" and "absurd," will ultimately strengthen, not weaken, U.S.-Israel relations, he says. The investigation will put to rest and "get out of the woodwork" all the rumors and conspiracy theories.
However, Iran is an "existential" threat to Israel, the entire Middle East, and beyond and has to be stopped, Ayalon says. Iran, he believes, is secretly working to obtain weapons of mass destruction, including ones with nuclear capabilities. Thus armed, Iran would be able to export with impunity terrorism and its radical ideology.
The ambassador disputed suggestions that, contrary to the road map agreement and assurances to the Bush administration, Israel has accelerated growth in the West Bank settlements. The road map text says Israel must freeze all settlement activity including natural growth.
"No new settlements are being built," Ayalon said. "There's no confiscation of new land. On the other hand, we have never accepted freezing all activity in the settlements, including natural growth."
He urged looking at the big picture, at Israel's courage in leaving Gaza, and not "nit-picking about maintaining the fabric of lives in the (West Bank) communities."
In the wake of last month's twin suicide bombings in Beersheva and the Israel Supreme Court's July ruling on the security fence, Israel is expediting construction of the barrier, Ayalon says. Although the court said Israel must reroute a portion of the barrier near Jerusalem to minimize hardship to Palestinians, the ambassador says the ruling also accepted "the fence as congruent with the right to self-defense."
While the government will abide by the Supreme Court decision, Ayalon dismissed the July ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In a nonbinding advisory opinion, that court ruled that the security barrier is illegal, violates the human rights of Palestinians and must be dismantled.
At The Hague, there is a real double standard of the most gross proportions," says Ayalon. "Instead of taking the terrorists, the murderers, into trial, they take us, the victims."
As terrorism continues around the world, Ayalon praised the resolve of the Israeli people "in the face of adversity." Israel has proven that terrorism can be fought effectively and "brought down to tolerable levels ... If you fight back, terrorism is not effective and cannot yield political success."
Speaking last week on a variety of issues to a half-dozen Jewish reporters participating in a conference call, Ayalon said Sharon had the full authority to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and will do so "in Israel's best interest." The plan also includes evacuating four isolated settlements in the northern West Bank. At the same time, Sharon has said he plans to strengthen Israel's hold on large West Bank settlements.
Referring to an exchange of letters on April 14 between President Bush and Sharon, Ayalon said the U.S. endorsed and promoted the disengagement plan. "Now it is universally supported not just by the U.S., but by Europe and the G8 (U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom) and the (United Nations). I think it will take place."
Removing the 8,000 settlers in 21 settlements from Gaza, home to 1.8 million Palestinians, has the support of 70% of Israelis, Ayalon notes. The fact that his own party has rejected his disengagement plan is a challenge for Sharon, who has "to translate his popular support into the political arena," the ambassador said.
He scoffed at allegations that Larry Franklin, a mid-level Pentagon analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, passed classified documents about U.S. policy on Iran to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and that AIPAC, in turn gave the material to Israel.
"This is a non-issue," said Ayalon. "Whoever brought (the investigation) about is (motivated) either by incompetence or malicious intent."
The allegations, which he called "ridiculous" and "absurd," will ultimately strengthen, not weaken, U.S.-Israel relations, he says. The investigation will put to rest and "get out of the woodwork" all the rumors and conspiracy theories.
However, Iran is an "existential" threat to Israel, the entire Middle East, and beyond and has to be stopped, Ayalon says. Iran, he believes, is secretly working to obtain weapons of mass destruction, including ones with nuclear capabilities. Thus armed, Iran would be able to export with impunity terrorism and its radical ideology.
The ambassador disputed suggestions that, contrary to the road map agreement and assurances to the Bush administration, Israel has accelerated growth in the West Bank settlements. The road map text says Israel must freeze all settlement activity including natural growth.
"No new settlements are being built," Ayalon said. "There's no confiscation of new land. On the other hand, we have never accepted freezing all activity in the settlements, including natural growth."
He urged looking at the big picture, at Israel's courage in leaving Gaza, and not "nit-picking about maintaining the fabric of lives in the (West Bank) communities."
In the wake of last month's twin suicide bombings in Beersheva and the Israel Supreme Court's July ruling on the security fence, Israel is expediting construction of the barrier, Ayalon says. Although the court said Israel must reroute a portion of the barrier near Jerusalem to minimize hardship to Palestinians, the ambassador says the ruling also accepted "the fence as congruent with the right to self-defense."
While the government will abide by the Supreme Court decision, Ayalon dismissed the July ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In a nonbinding advisory opinion, that court ruled that the security barrier is illegal, violates the human rights of Palestinians and must be dismantled.
At The Hague, there is a real double standard of the most gross proportions," says Ayalon. "Instead of taking the terrorists, the murderers, into trial, they take us, the victims."
As terrorism continues around the world, Ayalon praised the resolve of the Israeli people "in the face of adversity." Israel has proven that terrorism can be fought effectively and "brought down to tolerable levels ... If you fight back, terrorism is not effective and cannot yield political success."
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