The Oslo Agreements were based on the premise of land for peace. The Palestinians would take Israeli land, and would give Israel peace in return. Quite a decent bargain on the face of it. But in the nine years since Oslo was signed, they took 42% of the land in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, rejected an Israeli offer for 55% more, and gave Israel 822 dead and over 7000 wounded. It is quite apparent that the Palestinians have revoked the Oslo Accords.
After yesterday’s bombing in Jerusalem, Sharon convened the leaders of coalition parties and decided that from now on, Palestinian terrorism would result in the IDF retaking land currently under Palestinian control.
I, for one, am a bit skeptical. Will this decision mean a gradual territorial repeal of the Oslo Accords with the land coming back under Israeli jurisdiction? Or will it mean a longer version of the temporary IDF presence we have already become accustomed to?
Zionist optimism leads me to hope for the former. But a healthy empirical look at Sharon’s behavior throughout his tenure thus far keeps me skeptical.
Almost two years ago, Ehud Barak offered Yasser Arafat the windfall of his dreams. A Palestinian State in virtually all of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, the removal of all Jewish neighborhoods in these areas, and the transfer of sovereignty over the eastern part of Jerusalem to Palestinian control. He could have attained nationhood for his people, and retained the adoration of the world as a courageous leader bringing independence and freedom to the Arab nation. Arafat could have walked away the hero of the Arab world forever – the one who would reunify the entire Arab hegemony. He could even have moved on to unite the various tribes, sects, and national groupings into a revived Islamic realm.
That was Bill Clinton’s vision of Oslo. Instead, Arafat chose terrorism and war. He did not get any of the land offered to him, and the offer itself was withdrawn. He has been ostracized by the US president and even several European leaders. Today, a story was published on the Internet that even most Arab leaders are refusing to speak to him.
Arafat has brought shame and suffering on his own people. He has single-handedly caused a tripling of the Palestinian unemployment rate, and guaranteed the future poverty of virtually all Arabs in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. This is not what Oslo was meant to become.
Ariel Sharon seems to have finally realized that. The coalition decision last night to begin retaking land could signify the ultimate end of Oslo. Or it could be just another small step for Israel.
In response to the coalition decision, there was another suicide bombing in Jerusalem this evening. Now is the time for the decision to be implemented. Begin retaking the land that was given up under Oslo. This land was given to the Arabs and paid for with the blood of Israelis. Now it is time for Sharon to begin redeeming that blood by retaking the land. It is finally time to start fully applying the intent of the Oslo Accords, if not their content.
Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. Yehuda Poch is a journalist living in Israel. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission of the author only.
