20.9.03
Israeli delegation heads to US to discuss Apartheid Wall
It's funny: Israelis and Americans discussing the route of the Apartheid Wall - but where are the Palestinians, the people this monstrosity is going to impact most? But, then again, when you're building a cage to lock people in like animals, asking their opinion about it seems kind of superfluous.
We find out that the "compromise solution" is no better than the wall:
This is exactly why bilateral "negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians will never yield any kind of settlement. As soon as Palestinian attacks against Israelis cease and the world looks away because no one is dying, then "negotiations" or, more accurately, negotiations to resume "negotiations", may begin, during which time the Israeli government will accelerate work on its settlement project (now including the Apartheid Wall) in the West Bank. The record is very clear: settlement expansion happened under the Rabin Labor government, it happened under Peres, it happened under Netanyahu, it happened under Barak, and now it is happening under Sharon, who continued settlement activity in the West Bank in direct violation of the so-called "road map". The Palestinians are being asked to give up the same amount to get less and less as each day goes by.
No one in their right mind would expect a pauper to be able to fairly "negotiate" with a millionaire who had stolen the former's property and refused to give it back. Indeed, no one would expect that a pauper would have to negotiate for what was rightfully his/hers in the first place. Yet the US is asking the Palestinians to assume the role of pauper in this equation and, as with these "negotiations" over the route of the Apartheid Wall into the West Bank, is happily assisting the millionaire in his robbery.
The expectation that the Palestinians will accept a "state" of little Sowetos, surrounded by concrete walls and barbed wire, is sheer fantasy. No one in the world would do that. But what will happen when Sharon turns this sick dream into a reality? Will the world keep up the illusion of "negotiations" then?
It's funny: Israelis and Americans discussing the route of the Apartheid Wall - but where are the Palestinians, the people this monstrosity is going to impact most? But, then again, when you're building a cage to lock people in like animals, asking their opinion about it seems kind of superfluous.
We find out that the "compromise solution" is no better than the wall:
Israel will tell U.S. officials that the section of the fence between the settlements Elkana and Alei Zahav will not be built, leaving a "break" opposite Ariel, one of the largest West Bank settlements.Further, we see that the decision not to build the wall here is being taken for purely tactical reasons and that it will be constructed at some point:
Instead, the area left open will be guarded by a bolstered IDF presence, as well as roadblocks and other barriers aimed at protecting the adjacent settlements.
Sharon told the Likud ministers that Israel should officially adopt Mofaz's plan, and postpone construction of the fence around Ariel until the international political climate became more favorable.Meaning as soon as the rest of the world gets distracted by the next dog-and-pony show and loses interest in what is going on in Palestine.
This is exactly why bilateral "negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians will never yield any kind of settlement. As soon as Palestinian attacks against Israelis cease and the world looks away because no one is dying, then "negotiations" or, more accurately, negotiations to resume "negotiations", may begin, during which time the Israeli government will accelerate work on its settlement project (now including the Apartheid Wall) in the West Bank. The record is very clear: settlement expansion happened under the Rabin Labor government, it happened under Peres, it happened under Netanyahu, it happened under Barak, and now it is happening under Sharon, who continued settlement activity in the West Bank in direct violation of the so-called "road map". The Palestinians are being asked to give up the same amount to get less and less as each day goes by.
No one in their right mind would expect a pauper to be able to fairly "negotiate" with a millionaire who had stolen the former's property and refused to give it back. Indeed, no one would expect that a pauper would have to negotiate for what was rightfully his/hers in the first place. Yet the US is asking the Palestinians to assume the role of pauper in this equation and, as with these "negotiations" over the route of the Apartheid Wall into the West Bank, is happily assisting the millionaire in his robbery.
The expectation that the Palestinians will accept a "state" of little Sowetos, surrounded by concrete walls and barbed wire, is sheer fantasy. No one in the world would do that. But what will happen when Sharon turns this sick dream into a reality? Will the world keep up the illusion of "negotiations" then?
