Uncalculated Reckless Policy!
It is almost three years since Israeli Premier’s Sharon’s pledge to liquidate the Intifada, which he caused the Intifada through provocations and belittling of the feelings of millions . Day by day, it becomes more clear that Mr. Sharon’s 100-day ultimatum, operations under different names, and oppressive policies have neither realized security nor stability for Israel, whose security and stability depends but on the realization of just and comprehensive peace on the bases of related UN resolutions. The problem with Sharon is through his insistence upon continued humiliation, occupation and subjugation in the 1967 Israeli occupied territories. Such insistence has led Israel to unprecedented deterioration in all domains and sectors not to mention the lack of security, unbearable crises which all sides suffer from. Instead of genuinely capitalizing on peace-advocates and supporters of all sides, especially those by the Europeans, Russians, US, Japanese and others; Mr. Sharon went on sword rattling and issuing dictations and orders as to assassinate the more of political leaders of Palestinians, an oppressive inhuman measure not even approved by the majority of the Israelis themselves.
The question is whether Israel is indeed interested in just and comprehensive peace realization, or not . If yes, let us not wait for the more of blood letting , especially those of the innocent civilians from all sides. According to International Herald Tribune Saturday, February 9, 2002, “ The Year of Sharon has been the most violent year in two decades for Israel, and the most futile year in the whole of its history. There has been a revolt by a number of army reservists, mostly from elite combat units, who have announced their refusal to return to occupation duties in the Palestinian territories seized in the 1967 war. They characterize these duties as "ruling, expelling, starving and humiliating an entire people." .A commission of Israel's national bar association has condemned the government's policy of "eliminating" Palestinian leaders held to be implicated in terrorism. The commission described this as illegal imposition, without trial, of the death penalty. It warned the officials and soldiers involved that they risked prosecution outside Israel for war crimes. ..The prime minister's reciprocal ambition, acknowledged to the Israeli press is to gain the rest of the Palestinian territories for Israel - or as much of them as possible. His current policy is meant to destroy any possibility of a viable independent Palestinian state. .He believes that the Palestinians, under this pressure, will eventually abandon the PLO and resign themselves to existence under Israeli domination, and to a steady expansion of Israeli settlements. .He would prefer that the Palestinians found life in these circumstances so miserable and hopeless that they would choose on their own initiative to leave - for Jordan, or another Arab state, where, of course, they are unwanted.
According to Gush Shalom, Sharon years in power have
brought steady deterioration in Israel's security situation, the very
opposite of what he promised voters. Improved security was his key pledge:
indeed, it was perhaps the only persuasive argument for
supporting him and, in doing so, many Israelis seem to have closed their
eyes, crossed their fingers and hoped for the best. Their collective gamble
has not paid off. Mr Sharon has not delivered. For this reason alone, he
should go". The Group added: “ Mr. Sharon's unimaginative, heavy-handed
tactics in the occupied territories have brought a rising toll of Israeli
army and Jewish settlement casualties, while the civilian population of
Israel itself has become increasingly vulnerable to suicidal attacks. One
result has been a groundswell of vocal opposition among army reservists and
middle-ranking officers to the mindless immorality of what they are being
asked to do in the West Bank and Gaza. Half of Israelis, according to a
recent poll, believe the prime minister's policies are bankrupt, that he has
failed to articulate a viable way forward; that he has, in short, simply
lost the plot. Mr. Sharon asked Israelis in his speech to rally round and
present a united front. But he, more than any other single individual, has
helped to divide them.
To cite some numbers of Palestinian heavy losses inflicted by Sharon upon the Palestinians is yet a further proof that aggression would breed but resistance. According to official Palestinian website ,MIFTAH's Intifada Report, the total numbers of causalities suffered by Palestinians, documented since September 28th, 2000 - May 10, 2003: are as follows: total Number of Palestinian deaths is 2350, number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli settlers is 40, number of Palestinians killed as a result of Israeli shelling is 535, number of Palestinians killed as a result of occupation restrictions is 111, denied treatment or access to hospital is 58, unclear circumstances is 53, number of Palestinians assassinated by the Israelis is 154, total number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli troops is 1911; among them Children 469, female 117, male 1325. number of Palestinians killed in combat by Israeli troops is 314, number of Palestinian suicide bombers dead is 125, total area distribution of the dead is West Bank:1251, Gaza: 934, Jerusalem: 44, Inside Israel & Abroad: 121; Palestinians injured by Israeli forces and settlers: be it Live ammunition: Rubber coated steel bullets: Tear Gas: 22692. Number of dunums of Palestinian land confiscated by Israel: 848155, number of dunums of Palestinian land razed by Israel: 18521 .number of trees uprooted: 227995, Palestinian Greenhouses destroyed: 475, number of Palestinian HOMEs completely destroyed or demolished: 5558, Palestinians left HOMEless: 543437 , HOMEs destroyed in W. Bank and east Jerusalem as a result of Israeli court orders: 1162. As for the disclosed Educational Statistics: number of Palestinian students killed: 265, number of Palestinian students injured: 2981, number of Palestinian students in Israeli prisons: 458, number of schools damaged by Israelis: 323 . What is more? The world can no more wait and should not wait for the more of bloodletting and killing, which only caused misery for all sides!
By
Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim