GUEST COLUMN : A NOVEL PEACE PLAN
The following are the salient points of an address to an audience in Port
Elizabeth during July 2003 by Israeli academic, Professor Raphael CohenAlmagor.
Israel is not reaping any benefits from the Intifada which is a war of
independence by the Palestinians who have shown great endurance. It is a
futile cycle of violence and retaliation. We need to acknowledge that
Israel’s stance till now was wrong. I have called on Israeli politicians to
push for the evacuation of Gaza. This idea was mentioned in the papers
without much elaboration. There is a precedent in the withdrawal from
Lebanon.
The reasons are as follows: Gaza is not emotionally-fraught with religious
significance as are Judea and Samaria, by evacuating major settlements,
by acknowledging the right of the Palestinians to an independent state, by
pulling back the military which is costing so many lives to defend a few
thousand settlers, and by no longer being seen as the occupier with the
strongest army in the Middle East, but a wise democracy which is willing to
pay a price for a solution – all in Israel’s interests. It would suit Israel to
initiate the state’s establishment rather than succumb to international
pressure to do so. If criticism of the plan is that it is a victory for the
Palestinians, it can be shown that it is to Israel’s advantage. With
Palestinian sovereignty would come the responsibility to the community of
nations to overcome terrorism and prove that it is capable of statehood.
It is in Israel’s interest not to suffocate Gaza, but to enable the Gazans to
develop independent economic resources. The cost of withdrawal to Israel
would be beyond her means at present; perhaps both Israel and Palestine
could approach the international community for funds. The settlers, who
built their homes in Gaza and lived there for many years and played an
historical role, would need to be compensated and resettled in other parts
of Israel.
Gaza will be a test case for the Palestinians’ willingness to resolve the
conflict.
Professor Cohen-Almagor, who holds a doctorate from Oxford, is the
founder of the newly established Center for Democratic Studies at the
University of Haifa. He is the head of Library and Information Studies, and
also teaches at the Department of Communication.