What is the Israeli government's real goal?

["jonatan Peled" <peled_j@maabarot.org.il>]

From the Burning Middle - East
12 December 2001

What is the Israeli government's real goal?

By Jonatan Peled

12 December 2001



In politics we have to distinguish between talks and deed. Sometimes they
are alike, but mostly they quite differ from each other. While purpose of
talks is to present a facade of the real goals, to make the presenting body
and its policy more acceptable by external forces, in the bottom line what
really count are the deeds. The Israeli Government, headed by Prime
Minister Sharon, declares its wish to come to an agreement with the
Palestinian Authorities. Its only demand is - Palestinian struggle against
terror and a few days without violence, as precondition for beginning
political negotiations.

Makes senseÖ



Unfortunately its policy in practice proves a very different attitude:

1 - A growing effort to delegitimate Yasser Arafat, the Chairman of the
Palestinian Authority, the main force that can unite the different
fractions in the Palestinian public.

2 - Following terror actions of Palestinian fanatics inside Israel, the
retaliation is usually against legal forces of the Palestinian Authority,
those that are demanded to prevent the terror, but almost never against
headquarters of the organizations the terrorists belong to.

3 - Always, when the level of terror is going down, extermination of one of
the commanders - sometimes even just oppositioner - or not oppositioner -
politicians inflames it again. Such exterminations are executed, although
they are always followed by Palestinian retaliation, usually in form of
more terror.

4 - The continuous blockade on the Palestinian towns and villages never
succeeded to prevent terrorism - but growing despair among the Palestinian
people creates more and more potential terrorists.

5 - Systematic ruining of the Palestinian Authorities' economic and
administration's infrastructure creates anarchy, misery and more despair
among the people.



All this is not a secret and Israeli decision makers are well aware of the
outcome of their policy.

So - what is the real goal of Ariel Sharon and his Government?

Whoever knows the involved figures, especially Prime Minister Sharon, their
world view, their ideology and their character can easily recognize it: The
undeclared goal is - to dissolve the central authority of the Palestinian
people, to create chaos, to create a clear situation of "black and white",
in which the leading Palestinian forces will be identified with extreme
Islamic or nationalist ideology, with total refusal to negotiate with
Israel.



The present complex situation, in which the mainstream of the Palestinian
people are ready to recognize the State of Israel (in certain terms) on 78%
of their historical homeland - but struggles to establish a sovereign and
free country on the rest of it, is very uncomfortable to majority of the
Israel government - and above all to Ariel Sharon. Moreover, it comes to
contradiction to their deepest belief in historic right of the Jewish
People all over the land between the Jordan river and the Sea. They also
believe in the superiority of Israel over the Palestinians, the Jewish
people over the Arab people and - maybe the worst - the believe in their
ability to break the opposition of the Palestinian people to Israeli
occupation and oppression, by breaking their spirit.



They really and deeply believe, that if they will succeed to crumble the
Palestinian people, in the end these will stop to fight and Israel will be
able to rule over all its historic territory: this is only a question, who
will have the longer breathÖ



Whoever of the International community will build on the goodwill or the
common sense of Ariel Sharon and his government, doesn't understand his
real goals. Like every powerful and egocentric person, he understands only
the language of power. His policy can be changed only by International
pressure. The way at the present has to be - sending a large group of
International observers to the West Bank and Gaza strip.