REPORT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES A Bimonthly Publication of the Foundation for Middle East Peace Volume 12 Number 3 May-June 2002 SHARON’S NEW MAP A new, post-Oslo era has begun in feature of the Oslo era by ending Israel’s answered Powell’s request to withdraw the occupied territories. The under- consent to recognize the security Israeli forces from Palestinian towns in standings between Israel and the Pale- responsibilities of the PA in Area A— the West Bank by explaining that the stinians that made possible the estab- covering the principal Palestinian towns objective of Israel’s unprecedented mili- lishment of a Palestinian Authority lead in the West Bank. As Amir Oren of tary operation was to deploy the IDF in by Yasser Arafat and the creation of Ha’aretz wrote on April 5, 2002, security zones in the Jordan Valley and Palestinian security services with a man- “[In the occupied territories] the IDF in the region east of the Green Line date in Palestinian populated areas has been “color blind” for some separating Israel from the West Bank. [Areas A] of the West Bank have been months: There is no difference, as far As Ha’aretz reported on April 14, 2002, irrevocably undermined. Likewise, the as the army is concerned, between the logic of his plan was this: a military territorial division of the West Bank brown (the color on the map of the defeat would convince the Palestinians that resulted from the Oslo process— areas in the territories under full and the international community the creation Areas A, B, and C—is no Palestinian civilian and security con- to leave these security zones, including longer relevant to the reality in the West trol [Area A]), white (areas of full major Palestinian population centers, Bank and Gaza Strip. As one U.S. offi- Israeli control [Area C]), or yellow under effective Israeli control for many cial who recently returned from the (Israeli security and Palestinian civil- years. region remarked, “the Oslo map today is ian control [Area B]). The IDF is To leave no doubt of his intentions, meaningless.” doing as it pleases in all of them.” Sharon showed Powell a map of the The government of Ariel Sharon Just as he is determined to reinvent West Bank outlining the two security has effectively destroyed the principle a less powerful Palestinian Authority zones. more suited to his preferences, Sharon, Sharon’s territorial preferences were more than anyone else on the interna- formed decades ago, and they have not Also in this issue: tional diplomatic stage, and to his great changed significantly over time. The advantage, is proceeding from an settlement plan he unveiled as Minister Sharon’s Peace of the Victor 3 assumption that the Oslo map is an of Agriculture in 1977 focused on the The New Map 5 artifact of history, as relevant to the area of the West Bank east of the Green Short Takes 7–8 future as was the 1947 Partition Plan Line. Sharon planned settlements in map after the first Israel-Arab war this region as a way of preventing the ——— N ——— in 1948. creation of “a solid Arab block” strad- To subscribe to the e-mail version of Sharon is determined to construct a dling Palestinian towns on both sides of the Settlement Report: new map for the occupied territories— the Green Line and reaching eastward [email protected]; one that reflects his understanding of to the populated region joining Jenin, leave “Subject” blank. how best to protect Israel’s security Nablus, Ramallah and Jerusalem. In this Write: subscribe settlements-L. interests, both domestically and region- latter area, Sharon spearheaded the ally, and to safeguard and expand establishment of numerous small settle- Visit our website, www.fmep.org, for Israel’s settlement enterprise. An Israeli ments along the mountain ridge. back issues of the Settlement Report, deployment based upon these views The Sharon map of 1997 proposed maps, and current analyses and commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian now being devised and implemented. the annexation of between 64–70 per conflict. When Sharon met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in mid-April, he SHARON’S NEW MAP, continued on page 4 TO OUR READERS FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is reassert- the EU, and the Arab states—via the Saudi ing Israel’s control over the entire West plan—support two states, two capitals in Merle Thorpe, Jr. Bank, sweeping aside the Oslo arrange- Jerusalem, an end to most settlements with Founder ments, and imposing a radically different some border adjustments, and a negotiated (1917–1994) map on the territories. His goals are to solution of the refugee problem. The real cement Israeli control, fortify and expand obstacles are continued Palestinian terror- Philip C. Wilcox, Jr. settlements, further undermine Yasser ism, which undermines Israelis’ trust in President Arafat’s Palestinian Authority, and prevent negotiations for compromise, and Sharon’s Geoffrey Aronson renewed Palestinian terrorism by even more determination to preserve occupation and Director, Research and Publica- severe controls over Palestinians. Judging settlements, which virtually ensures contin- tions, Editor, Report on Israeli from the resumption of suicide bombings ued terrorism. Sharon’s proposal to wait for Settlements in the Occupied Territories inside Israel, the anti-terrorism component Palestinian reform and a new leadership is of this strategy, which follows the IDF’s a diversion, and Washington’s proposed Jennifer Shaloff recent massive “Operation Defensive Palestinian security reform will not work Editorial Assistant Shield”, has already failed. The situation is unless accompanied by forceful American likely to get worse without an early renewal diplomacy that defines the political ADVISERS of peace talks with a mutually agreed objec- endgame and a specific plan for negotia- Lucius D. Battle tive of a viable Palestinian state. tions. The situation cries out for this. Sharon has retained the initiative to Landrum R. Bolling pursue his strategy, since the Bush adminis- Peter Gubser tration is still wrestling over a coherent Jean C. Newsom response. Israeli and Palestinian majorities, Gail Pressberg Nicholas A. Veliotes —————— N —————— TRUSTEES “BYPASSING” PEACE Peter M. Castleman Chairman Israel’s construction of bypass roads in the West Bank—linking settlements to Lucius D. Battle each other and the national Israel highway system while “bypassing” Palestinian Calvin H. Cobb, Jr. towns—remains a prominent feature of the Sharon government’s ongoing program of James J. Cromwell settlement expansion. There are currently nine such roads under construction Stephen Hartwell throughout the West Bank at a cost of $50 million. Richard S.T. Marsh Construction is schedule on five additional bypass roads: Richard W. Murphy I Nirit to Alfe Menashe and Karnei Shomron, $12 million. I Harish [Israel] to the west Ya’abad bypass road, $8.5 million William B. Quandt I Ofarim to Nili, $5.3 million Sally S. Thorpe I Na’aran to Yeitav, $4.2 million I Beit El to Ofra, $3.3 million, and The Foundation, a non- profit, I.R.C. 501(c)(3) Bypass Roads under Construction, May 2002 organization. It supports Cost ($) peace and security for Eastern bypass of Beit Sahour 14 million Israelis and Palestinians West Ya’abad bypass 7.5 million through mutual recognition Alei Zahav to the Trans-Shomron road 6.4 million and a negotiated division of historic Palestine. It pub- Keidar to Ma’ale Adumim 4.3 million lishes the bi-monthly Report Northern entrance road to Efrat 4.2 million on Israeli Settlement in the Four junctions in Mt. Hebron region 4.2 million Occupied Territories. Ariel to Yitma 3.2 million Shakaf (Israel) to Neguhot 2.5 million Copyright © 2002 Ouja bypass 2.3 million Ha’aretz, February 15, 2002 2 ❖ Report on Israeli Settlement May-June 2002 SHARON’S PEACE OF THE VICTOR By Geoffrey Aronson matic or security partners. Arafat has failed to play the role outlined for him, and so he is no longer “relevant” to Israeli Washington’s understanding of the policies and passions designs and must go. Arafat’s security services, nurtured and animating Israelis and Palestinians has never been very pre- paid for by the CIA, have failed to enhance Israeli security scient, and the situation today is no different. As long as Israel and have therefore been decimated. and the Palestinians saw some value in muddling through a The Oslo map of the West Bank no longer exists. There diplomatic framework established by the Oslo process, how- are no Areas A or B, where the PA once nominally ruled. ever, the price of Washington’s misapprehensions was man- There is only one area and that area is controlled by the IDF ageable. Today however, the United States finds itself unable without Palestinian intermediaries. to fathom the extent to which Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat Without an Israeli commitment to Arafat, and the PA and have changed the rules of the game between them. its security services, there is simply no remnant of the previ- The April 2002 mission of Secretary of State Powell did ous era left intact to build upon. Sharon is making up the succeed, at least for the time being, in its primary objective— ground rules of the new game as he goes along, while the limiting the destabilizing fallout from the battle between international community insists without much conviction on Israel and the Palestinians—but it failed to alter either Israeli playing yesterday’s game. Half-hearted prescriptions like the or Palestinian policies. Tenet or Mitchell ideas that once sufficed to keep the lid on As each party readies itself for the next round, the Bush in the past are no longer relevant.