Bar-Ilan University JULY 2004, No. 17 Marking 25 Years to the Camp David Accords Elyakim Rubinstein: “Palestinian Terror Makes Peace a Fantasy” of negotiations over Palestinian autonomy. Begin denied this emphatically, allowing that he had agreed only to a three-month freeze. “I recently checked with Supreme Court President Aharon Barak – who was the Israeli legal advisor at Camp David”, said Rubinstein. “He was in the room when Begin and Carter had this discussion; and Barak affirms Prime Last September, the BESA Center and the Minister Begin’s assertion”. Menachem Begin Heritage Center convened a symposium on Palestinian-Israeli relations Rubinstein also lamented the state of affairs to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the reigning in Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. Camp David Accords that set the parameters “There is no authority and no rule of law for the Egypt-Israel peace treaty and autonomy over there”, said Rubinstein. “It is a legal jungle, talks with the Palestinians. Lecturers included where total wantonness applies. Arafat carries Camp David negotiators Ambassador Meir Former Camp David negotiator Elyakim Rubinstein the blood of many on his hands. Only politics Rosenne, Dan Pattir and Elyakim Rubinstein, (today, a Supreme Court justice) speaking at the stops us from bringing him to justice as a war seminar marking the Camp David Accords as well as professors Shmuel Sandler, Gerald criminal.” Steinberg and Eytan Gilboa. In remarks that drew Israeli headlines, “The saddest thing of all – inexcusable, in fact 1 Rubinstein’s revealing lecture drew significant Rubinstein related to the controversy ongoing – is that Palestinian terror has made us despair; attention. At the time he was the secretary to this day over the “promise” that President terrorism makes peace seem like a mirage – of Prime Minister Begin’s cabinet. (After lengthy Jimmy Carter claims he received at Camp a fantasy – to most Israelis”, continued service in this post spanning the terms of five David from Prime Minister Begin to freeze Rubinstein. “For this, we can never forgive the prime ministers, Rubinstein went on to settlement construction for the entire period purveyors of terror”. become a judge, Attorney General, and most recently, a Supreme Court justice). Rubinstein BESABESA EXPENTEXPERT OPINIONOPINION decried the fact that Arab governments “had turned ‘Camp David’ into a ‘dirty word’ – signifying their disapproval of Egypt’s ‘separate’ peace deal with Israel”. Gaza Withdrawal? Do it Right by Prof. Efraim Inbar INSIDE: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seems intent to The wisdom of the disengagement will be bring about a decision on unilateral withdrawal judged by history. Yet if Israel decides to go Honoring Zeev Bonen 3 from Gaza. Any attempt to evacuate the through with the proposed plan, it is not too thousands of settlers will be met with bitter late to make several changes that will generate Intelligence and Security Policy 4 INSIDE: resistance, undoubtedly reinforced by many positive dynamics to its implementation. BESA Marks its thousands of settler supporters determined Tenth Anniversary 5 to make the withdrawal as messy as possible. It is a big mistake to remove the three settlements in northern Gaza adjacent to the Israel will face a rerun of the heart-breaking Europe’s Mideast Failures 6 1967 border. The dismantling of these pictures of the 1979 struggle over Yamit. But settlements only reinforces expectations this time the withdrawal has no peace quid Israel and the Palestinians: Whereto? 7 among the Palestinians and the international pro quo – just the sober realization that the community that Israel will eventually withdraw New Publications 7 Palestinians are unable to deliver anything but to the 1967 borders. the continuation of terror. continued on page 2 www.besacenter.org Gaza Withdrawal?.... continued from page 1 It is counterproductive to repeat the While Cairo is not inimical to the Palestinian never overcome the intimidation applied by dangerous precedent set by Menachem Begin bleeding of Israel, it has a peace treaty with us Palestinian terrorists’ sticks. in 1979. President Bush’s statement about and is susceptible to American pressure. That demographic realities in the territories has might limit its nuisance potential. Following our withdrawal, the Palestinians in to be put to the test immediately. Otherwise Gaza should suffer. This is the only way to it remains meaningless, and we will be left The Israeli search for international agencies dissuade them from viewing Israeli withdrawal with only the impact of total withdrawal. to take over the property and infrastructure as capitulation. to be left behind in order to bring about some Israel also should reconsider the decision to equitable distribution is misguided. It is unlikely Indeed, Palestinian polls show that at least hold onto the Philadelphia corridor that serves that any humanitarian organization would be two-thirds of the Palestinians see Sharon’s as a wedge between Gaza and Egypt. This able to withstand the pressure of the withdrawal plan as a victory for their armed corridor will continue to attract considerable Palestinian gangs trying to take over the houses struggle “against the occupation.” Therefore, Palestinian military efforts and generate tension of the Jews and loot whatever was left. demonstrating that the Palestinians are even and casualties. The position that Israel should Moreover, involving international organizations in worse shape after the Israelis leave Gaza control all entries into Gaza is not tenable in has never served Israel well; it just complicates is essential to discourage terror and maintain the long run. Israel’s freedom of action. Flirting with notions a modicum of deterrence. of cooperation with international relief Furthermore, creating contiguity between organizations reflects naive thinking about the Withdrawal accompanied by significant Egypt and Gaza bestows certain advantages. nature of international relations. deprivation is not only what the Palestinians An opening to Egypt might serve as a fully deserve for their incredible anti-Semitism demographic safety valve for the Palestinians. Finally, Israel’s intention to continue with and support for the terrorist campaign against The diversion of the demographic pressures existing arrangements in supplying electricity, Israel; it also makes strategic sense. of heavily populated Gaza toward Egypt, and water, gas and fuel is unwise. So is a decision the prospects of a Hamas state there, might to allow Palestinian access to the Israeli labor In the absence of Palestinian willingness to force Cairo to adopt a more assertive role market, which should be denied. Let the enter into a dialogue with Israel that might in the evacuated territory. ungrateful Palestinians look for work in Egypt, lead to a reasonable territorial compromise, or elsewhere. inflicting pain is the only way left for Israel to Israel has an overwhelming interest in breaking influence the learning curve of the Palestinian the link between Gaza and the West Bank. Unilateral withdrawal is the opportunity to society and lead it into greater pragmatism. With over one million Palestinians in the depart from policies that have allowed the Considerable Palestinian suffering might lessen Egyptians’ lap, the Palestinian issue would take Palestinians to wage war de luxe. Our attempt the pressure for additional withdrawals. This a different form, even making it Egypt’s to differentiate between the civilian population is the rationale of unilateralism. responsibility to establish a Palestinian state in and the terrorists in order to limit support (Adapted from The Jerusalem Post, April 25, 2004) 2 Gaza – although they might refrain from doing for violence failed, inevitably. Israel could never so in accordance with their behavior when implement a strategy of winning Palestinian Gaza was under their control (1948-67). hearts and minds because Israeli carrots could Walter Russell Mead, Henry Kissinger Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the U.S. Council LECTURES on Foreign Relations, lectured at the BESA Center in March on “Evaluating the Foreign Lectures Policy of the Bush Administration”. He said that “Bush has generally made the right decisions Klaus Becher, associate research fellow at but needs to make better use of America’s ‘sticky the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris, power’ to ensure long term implementation”. and visiting scholar at the BESA Center (under He criticized the Clinton administration for the auspices of the German Academic “going for broke” at the Barak-Arafat summit Exchange Service) lectured in January on at Camp David, leaving the Mideast “with “German Participation in International nothing”. He argued that “America needs some Operations Since 9/11: Military and Political sort of regional peace process –something that Dimensions”. in the dark, if you squint, will at least look like a process; some forward dynamic that we can be for – even if peace is not in the offing!” Fiamma Nirenstein, correspondent in Israel for the Italian daily La Stampa and the weekly Panorama and a lecturer in Mideast History at LUISS University in Rome, lectured in January at the BESA center on “The Dangerous Mix of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism in Europe Today”. www.besacenter.org The BESA Center Honors Zeev Bonen BESA Center Researcher Caps Forty Years of Service in Israel's Military Industry In May, the BESA Center convened a seminar El-Op in optics and Rafael in missiles) and a Dan Meridor, a former minister, former on “Security-Related Technologies” to mark desire to open the military industries for chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and publication of Dr. Zeev Bonen’s new book competition. Immediately thereafter, former Defense Committee and chairman of a national Rafael: From the Laboratory to the Battlefield, Defence Ministry budget chief Imri Tov spoke commission on reform of the military doctrine, which recounts his service to Rafael, the about the need to streamline the military spoke about the need of the political echelon weapons development authority of the Israeli industries.