Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Gaza Disengagement
The Nation
October 24, 2005
By Marcia Freedman
Berkeley, Calif. Richard Falk is quick to conclude from his post-disengagement analysis ["Gaza Illusions
What Falk discounts is the power of international pressure on the decision to disengage from Gaza in the first place. International pressure also brought about Israel's grudging coordination of the immediate aspects of the disengagement with the Palestinians. And it has secured an Israeli commitment to coordinate the larger issues (border control, customs and taxes, sea and airports, safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank) in the immediate future.
It can be expected that in the final months of 2005, with Palestinian elections certain and Israeli elections probable in January and February, there will be very little in the way of further developments, other than the conclusion of the negotiated "coordination" of issues related to Gaza. Israel can be expected to continue its attempt at settlement expansion during the diplomatic lull, but thus far repeated attempts to complete the "Jerusalem envelope" and the expansion of Ariel have been turned back by international pressure.
To those who deny even the possibility of an alternative post-disengagement future than their dire predictions of the mass imprisonment of the Gazans, I can only remind them of the words of respected Ha'aretz journalist Gideon Levy, who, following Sharon's unveiling of his disengagement initiative, wrote (and I think I am quoting him exactly enough, although from memory), "If Ariel Sharon removes even a single settlement from the Gaza Strip, I am a house plant." He was extensively quoted on the left. Oops.
MARCIA FREEDMAN
President, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace;
Former Member of the Israeli Knesset