Four Israeli Knesset Members from across the political spectrum are working on the creation of a public movement in support of an Israeli unilateral separation from the Occupied Territories, reported Haaretz.
The plan does not call for a complete withdrawal from land conquered in 1967, which is one key cause, along with grinding poverty and daily humiliations, of the latest Palestinian uprising against 34 years of Israeli military occupation.
The paper said that Dan Meridor (Center Party), Michael Eitan (Likud), Haim Ramon (Labor) and Trade and Industry Minister Dalia Itzik (Labor) had held discussions on the subject amongst themselves, as well as with other politicians, high-ranking reserve Israeli army officers and various media sources.
Ramon told Haaretz on Thursday that he intended to establish the new movement by the middle of September. He said that surveys had showed that 40 percent of right-wing voters supported a separation plan that included an Israeli withdrawal of settlements to concentrated settlement blocs. He added that even more center and left-wing voters supported the plan.
Itzik has been holding talks with security officials in an attempt to convince them to join the movement. The minister sent a letter Thursday to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon demanding that he hold a Knesset discussion on the subject of establishing a safety fence, which would create a separation "between terror and the residents of Israel."
In the letter, Itzik included a plan drawn up by senior reserve officers to build an electric fence to separate Israel from the West Bank. According to the plan, the fence would cover around 90 percent of the borderline, with the only exceptions being the Jerusalem area, the West Bank bloc of settlements called Gush Etzion, and the West Bank settlement of Ariel.
Defense Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres both told Haaretz that they were opposed to a unilateral separation plan. The two Labor ministers believe that such an action would not end the shooting at Israel from Palestinian territories and that a "mortar battle" could emerge as a result of such a separation.
Peres said that the prime minister would also oppose the plan, in light of the fact that he is opposed to evacuating the settlements.
According to an assessment by the Israeli General Staff, such plan remains an alternative, but a unilateral separation is not on the current government's agenda.
The plan was being promoted by the former Israeli PM Ehud Barak, who wanted full separation between Israel and the Palestinian lands – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
