Editorial: Gaza withdrawal / Sharon charts a positive but limited pullout

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's latest move in the Middle East peace negotiations was to float the idea Monday of withdrawing Israeli settlers from Gaza.

It is in principle not a bad idea in terms of forward progress toward fulfilling Israel's side of the Israeli and Palestinian "road map," which could result in an eventual two-state settlement. Although Israeli settlers in Gaza are a small fraction of the number in the West Bank, their removal would be a positive step toward Palestinians being enabled to accept responsibility for themselves in a discrete piece of territory, and an eventual Palestinian state.

Mr. Sharon's proposal has raised serious questions, however, particularly in Israel itself, regarding his real intentions. The settlers in Gaza and the West Bank (not to mention their supporters in Israel and the United States) have made a predictable "No, never" response to the idea.

Israel's Labor Party leader, Shimon Peres, reminded observers that Mr. Sharon had said only that planning should begin to consider carrying out such a withdrawal; the prime minister had presented no timetable, nor had he gone beyond talking about planning.

Palestinians noted that Mr. Sharon had ordered plans to remove 17 of the 21 settlements, which would still leave some of the 7,500 Israelis in Gaza.

On the larger scale, Mr. Sharon is talking about the possibility of withdrawing settlers from Gaza while construction of the 400-mile-plus wall/fence across the West Bank, with 230,000 settlers, proceeds apace. The West Bank would have to be the core of any Palestinian state, given its size and resources. Gaza is and always has been a sideshow.

Finally, Israeli observers note that Mr. Sharon is under considerable personal and political pressure at the moment, including talk of forcing his resignation as prime minister, based on a financial scandal. He reportedly wants to visit the United States to meet with President Bush to affirm his personal prestige and influence as prime minister.

His Gaza proposal could give him enough claim of good will in Mr. Bush's road map negotiations to get him in the door at the White House. If, afterward, he doesn't feel like facing the scalded-cat howls of the settlers, Mr. Sharon can always take the opportunity of his meeting with Mr. Bush to warn the president that he might have to jettison the Gaza proposal to save his political life.

If Mr. Sharon is serious about the offer to shut down settlements in Gaza, it is very easy for him to show that he means business: Just close them. Given his own consistent bad faith in carrying out promises to close settlements, he should receive no rewards from the Bush administration, including a White House or Camp David photo op, until he delivers.