Something historic is happening in the never-ending struggle that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel is voluntarily pulling out of its Gaza settlements, territory it had won in the 1967 war. While the extreme right wing will be upset, this is definately a good move, and a bold one at that, by Ariel Sharon. Usually if either the extreme left or extreme right is upset by something you're doing, you're on the right track.
This is the first time Israel has decided to dismantle settlements built on Palestinian land seized in 1967.
In a TV address on Monday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel could not "hold on to Gaza forever" and that withdrawing was the best way to ensure security.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has hailed the withdrawal as "historic" but said Israel should also pull out of the West Bank.
In the Palestinian town of Khan Yunis, the militant group Hamas is holding a demonstration to celebrate the pullout - which it views as a victory.
Hamas has promised not to attack settlers and troops as they leave the Gaza Strip.
This is also an important moment for the Palestinian leadership. The last thing they need is public gloating and talk of a "victory." This was a unilateral action by Israel, not a concession made in the face of defeat. Of course Hamas will ignore this rather obvious fact, Mahmoud Abbas should be careful not to use this Gaza pullout as proof of his leadership strength. He needs to demonstrate that on his own by showing that he can lead a new political dynamic in the former settlement territory.
On the Israeli side, I'm OK with not asking a lot of questions. While Sharon is right that this Gaza pullout will increase Israel's security situation, I wonder if he is also concerned about the looming demographic pressures of his state as Israeli Arabs proliferate like rabbits while the majority Jewish citizenry limp along. Without pulling back on territory, Jews could find themselves in the minority in their own Jewish state within a generation or two. I suspect this played a role in Sharon's calculations.
On the other hand, the more magnanimous view is that Sharon is looking to pull a Nixon-goes-to-China and be the one who finally brings peace to his country through a deal with the Palestinians after demonstrating his willingness to make concessions such as this Gaza pullout.
I'm far too cynical to believe something like that, but either way, it is a great move for Israel and, I hope, can lead to something more substantial in the roller coaster that is the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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