By Richard A. Hellman, President
Christians’ Israel Public Action Campaign
Background:
In his recent U.S. visits the Israel Prime Minister is selling his proposal
to uproot Israeli communities in Gaza and even some in Samaria unilaterally and
to evacuate all Jews, forcibly if need be. Despite seemingly favorable
U.S. responses, answers are lacking to key questions, e.g., what results are
expected in terror-filled Gaza from the pullout; doesn’t it violate President
Bush’s anti-terror doctrine by rewarding terror; who will police the resulting
Gaza mess; and who will pay how much for the plan?
U.S. Middle East and Anti-terror policies: President Bush, switching from an initial wise policy of waiting for a reasonable Arab partner to emerge, embraced the Saudi/State Department/ European Road Map. Now engaged in a multi-front worldwide war including Iraq, Afghanistan, and global anti-terror efforts, the Administration seems not to be focused on letting our friend Israel win its war against terror fully before pushing peace efforts. To evacuate Gaza would violate President Bush’s doctrine by rewarding terror, whet the Arab appetite for more withdrawals, and offer no pretense of peace.
Gaza Terrorism after Jewish evacuation is certain to continue or even increase. Such radical groups as Hamas control Gaza, and Arafat’s PLO/PA, despite its superior force structure, makes no effort to stop terror. Rocket and mortar attacks (some 4000 rounds in the last three years) rain down daily on the 8,000 Gaza Jews. Egypt allows arms and ammunition to be smuggled through tunnels dug by Palestinian Arabs from the Sinai to Rafach in Gaza, of which the Israel Defense Forces have destroyed over 80 in the last three years. The U.S.-led Sinai Multinational Force ignores these Egyptian violations.
Who will police Gaza: Suggestions abound that a U.S.-led international force will be required to police post-evacuation Gaza. No figures on needed forces have been released, but a reasonable estimate may be on the order of the 20,000 troops that the U.S. Army has said will be needed to police an Israel-Arab deal like the Road Map. Since Europe and the U.N are unready or unwilling for new missions the burden will fall on the U.S
How much will this Pig in a Poke cost and who will pay? The World bank plans to spend $5 billion to help the Palestinian Arabs, although they have already received six times per capita the funds Europeans received in the Marshall Plan without any good results (due to fraud, waste and corruption. Estimated costs of evacuating and resettling the Gaza Jews also range in $ Billions. This would spell $10 billion in aid and a bad precedent for a future Judea/Samaria pullout of 400,000 Jews. President Bush says he thinks the European and American publics will be “generous” in helping this plan. Given our deficit and the dubious nature of this plan, surely we cannot be so generous!
Ask Congress to get answers to these issues, to hold hearings and to request a delay in the Gaza retreat, or just Reject this Gaza Pig in a Poke! Tel. 202-234-3600; Fax 202-332-3221; notify CIPAC, P.O. box 18173; Wash., DC 20036-8173, www.cipaconline.org.