The Disengagement Plan

"The Disengagement Plan was no peace plan. There was very little to support in a redeployment of the Israeli occupation forces from the heart of Gaza to a strangulating siege on its borders. Especially not when done in order to strengthen Israel's hold on the Palestinian West Bank, and when prominent figures in the Israeli "Peace Camp" already air their genocidal fantasies for the day after – listen to the "peacenik" writer AB Yehoshua:

"After we take out the settlements ... all the rules of war would change. We would exercise our full power … We won't have to run after this or that terrorist: we would use force against an entire population, use force in a total manner … We would cut off the electricity in Gaza. We would cut off communications in Gaza. We would stop fuel supply to Gaza … It won't be a desirable war, but definitely a purifying one." (Ha'aretz, 19.3.04)
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The Plan was announced on February the 3rd. Just a week later, Israel killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza. Analyst Ze'ev Schiff set the tone by making the connection (12.2): "Precisely because of the PM's decision on a future eviction of most of the settlements in Gaza, Israel will probably try to show its 'military muscles' in the near future – as a preparation for the future." So now that we "disengage," expect even more killing in Gaza. This is precisely what was going to happen.

Two weeks later, Israel assassinated three Jihad activists in Gaza: Sharon "decided to boost the assassinations policy … towards the realization of the Disengagement Plan" (29.2).

So February, when the "Disengagement Plan" was announced, ended with 43 Palestinians killed, compared to 29 casualties in January.

One week later, 15 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, 4 of them children, and 80 injured (8.3). The offensive of "Israel's Defense Forces" was described as "stimulus-response": incursions aimed at provoking Palestinians to use their ineffective weapons and expose themselves to Israel's lethal fire. Military reporter Amos Harel wondered: "Why does the Israeli army continue its operations, when the withdrawal is apparently near?" The operation, he concluded, was either simply part of a long-term policy of "a big offensive operation in Gaza about once a month,"
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Thus, less than two weeks after the Disengagement Plan was announced, Gaza settlers launched a plan for 3 new settlements and absorbing 500 new families within a year; they had an excellent argument: "The plans were boosted as a reaction to the Disengagement Plan" (15.2). Indeed, one of the new settlements has been established by now – a day after the settlers' victory in the referendum.

Furthermore, making an old dream come true, the Israeli army used the occasion to announce a long trench to be dug along the route separating Gaza from Egypt – "towards the implementation of the Disengagement Plan," of course:

"The distance from the route to the houses of Rafah is now about 150 metres, since the army has demolished the first blocks of houses during the past 3,5 years of fighting […] The army has been trying for long to expand the open area east of the route […] Within the various operations in the area, hundreds of Palestinian houses have been destroyed" (Ha'aretz, 28.4).

Lessons for the Next "Plan"

On May the 2nd, the Disengagement Plan was rejected by 60% of the Likud members. The next day, Sharon said he would prepare a new plan. His copyrighters already toy with names: "Reduced Disengagement"? "Gradual Disengagement"? Once a name is found, we can start the dupery all over again.

Indeed, Israel is willing to consider every Peace Plan – as long as it is unacceptable to the Palestinians (therefore NOT the Saudi/Arab Peace Plan); as long as it gives it more time to entrench the occupation; and as long as it can serve as pretext to kill hundreds of Palestinians. That's what Sharon's "Plans" are for."

Heads We Win, Tails They Lose, Dr. Ran HaCohen was born in the Netherlands in 1964 and grew up in Israel. He has a B.A. in Computer Science, an M.A. in Comparative Literature, and his PhD is in Jewish Studies. He is a university teacher in Israel.