IMRA'S WEEKLY COMMENTARY ON ISRAEL NATIONAL RADIO - 10 October 2002
Aaron Lerner Date: 10 October 2002
(Broadcast in English on Thursday nights at 10:00 PM on 98.7 FM and on 1539
AM throughout Israel - recording available on
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com and www.IsraelNationalRadio.com)
+++ Palestinian Buildings - Israeli Lives
While the Oslo agreements place no restriction on the construction of
Israeli communities in Area C of the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the
course of the interim period, the Interim Agreement signed on 28 September
1995 restricts Palestinian construction that may endanger Israeli
settlements.
"The Palestinian side shall ensure that no construction close to the
Settlements and military locations will harm, damage or adversely affect
them or the infrastructure serving them."
Annex III Protocol Concerning Civil Affairs
Article 27 Planning and Zoning, Subparagraph 3.a.
It should be noted that over the course of Oslo, the Palestinians have
followed a consistent strategy of illegally erecting buildings on roads -
including new bypass roads (infrastructure serving settlements) - that can
be used as firing position from which to attack Israeli vehicles as they
travel to and from settlements.
The impact of this illegal Palestinian construction on security is tangible.
But political considerations - including the active support of many elements
of the Israeli Left for illegal Palestinian construction - lead Israel to
decline to make a concerted effort to control this security threat.
It is bad enough that the very same people who call out with great fervor
for the demolition of every Jewish home in the West Bank that is missing
even one of a myriad of approvals were silent about illegal Palestinian
construction that may threaten Jewish lives. But some of the Israeli Left,
who appear to put the value of an illegal Palestinian building over the
value of Israeli lives, even go so far as to help rebuild them when they are
demolished within the framework of the law.
+++ Some Perspective
After reporting that a few Israelis scuffled with Palestinians and
reportedly smashed the windows of four Palestinian-owned cars in Hebron in
reaction to a murderous terrorist attack, the host of Channel Two
Television's morning news magazine remarked this week with a rhetorical tone
"and would this be the reaction after an attack in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv."
People who called in to the switchboard of the program to remind the program
host that a mob in Tel Aviv threatened to demolish a nearby mosque after the
terrorist attack on the Dolphinarium were assured that the host would be
updated.
In point of fact, when one considers the nightmarish conditions that the
Jewish residents of the West Bank and Gaza have been subject to over the
past few years -running the gauntlet every time they left their homes, and
the particularly touch conditions the Jews of Hebron faced as they lived
under the constant threat of Palestinian snipers positioned on strategic
high ground, one can only be amazed at just how reserved their reaction has
been.
+++ B'tsellem civilians
Israel got flak this week over the deaths of "B'Tsellem civilians".
These are people who are part of an armed group but since they are not
wearing uniforms of the Palestinian Authority's security services they are
what B'tsellem calls "civilians". And B'tsellem will continue to call them
"civilians" no matter how many people they kill.
All this talk about the B'Tsellem civilians is a disservice to the
Palestinians.
It is a disservice to the Palestinians because it encourages them to
continue to engage in violence.
Violence that Israel has no choice but to respond to.
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6106666 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il
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