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Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Could Artificial Island Solve Gaza Problem?

Could Artificial Island Solve Gaza Problem?
Minister proposes giving Gaza a port, airport – without compromising on
Israel’s security.
By Shimon Cohen Arutz 7 First Publish: 7/23/2014, 1:13 AM
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183222#.U89uGZuKC00

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz has unveiled a proposal that he
believes could allow Israel to fully disengage from Gaza, without
compromising its security.

“For years, I have been calling for a ‘civilian disengagement’ plan. Stop
providing electricity, water, gas, food, and all kinds of other things,
demilitarize Gaza – no missiles and tunnels – and create a border between
Israel and Gaza,” he explained.

Instead, he said, Gaza should have its own airport and port – but with
special arrangements.

“We should open the Rafiah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for an
intermediate period, for goods and people to pass through, with
supervision,” he said.

“At the same time, we should initiate the creation of an artificial island
at sea, under international supervision and with international funding,
roughly 4.5 kilometers off the Gaza coast,” he continued. A model for the
project has already been created, he noted.

“On the island there will be a port, a power plant and water treatment
plant, and eventually an airport. There could be hotels there, too. The
island would be connected to Gaza by a bridge, which would have a security
checkpoint in the center.

“[The checkpoint] would be under full international control for 100 years,
and under Israeli control at sea,” he suggested. “The Palestinians would be
part of operating the port and airport, and staffing the hotels.”

“There would be no homes on the island,” he added.

If the condition of Gaza’s demilitarization were violated, he said, the
crossing and the security checkpoint could be shut down. Israel would retain
the option of responding to any cross-border fire.

“In order to allow this to be implemented, Israel must set the
demilitarization of Gaza as a clear objective for Operation Protective
Edge,” he warned.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in the 2005 Disengagement, but continues to supply
the region with water, electricity, and other supplies, and retains control
of the sea some distance off the coast of Gaza. Under agreements reached
during the Disengagement, international observers were to man the Egypt-Gaza
crossing and ensure that weapons did not enter Gaza; however, the observers
fled following the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2006, and the agreements were
later ignored.

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