Commentary

Sharon Pushing Through Apartheid Plan

The term "apartheid" was coined by colonialists in South Africa at the turn of the last century. An Afrikaans word, apartheid literally means apartness and refers to a separation of people according to their race. The policy of apartheid was implemented in South Africa through the creation of bantustans, so-called autonomous zones designated for black South Africans to live in, which were in reality squalid shantytowns set up to keep the African population subjugated. During the apartheid era, even those regimes which maintained economic relations with the racist South African government did not try to justify the apartheid policies, but claimed trade was just good business.

Israel's apartheid policy is also designed to keep people separate based on race. Using the pretext of fighting terrorism, Ariel Sharon has now begun to implement this policy through two measures: the creations of bantustans in the West Bank and the construction of a separation wall that will cut Palestinian bantustans off from Israel and Israeli settlements within the occupied territories.

Sharon's "disengagement plan", presented to the Americans for their approval in mid-April, is critical to the implementation of this policy. Under the plan, Israel will withdraw its settlements in the Gaza Strip while maintaining a military presence there and concentrating all Israeli settlers within defined areas of the West Bank.

According to Sharon, once this plan is implemented, Israel will no longer be an occupying power in Gaza, and will therefore no longer have any responsibility for the conditions of Palestinians living in the area. Gaza will remain as a geographically isolated Palestinian area surrounded by Israeli military installations with no access to the West Bank except through Israeli-controlled corridors. Israel will also maintain "exclusive control in the air space of Gaza, and will continue to conduct military activities in the sea space of the Gaza strip." Sharon has also rejected the Palestinian request for an international monitor in the area, such as a UN peacekeeping operation, stating in his plan that "there will be no foreign security presence in the Gaza Strip and/or [the West Bank] that is not in coordination with Israel and with Israel's agreement."

Israel is committed to maintaining its manufacturing zone within Gaza, the Erez Industrial Zone, where 4,000 Palestinian workers are employed at low cost by Israeli manufacturers. This will only occur if Israel is allowed to maintain what it deems to be "appropriate security arrangements" and if the existence of the Zone is not viewed by the international community as meaning Israel has any responsibility as an occupying power within Gaza.

In the West Bank, Israeli settlements in the north will be evacuated all others will be maintained. Furthermore, the plan specifies that "existing security activity will continue [in the West Bank]" adding that Israel may "consider reducing its activity in Palestinian cities."

In terms of the settlements it abandons, all of which are equipped with excellent housing and enjoy first-class services, Israel has reserved the right to establish an international body, to be agreed upon by the U.S. and Israel, to appraise the value of assets left behind in the settlements. "Israel reserves for itself the right to ask for consideration of the economic value of the assets that will be left in the evacuated area." Israel also makes no commitment to leave in place the water, electricity and sewage infrastructures that serve settlements scheduled to be evacuated; this infrastructure is far more developed within the settlements than within Palestinian cities and villages.

The plan also specifies that construction of the separation wall will continue. Sharon's disengagement plan is scheduled for completion by the end of 2005.

The most astonishing thing about the mid-April Bush-Sharon summit in Washington was not that Sharon's plan won the unequivocal support of the U.S. president, but that Bush abandoned any pretext that America was interested in a just solution to the problems in the region. For decades, the Americans have quietly supported the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, providing military and economic aid which have allowed the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to grow and flourish. However, successive American administrations have all publicly stated that these settlements were illegal and that they would have to be disbanded as part of any eventual peace solution. Certainly this has long been recognized by most Israelis, who have little sympathy for the extremism of the settlers, many of whom are U.S.-born. Bush, however, shocked many when he said the settlements, built in violation of international law following the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, had become "new realities on the ground" as they were "major Israeli population centres".

Sharon has now submitted his plan to Likud party membership and if it receives majority approval, it will become official Israeli policy. This is being done without even the pretense of discussion with the Palestinians.