"President Bush has betrayed decades of diplomatic advances, undercut
the future of the Road Map peace plan and ignored its cosponsors--the
U.N., the European Union and the Russian Federation." This is the
conclusion Corinne Whitlatch reached after Mr. Bush caved in to Prime
Minister Sharon's "unilateral disengagement" plan during their
April 14 meeting.
Ms. Whitlatch is the executive director of Churches for Middle East
Peace (CMEP), a coalition of 19 national Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox
church offices. She added: "The President's blatant disregard for
Palestinian and Arab participation and sentiment places a future peace
and our own security at risk."
Father Drew Christiansen, an editor of the Jesuit magazine America,
warned: "The President's decision makes U.S. policy hostage to
Prime Minister Sharon's expansionist goals. Legitimating West Bank settlements
is a recipe for protracted conflict, which will continue to impact adversely
the dwindling Christian presence in the Holy Land."
"President Bush has effectively told the world that what Israel
has taken by force from the Palestinians is now acceptable." This
observation came from Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the United Methodist
Church's General Board of Church and Society. He called the President's
agreement with Sharon "a road map to war."
Mr. Bush reversed the official U.S. position first established by the
Carter administration: that Israeli settlements forcibly imposed on
Palestinian territory are "inconsistent with international law."
Presently some 230,000 Israelis are ensconced in 146 heavily guarded
enclaves among ten times as many Palestinians. When Sharon recently
visited the largest of the settlements, Maale Adumin east of Jerusalem,
he told the 30,000 Israeli residents that their settlement would continue
to grow "as part of Israel, for all eternity."
The pullout of Sharon's troops from the 139 square miles of the overcrowded
Gaza Strip will effectively imprison 1.3 million Palestinians--35 percent
in refugee camps--, because Sharon insists on retaining Israeli control
of all access from land, sea, and air. There is no assurance, moreover,
the Sharon regime will not continue to assassinate members of the Palestinian
resistance, or again launch punitive military strikes in the Gaza Strip.
When it comes to Palestinians, Messrs. Bush and Sharon do not consider
it necessary to apply the rules of international law, human rights,
and simple fairness. Sharon's occupation forces are in the process of
wiping out all Palestinians who dare to resist the Israeli occupation.
Firing guided missiles from American attack helicopters, Sharon and
his supporters have no qualms killing suspects and innocent bystanders
alike and bulldoze their homes and orchards with impunity.
The Internet news agency Scoop, which keeps track of the Israeli occupation,
recorded the following incidents for just one day, Saturday April 17:
five Palestinians killed (three by assassination), 21 wounded, 7 critically,
6 children; 9 arrested; 70 trees uprooted, 18,000 square yards bulldozed;
4 houses, 3 vehicles, 4 hot houses, and 2 businesses destroyed or damaged;
2 new military posts erected; 6 shellings and 16 bombardments of Palestinian
targets.
President Bush condones this lawlessness as "Israel's right to
defend itself." No such right does he allow the victims of this
barbarous conduct. And when the victims do strike back with suicide
bombings and other acts of terror, we are outraged.
Does the White House not understand that every time non-combatants are
killed in Palestine or Iraq or Afghanistan, more of their relatives
or friends or fellow Muslims may decide to avenge their deaths with
acts of terror because they have no other means to retaliate? The massive
increase of all kinds of terror targeting Americans and their allies
is frightening evidence that the way Bush and Sharon fight terrorism
only incites more terrorism. Sharon has never been willing to meet Arabs
as equals, or settle differences with them in any way other than through
the barrel of a gun.
No military superiority can prevent determined individuals, alone or
in groups, from terrorizing an unwanted occupation. The President needs
to change course and stop pouring more oil on the flames engulfing the
region.
American lives and values are at stake.