[Peace] Fwd: Ambassador Dennis Ross

[David Green]

I'll try:

Under Oslo, or in the months after 9/93, about 17% of
the occupied territories was designated Area A, under
Palestinian administrative and police control. 27% was
Area B, under Palestinian Authority administration but
Israeli military control. The rest remained under
complete Israeli control. Sure, it's often stated that
95% of the Palestinians were governed by the PA, but
this is meaningless in terms of control of the land,
resources, and freedom of movement.

All one needs to know is that Palestinian police were
essentially doing the dirty work that the Israeli
military no longer wanted to do in controlling the
Palestinian population. In the old days, this was
called "collaboration." Patronage and graft in the
Palestinian Authority ensued, as well as other forms
of oppression and repression. What did not ensue was
signficant movement towards a just "final status" of
the occupied territories, as settlements, bypass
roads, and checkpoints increased, not decreased,
during the period from 1993 to the beginning of the
current intifada. The number of settlers doubled. The
territories we "de-developed" economically for the
Palestinians, the water resources dominated by Israel,
not to mention the land being used to dump toxic
waste. Whatever hopes the Palestinians had for a
economically and culturally viable state evaporated
amidst not only the snailspace negotiations that were
predictably stymied by Israeli invocations of
technicalities (for example, the much-heralded Wye
Agreement of 1998, which collapsed under the weight of
ridiculous Israeli stonewalling), but by increasing
"facts on the ground" in the occupied territories
which only made an agreement increasingly more
difficult in terms of the political "cost" to Israeli
settlers (in East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank
and Gaza).

Ultimately the Palestinian authority "controlled" 17%
of the 22% of Palestine that constitutes the occupied
territories. That sounds to me like less than 4% of
their original territory. But even that control was
always at Israel's pleasure, as recent events prove.
The "peace process," in terms of holding out genuine
hope for Palestinian independence from Israel, was
thus a fraud and a sham. The occupied territories have
continued to be occupied the entire time, as
Palestinians have no comparable means to defend
themselves.

David Green



--- Al Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> Sorry, I should have been more specific.  Under the
> Oslo accords, 
> there are now different areas with various
> designations on a scale of 
> self-governance.  These are now being violated by
> the current Israeli 
> govt.  Perhaps David Green can give you the
> overview.
> 
> >i'm a little shaky on recent israeli history. 
> would you remind me when
> >israel gave up rights to gaza and the west bank,
> such that they can
> >reannex it now?
> >
> >thanks
> >kathryn
> >
> >On Mon, 4 Mar 2002, Al Kagan wrote:
> >
> >>  I would put it differently.  The previous
> Israeli Govt wanted
> >>  "peace," but peace on its terms.  They wanted a
> bantustan situation
> >>  as under apartheid in South Africa.  They wanted
> a Palestinian state
> >>  that could be internationally recognized and
> that would not be viable
> >>  without Israeli control.  Of course, this could
> never work in the
> >>  long run.  The current Israeli Govt appears to
> want to reannex the
> >>  whole West Bank and Gaza.
> >>
> >>  >Arun, given that 'what has gone wrong with the
> peace process' is that
> >>  >neither the US or Israel wanted it, I'm
> wondering what Ambassador Ross has
> >>  >to say? Is this more State supported
> propanganda, to continue to confuse
> >>  >people about US-Israel-Palestinian relations?
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >On Mon, 4 Mar 2002, Arun Bhalla wrote:
> >>  >
> >>  >>
> >>  >>  ------- Forwarded Message
> >>  >>
> >>  >>  UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR DENNIS ROSS will be
> speaking THIS 
> >>WEDNESDAY on "The
> >>  >>  Path to Peace: Where Are We Now?" in
> FOELLINGER AUDITORIUM AT 7PM.
> >>  >>
> >>  >>  Ambassador Ross sat at the table alongside
> President Clinton, 
> >>Israeli and
> >>  >>  Palestinian leadership throughout the
> historic peace negotiations of the
> >>  >>  1990's. This is a once in a life-time
> opportunity to hear a first-hand
> >>  >>  account of what has gone wrong with the
> peace process, and 
> >>what it will take
> >>  >>  to achieve peace in the Middle East. For
> more information about the US
> >>  >>  Ambassador visit:
> >>  >> 
>
http://www.harrywalker.com/speakers_template.cfm?SPEA_ID=453
> >>  >>
> >>  >>  This event is FREE. Doors open at 6:00.
> >>  >>
> >>  >>  ------- End of Forwarded Message
> >>  >>
> >>  >> 
> _______________________________________________
> >>  >>  Peace mailing list
> >>  >>  Peace at lists.groogroo.com
> >>  >> 
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace
> >>  >>
> >>  >
> >>  >_______________________________________________
> >>  >Peace mailing list
> >>  >Peace at lists.groogroo.com
> >> 
> >http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace
> >>
> >>
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> Al Kagan
> African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of
> Library Administration
> Africana Unit, Room 328
> University of Illinois Library
> 1408 W. Gregory Drive
> Urbana, IL 61801, USA
> 
> tel. 217-333-6519
> fax. 217-333-2214
> e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu


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