Now playing on the Reality TV: The Fayyad Plan—A + B + C(EU) = 100%

July 19, 2013 by J-Wire
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The big show we’re all watching stars US Secretary of State John Kerry, skeptical but concerned about his attempts to restart negotiations between us and the Palestinians…write Ari Briggs and By Jan Sokolovsky.

Ari Briggs

Ari Briggs

What preconditions are being demanded?  Will Bibi give in? What will be left of our tiny little country? But this is really just street theater, expertly acted by Abbas, as are his unilateral declarations at the UN. Unfortunately, the real show about the future of our country is being played out on another channel, behind the scenes in the field and not in the media. While we have been distracted elsewhere, Abbas, the PA with full consent of the EU have been quietly implementing the Fayyad plan, so called because the front man was former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
The PA’s July 2009 plan, to unilaterally create a de facto Palestinian state on the ground is being implemented now at an accelerated rate, with our explicit consent or because of our fatal inaction, and with massive involvement of the international community specifically with funding from the European Union. This is a call for the Israeli public to demand that our government exercise its authority over areas within our control, before we reach the point of no return.
Three major pillars support the PA’s Plan to create facts on the ground–structural reform of the central and local governments, restoring the PA security system, and building the economic and physical infrastructure necessary for a state. Deliberate emphasis was placed on establishing large parts of this national infrastructure in Area C, defined by the Oslo Accords as under full Israeli civil and security control, including authority over all building permits. However, the intention of the PA and the EU, made crystal clear by the EU’s latest binding directive on all European countries, is to subvert our authority, to silently ‘annex’ these areas, create corridors and contiguous territories in them, thereby establishing irreversible facts on the ground.

This gradual annexation method is being pursued simultaneously on two tracks. One requires coordinating with Israeli authorities by requesting their approval to construct projects of ‘special significance’. Usually, these are projects where international financing is dependent on our ‘stamp of approval’ – Israeli consent. Israel normally has no option but to consent to these projects because of the enormous pressure exerted by the funding countries. The other track establishes facts on the ground – by widespread illegal construction and development activities, without coordination or approval from the Israeli authorities. In this track, one can absolutely detect a systematic and deliberate hand, an organizing logic that seeks to create contiguous Palestinian territories, while isolating and cutting off Israeli communities.

Three examples show how our blind cooperation with the PA and its supporting international benefactors, will, if unchecked, create an irreversible reality.  First, the approval of the new town of Nueima in the Jordan Valley, including an allocation of 500 acres of state land, much of which was taken over illegally by Palestinians over the last few years.  David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, says, “the law-breaking Palestinian criminals, who settled on state lands surreptitiously, are being rewarded, as they are now receiving hundreds of acres as a gift.  This is a delusional and reckless plan that will choke our Council’s communities.”

Second, the Civil Administration recently seriously considered a request by the PA to establish a security facility for their Preventive Security service, within Area C, where it would dominate Route 443, the road connecting Modi’in to Jerusalem. Is this not astounding?  Fortunately, the request was rejected due to media attention and a public information campaign initiated by Regavim.  But the fact that Israeli officials even considered such a request indicates the loss of their moral compass and common sense.

Third, the Civil Administration is promoting the Ramon waste-collection landfill site in Area C in the Binyamin region, even though most of the waste will come from Areas A and B, and despite that fact that the PA has declared it will not be used for waste from Jewish communities. Deutsche Bank of Germany is funding this site, never mind that landfill is considered the worst method of disposal, and is completely banned throughout Germany. Despite the filing of over 100 objections, the Civil Administration continues to promote it, in part because of the pressure applied by the international community.

Simultaneously, the PA continues to build without our consent. Consider the illegal expansion of El Bireh, into Area C, which is intended to choke its Jewish neighbor Psagot. It is now only 100 meters from the fence of Psagot.  Unauthorized development of infrastructure and road building, clearly intended to by-pass Israeli check points continues unchallenged. They especially construct buildings on dominating points in order to create a buffer in the hills between Psagot and Beth El.

Another example of this phenomenon is the Civil Administration retroactively approving the unauthorized construction of a soccer stadium in Area C just outside of El Bireh. In 2009, construction began, near and visible to the Psagot community. Following Regavim’s application to the court, the Civil Administration issued a stop-work order, but work continued undeterred. In a further appeal to the Supreme Court, Regavim demanded that the law be enforced and the structure demolished. Yet in 2011, a building permit from the Civil Administration for the stadium was issued retroactively, allowing its construction and operation. We believe that this was due to extreme pressure placed upon Israel by UEFA and the usual suspects – the EU. No imagination is required to evaluate the results of 15,000 fervent fans marching at the end of a game, with only a 5-minute walk from the stadium to Psagot. Against the background of various popular uprising scenarios, which the IDF is preparing for, this is a scary thought.

Where have we been while this is going on?  Watching another channel. We must put a stop to the PA’s plan by refusing to approve any more PA projects in Area C until all illegal building is stopped. This is especially true at this time where the EU has issued an open directive to boycott all Jewish activity in area C, East, North & South Jerusalem and the Golan. It’s time to tune into what is really going on in front of us, and demand that our Government act forcefully to enforce the law equally and protect our national interests.

Dr. Jan Sokolovsky, an attorney, and serves as a Policy Advisor for Regavim.
Ari Briggs is the international director of Regavim. Regavim’s mission is to ensure the accountable, legal & environmentally friendly use of Israel’s national lands and the return of the rule of law to all areas and aspects of the land. He is a former Sydneysider.

Comments

2 Responses to “Now playing on the Reality TV: The Fayyad Plan—A + B + C(EU) = 100%”
  1. Paul Winter says:

    This report by Ari and Jan is sad and infuriating. But when other factors are included, one can only conclude that the Israeli leadership is cowardly, stupid and treacherous.

    The factors of which I am aware, and there must be many more that have not yet reached Oz are:
    X) that, according to Reuters, Bibi has agreed that the 1949 armistice lines form a basis for negotiations and equal land swaps would include an Arab tunnel through Israel. Although Regev has denied the Reuters report, clearly there are some in the Israeli government that agree to them and hence there will be pressure on Israel to accept them in the same way as the “unofficia’ Geneva Initiative was used.
    Y) the same report was that Israel could withdraw from the Jordan valley, because an international force would secure it. This rubbish was advanced in the past and ties in with reports of 1000 US marines being sent to Jordan to supposedly prevent to overflow of the Syrian massacres. In view of the fact that the failure of the US to honour its commitment to keep the Straits of Tiran led to the 6 day war, its failure to upgrade F-16s to Arab standards and its refusal to allow Israel to use its superior radar to maintain the qualitative edge, its refusal to sell F-22s and its sale of F-35 on condition that it services them, Israel would be stupid to trust the Yanks. The more so as the US has been training the PA’s army and its consulate-general in Jerusalem is actually the US embassy to the PA and Hamas, something not surprising, considering that the US “forgot” Bush’s agreement with Sharon. Apart from the US, any Israeli leader who ignores the failure of international forces in Lebanon, on the Golan and in Gaza, fails to deal with reality.
    Z) The State Comptroller is criticising illegal activity in Judea and Samaria, but the ciriticism is directed agains Jews only. The political leaders have frozen construction and pretend to be taking a stand. The police and the army not only fail to protect Jews while ignoring Arab criminality, but act harshly against Jews on the pretext of enforcing laws and maintaining the peace. What is in fact happening is that some Israeli leaders are cowed , some are delusional beliveing that giving in to Arab demands will lead to peace and stop further pressure by the internatonal community and then there are those who put their political ambitions ahead of the interests of the Jewish state. These, primarily the Attorney-General and the High Court who make political decisions to advance their post-Zionist agendas must be bropught to heel.
    And that is the X+Y+Z of the matters that need to be coupled with the A+B+C!

  2. Gil Solomon says:

    Hi Ari,

    This ranks as one of the best pieces I have read and should be a real eye opener to those who keep giving the benefit of the doubt to the sons of Ishmael over their own people.

    The consequences of Israeli Govt. inaction/stupidity has been clearly spelt out. Israel is obviously being outmanoeuvred on all fronts and the worst thing is that the Israeli Govt. especially Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli ambassador at the UN stay shtum.
    What exactly are they terrified about or is this just plain Hasbara ignorance?

    In relation to the furore over settlements, below is a direct quote from comments recently made by Melanie Phillips.
    “This is an act of malevolence. But the fault in large measure surely lies with Israel. For although some may find this incomprehensible, Israel does not make to the world the one case that matters – why Israelis are fully entitled UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW to build homes in these territories; and exactly how Britain, the EU and the UN have grossly mis-stated and misapplied that international law.
    Instead, Israel merely protests that the EU move will inhibit a peace settlement. Which it undoubtedly will. But it will do so principally by upending law, truth and justice – a case Israel never makes in public, thus allowing the irrational hatred of Israel in the west, fed by racist lies and propaganda, to spread its poison unchecked”.

    When will Jews in general and Israel in particular ever wake up out of their coma?

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