(Washington Post) Aaron David Miller - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bold and dramatic initiative to withdraw Israeli settlements from Gaza turns on its head nearly 30 years of Arab-Israeli negotiations based on reciprocity and serious give-and-take. Yet in the rough-and-tumble Arab-Israeli conflict, giving without getting would only encourage Israel's enemies to ask for more and in the process erode Israeli deterrence. The reaction of Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Brigades to Sharon's current proposal - "we're winning" - should by itself give pause. In addition, no unilateral solution can resolve Israel's proximity problem with the Palestinians. Only a carefully crafted, negotiated solution, one that addresses security, water, labor flows, and access to markets, can do that.
2004-02-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive