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Source: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/407b78ca-e1fd-11d9-bf18-00000e2511c8.html
A Gaza Pull-Out Does Not Reward Terror
(Financial Times-UK) David Makovsky and Dennis Ross - The criticism taking the greatest toll on support for the withdrawal plan is that it rewards the terrorists and will only invite more terror. Technically speaking, the terror has come from the West Bank and not Gaza. Nearly 100 suicide bombers infiltrated into Israel during the intifada, only two of them from Gaza, and it is Gaza that Israel is leaving, not the West Bank. The fact that Hamas, whose leaders were killed in the intifada, never made Gaza disengagement an objective, is another reminder that this is hardly a victory for them. Ultimately, Gaza disengagement will be the prism through which to look at the future of revived peacemaking. Palestinians have the opportunity to prove to the world and Israelis that they can govern themselves and fulfill their obligations, including on security. Making Gaza work is essential to being able to demonstrate that what works for Gaza can also be applied to the West Bank. The writers are fellows at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.