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A Pullback That is All Risk

(Maariv) Yossi Ben Aharon - Yisrael Galili, a minister in Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin's government in the 1970s, used to say, "whether it be at war, a cease-fire, or a full peace, it is essential, of critical importance, that we control the border at Rafah, from the sea to the desert sands in the south. We must prevent, at all cost, the creation of territorial continuity from Egypt through the Sinai and Gaza Strip, up to Ashkelon. We were already in that situation once before, and we almost lost our country." An officer, speaking in a private forum, said that the Gaza settlements are of critical importance to the army in fighting Palestinian terror. The Jewish settlements provide a commanding position over main arteries and vast open spaces; they prevent freedom of movement for enemy agents; they sometimes provide a launch pad for army activities or a cover for operations, and they make it easier for the army to blend in with the terrain. They suffer constant terrorist attacks that would otherwise be directed at targets within the "green line."
2004-02-13 00:00:00
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