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The 80-20 Fallacy

(Ha'aretz) Ze'ev B. Begin - On September 9, 1993, the chairman of the PLO, Yasser Arafat, wrote an official letter in English to the prime minister of Israel, which said: "The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security." In the wake of this, Israel's security forces in 1994-1995 left the cities of the Gaza District, Judea and Samaria, with a detailed agreement of 314 pages in English, signed under international auspices and promising Israel quiet. Plans being mooted promise that Israel within the 1949 lines will enjoy tranquility on the basis of a Jewish majority of 80%. However, withdrawal to those lines, with or without an agreement, will not only fail to bring peace with our neighbors: It will also fail to bring quiet within the boundaries of the State of Israel. After the withdrawal, the winning formula will be applied: additional pressure to get Israel to move to the "internationally legitimate" lines of 1947 in Galilee and to sever from Israel its areas that are heavily populated by Arabs. Jews with good intentions are likely to make some creative proposals for the problem of Galilee, such as, in stage one, autonomy for the Arabs there, the evacuation of small and isolated hilltop communities, and a safe-passage road to Jenin.
2003-12-19 00:00:00
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