Don't relinquish the road map
Road map is Israel's most important diplomatic achievement in recent years
For several years the international community widely maintained that Palestinian terror would cease with the establishment of a Palestinian state: This notion, premised on the West's historic experience – which generally holds true – maintained that terror is implemented to achieve national objectives, and that a national group whose demands are met would cease to be involved in terror.
As a result, Israel was required to make diplomatic progress, under the assumption that a Palestinian state would naturally put an end to terror.
Ariel Sharon's cabinet did not believe this would be the outcome: The obvious was not at all obvious and Israel demanded a different type of progress. Firstly, the cessation of terror and its demise, and only later diplomatic progress. And this is the exact diplomatic essence embodied in the slogan "no (diplomatic) talks under fire (terror)."
There is no dispute over the considerable risk inherent in the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state premised on the current state of Palestinian society - a society tainted by terror, crime, corruption and sectarianism.
Such a "state" would be a "notable" member of the organized international community, but terror against Israel would continue from within its ranks, while the IDF's ability to operate inside the Palestinian "state" would be significantly curbed due to constraints imposed by diplomatic, legal and international public opinion.
Today, in order to prevent terror, Israeli security forces are in control and legally patrol the territories, held by Israel for the time being as a result of war. When a Palestinian state is established, in order to prevent terror our security forces would be required to invade the territory of a neighboring, sovereign and independent state recognized internationally by many states (more than those that recognize Israel,) and the difference between these two situations speaks for itself.
In his address on June 24th, 2002 President Bush assumed that the basis for diplomatic progress was different, reverse. His position, which was integrated into a document prepared by the International Quartet (and adopted in a United Nations General Assembly resolution was termed "The Road Map" - a plan for managing a reconciliation process between the State of Israel, the Palestinian people, and the Arab world.
Phased progress
In the initial phase the Palestinians were required, among other things, to end terror: Disarm terror organizations, confiscate their weapons, establish efficient intelligence, security and policing apparatuses in order to prevent terror, enforce the law, develop appropriate government and administrative systems - namely, create a regime free of terror that functions properly and is fit to run a state.
In the second phase - following the probation period - a Palestinian state would be established within the current borders of the Palestinian Authority, and only later - in the third phase and following an additional probation period, negotiations would commence with the aim of achieving an agreement pertaining to basic questions such as: borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem.
This is the road map: Advancement to a later stage subject to full implementation of the previous phase; the entire process is conditioned on the establishment of an efficient and functioning Palestinian Authority that prevents terror and enforces the law; judgment as to whether the phase was implemented in a manner that enables commencement of the next phase would be in the hands of the US.
When the Israeli cabinet decided to accept the road map (with certain reservations,) Israel gave its consent to establishing a Palestinian state according to the conditions of the road map. The areas of dispute, therefore, do not pertain to the actual establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, to the conditions regarding its establishment.
In recent weeks there have been indications that a change in Palestinian activity towards switching from a gang rule to a functioning government is taking place; yet with all that is being done in this regard, it still comes nowhere near the first phase of the road map.
Skipping to talks on a final-status agreement in the current situation means that the conditions stipulated in the phased progress of the road map are being ignored and Israel's most important diplomatic achievement in recent years is being relinquished.
The road map constitutes recognition on the part of the majority of the international community of Israel's right not to accept a Palestinian state as long as it cannot guarantee that it can prevent terror from within its territory. This premise must not be relinquished and should not be ruined.
Dov Weisglass was former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s bureau chief and senior adviser
