Keep the Focus on What Counts: Peace

Israel finds itself blamed for a host of transgressions ranging from dryly technical infractions to undermining the entire peace process. We find this disappointing but not surprising. When we began the peace process, we knew that there would be disagreements between us and our Palestinian interlocutors. The proper forum for their resolution, however, is not in the U.N. Security Council or in an international conference in Gaza. The proper and most efficient forum for advancing everyone’s interests is the same negotiation table in which we together hammered out first the declaration of principles in 1993 and then the interim agreement in 1995.

If the Palestinians want to play the propaganda game, we can oblige them. We can cite that this year alone, we have transferred 80% of the city of Hebron to their control, released all female Palestinian security prisoners, agreed to transfer $30 million to the Palestinians by April, increased the number of Palestinian work permits to enable 70,000 Palestinians to enter Israel daily, and agreed to transfer an additional 9% of the West Bank to Palestinian control. Our credentials as a party committed to the peace process are quite impressive.

We can substantiate every single decision made by Israel’s government in the last month with signed documents and historical evidence. A careful reading of the signed agreements will show that none of Israel’s actions violate the letter or the spirit of the Oslo accords. The agreements are detailed and precise and contain nothing that prohibits Israel from building in Jerusalem nor do they define the extent of the first phase of further redeployment. The construction of Har Homa in Jerusalem does not violate any agreement. Neither the declaration of principles nor the interim agreement places any restrictions on Israel in terms of Jerusalem. All issues concerning the city were left to the permanent status negotiations that have not yet begun.

Israel’s decision to build in the Har Homa neighborhood of southern Jerusalem as well as in 10 Arab neighborhoods in the city was predicated on the fact that Jerusalem is a growing city whose Jewish and Arab residents require additional housing. Initially, 2,500 housing units will be built in Har Homa for Jews, and 3,000 units will be built in Arab neighborhoods for Arabs.

Israel understands the delicate nature of the negotiations and respects the sensitivities of the Palestinian people. Jerusalem, however, is the capital of Israel. We will not allow every urban development or infrastructure improvement in this vibrant yet crowded city to become the focus of conflict with the Palestinian Authority.

Regarding Israel’s decision to transfer 9% of the West Bank (a territory home to 200,000 Palestinians and larger than the entire Gaza Strip) to the Palestinian Authority as part of the first phase of the three further redeployments, Israel has no apologies. Nowhere in any of the agreements is the extent of the redeployment during the first phase defined. Moreover, during the Hebron negotiations, Israel and the United States announced that Israel alone will determine the extent of territory to be transferred.

We can defend every accusation made against us and level some very serious ones at the Palestinian Authority as well. We are very distressed about the Palestinian release of prisoners with Israeli blood on their hands, the continued Palestinian avoidance of canceling its charter (which calls for the destruction of Israel) and the reluctance to close Palestinian offices operated illegally in Jerusalem.

But this is not the game we want to play. We know that the peace process in which we are engaged is not some theatrical drama or competition to win points among world opinion makers. The peace process is the mechanism to spare our children and grandchildren the horrors of war that we were forced to suffer in our lifetimes.

The Palestinians have a choice to make. We call on our Palestinian partners to uphold their signed commitments and engage us directly. The permanent settlement negotiations are scheduled to begin this month. We hope to see them there.