May 18, 2006

Is "Convergence" Good for the U.S.?

When Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits Washington, D.C. next week, one of the main topics of discussion will be his “convergence” plan. The plan calls for the eviction of as many as 70,000 Jews from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) in much the same way the Israeli government evicted 8000 of its citizens from the Gaza Strip last year. Some military analysts believe the Gaza pullout was a security disaster for Israel. But what impact would a proposed eviction of tens of thousands of Jews from the West Bank have on the U.S.? Is there a connection?

Former Israeli Ambassador Yoram Ettinger addressed this question in the following summary. Ettinger is the former Israeli minister for congressional affairs in Washington and Israeli general counsel in Houston. He’s now a consultant to various members of Knesset, a lecturer, and a business advisor. It’s meaty food for thought for U.S. policymakers, as they consider funding this major Israeli plan.

1. Vital U.S. interests would be affected by Israel’s proposed retreat (called "convergence") from terrorist strongholds in Judea & Samaria.

2. Israel's retreat from southern Lebanon catapulted Hizballah from a small to a regional terrorist organization. They are pioneers of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the kind that are now killing U.S. servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

3. Israel's 1994-1998 series of retreats from 85 percent of Gaza and 40 percent of Judea and Samaria created the Palestinian authority, the Mecca of homicide bombing, and anti-U.S. and anti-Jewish hate-education. Palestinian terrorists fought the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan. Anti-U.S. terror has increased since the initial 1993 Oslo retreat!

4. Israel's 2005 retreat ("disengagement") from Gaza and northern Samaria has established the largest terrorist base in the Mideast, adrenalizing anti-U.S. terrorism.

5. Israel's 2005 retreat has been perceived as a cave-in by the role model of counter-terrorism to the role-model of terrorism. It paved the road to Hamas' electoral victory and upgraded the posture of Islamic jihad and al-Qaeda, thus providing friendly platforms for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and the pro-Saddam elements.

6. Bolstered Palestinian profile constitutes a present and immediate lethal danger to pro-U.S. regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf states, threatening U.S. troops in the Gulf area.

7. Expanded Palestinian Authority facilitates the strategic re-entrenchment of Russia, China, and North Korea in the Mideast at the expense of U.S. interests in the eastern flank of the Mediterranean and throughout the Mideast.

8. Another Israeli retreat would further undermine Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability.

9. U.S. encouragement of another Israeli retreat from Palestinian terrorist strongholds would exacerbate the threat to U.S. interests. Would the U.S. learn from recent history by repeating – or avoiding – past errors?!

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