{news} GREEN RELEASE Israel 'Disengagement Plan' will not bring peace, say Greens

Tue Aug 16 20:40:21 EDT 2005

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
 http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
 Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Contacts:
 Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
 mclarty at greens.org
 Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805,
 starlene at greens.org
 Justine McCabe, International Committee, 860-354-1822,
 justinemccabe at earthlink.net

GREENS WARN THAT ISRAEL'S GAZA 'DISENGAGEMENT PLAN'
 WILL NOT BRING PEACE

Adherence to international law, including Palestinian
 refugees' right of return, remains key, say Greens.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders strongly
 criticized Israel's 'disengagement plan', calling it a
 disingenuous attempt to bypass peace negotiations
 based on international law.

"Although Israel plans to dismantle its illegal
 settlements and military bases in the Gaza Strip, it
 will maintain control of all Gaza's borders, water,
 and electricity" said Stan Heller, Connecticut Green
 and Chairperson of the Middle East Crisis Committee. 
"Gaza will continue to be an open-air prison. 
Obviously, Palestinians would welcome the departure of
 Israeli soldiers and armed settlers.  But as in the
 Oslo redeployments, the current 'disengagement plan'
 pretends to bring peace while continuing to prevent
 Palestinians from exercising their basic rights to
 self-determination, freedom of movement, and ability
 to develop their economy.  Under international law,
 this is still occupation."

Greens have joined numerous Israeli and Palestinian
 peace activists in calling for (1) an end to the
 illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank including
 East Jerusalem; and (2) the right of Palestinian
 refugees to return to their land.  Research shows this
 can be implemented with little disruption to current
 Israeli population patterns.  For example, about 78%
 of Israeli Jews reside on only 15% of the land, and
 over 90% of village refugees would return to empty
 sites.

"How can there be peace when since 1948 over 6 million
 native Palestinians have lived as refugees -- the vast
 majority within a 60 miles of their former homes in
 Israel?" asked Justine McCabe, member of the party's
 International Committee.  "In other, more recent
 ethnic conflicts, the U.S. and the international
 community have encouraged Bosnian, Kosovar, and
 Rwandan refugees to go home and live together with
 former enemies.  Why are Palestinian refugees and
 Israelis any different?"

In keeping with a long-standing body of human rights
 and humanitarian international law (U.N. Resolution
 194; Article 13 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of
 Human Rights), the U.N. has announced a 'New Global
 Standard' demanding the return of confiscated refugee
 housing and property to refugees and internally
 displaced persons.

Greens noted that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
 while promoting the disengagement plan, has internally
 indicated that withdrawal from Gaza is key to
 consolidating Israel's dominance in the largely
 Palestinian-Israeli area of the Galilee (Jaleel),
 Negev (Naqub), and in Greater Jerusalem, the large
 settlement blocs and 'security zones.'

Israel has requested 2.2 billion dollars in a direct
 grant from the U.S., to cover not only the costs of
 dismantling the few illegal settlements in Gaza but
 also for funds to 'develop,' i.e., 'Judaize' areas in
 Israel where most Palestinian-Israelis now live,
 including many of the 500+ destroyed villages to which
 Palestinian refugees would return.

"In return for removing a tiny percentage of the over
 400,000 settlers who are still living on confiscated
 Palestinian land, Israel expects American taxpayers to
 foot the bill and create more obstacles to real
 peace," said Jake Schneider, treasurer of the Green
 Party of the United States.  "This misguided U.S.
 policy only decreases the security of Americans as
 well as Israelis and Palestinians."

Greens cited warnings from some Jewish-Israeli peace
 activists, including Professors Ilan Pappe, Uri Davis,
 and Tamar Yaron, that the disengagement scenario may
 result in harm to Palestinian civilians as Israeli
 officials respond to what they regard as provocations
 by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.

Professor Pappe said, "Confirming our worst fears,
 General Eival Giladi, head of the Coordination and
 Strategy Team of [Sharon's] office, went on record in
 print and on television to the effect that 'Israel
 will act in a very resolute manner in order to prevent
 terror attacks and fire while the disengagement is
 being implemented,' and that 'If pinpoint response
 proves insufficient, we may have to use weaponry that
 causes major collateral damage, including helicopters
 and planes, with mounting danger to surrounding
 people.'  This scenario would be similar to what has
 already happened in the past -- a tactic that Ariel
 Sharon has used many times in his military career --
 i.e., utilizing provocation in order to launch massive
attacks."

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
 http://www.gp.org
 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
 Washington, DC 20009.
 202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
 Fax 202-319-7193

Green Party International Committee
 http://www.gp.org/committees/intl/

"Israel Decides to Keep Gaza Sealed off after Pullout.
 PNA: Israel Will Remain 'the Occupying Power' after
 Withdrawal"
 Palestine Media Center, August 9, 2005
 http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=956

"Withdrawal is a prelude to annexation: US hypocrisy
 is not new but Condi Rice has taken it beyond
 chutzpah" by Avi Shlaim
 The Guardian, June 22, 2005
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1511839,00.html

"Peace is more than pacification"
 Discussion with Mazin Qumsiyeh over the
 Israel-Palestine conflict, over Gaza disengagement,
 human rights, as well as the moral imperative of the
 one state solution.  Interview by Sabine Matthes in
 Junge Welt, August 13, 2005
 http://www.qumsiyeh.org/peaceismorethanpacification/
 (English)
 http://www.jungewelt.de/2005/08-13/028.php

"A 'warning' from Israel that merits the world's
 attention" (editorial)
 The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon), July 27, 2005
 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=17119&categ_ID=17&edition_id=10

U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of
 Human Rights.  Fifty-sixth session: Item 4 of the
 provisional agenda.  Final report of Mr. Pinheiro,
 Special Rapporteur on housing and property restitution
 in the context of the return of refugees and
 internally displaced persons
 http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G05/146/95/PDF/G0514695.pdf?OpenElement

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