...In January after the elections, while as leader of the opposition,
[Zionist Union Chairman MK Isaac] Herzog ...publicly endorsed the
consensus policy toward the Palestinians adopted by Professor Shlomo Avineri,
Labor Zionism’s foremost intellectual.
Although he emphasized that he remained committed to a separation
from the Palestinians, Avineri maintained that the Oslo Accords were no longer
relevant as the Palestinian leadership refused to accept Israel’s right to
exist and considered Israel’s destruction a higher priority than achieving
their own statehood. Avineri concluded that under such circumstances, efforts
to implement a two-state solution were delusionary.
Despite bitter protests and condemnations from the radical ranks
of Labor, Herzog publicly identified with this approach, explicitly stating
that there is “no chance of peace in this era.” Furthermore, he declared that
the Israel Defense Forces must remain in the West Bank and in the Jordan
Valley. He told French President François Hollande that “hatred and incitement
among the Palestinians” are currently too intense to contemplate implementing a
two-state solution.
Thus, it was a shocking revelation when it was disclosed last week
that, prior to last year’s election, at the height of Palestinian incitement
and frenzied calls to “save Al-Aqsa,” Herzog was secretly negotiating terms for
a final settlement with the corrupt and degenerate Palestinian Authority.
Through former Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, Herzog outlined the
following surrealistic principles which were summarized in a secret letter of
understanding with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and scheduled
to be implemented following the elections.
· Israel would withdraw
to the 1949 armistice lines, i.e., from all of Judea and Samaria, with the
exception of 4% territory swaps enabling Israel to retain portions of the
settlement blocs. Those resident outside these areas would either be
repatriated to Israel or obliged to accept Palestinian rule. Israel would
retain a “symbolic” presence in the Jordan Valley in conjunction with
Palestinian forces.
· East Jerusalem would
become the capital of a Palestinian state with a single municipality acting
under the jurisdiction of both Israel and the Palestinian State.
· The Temple Mount would
be administered by an international force with an Israeli presence at the
Western Wall.
· The Palestinian refugee
issue would be resolved on the basis of U.N. Resolution 194 with a “joint
decision” to accept those wishing to return or accept financial compensation.
The Arabs claim that currently over 5 million people - the original refugees
and their descendants - are awaiting repatriation.
This is simply an extension of the Olmert formula – which was not
approved by the cabinet or the Knesset and rejected by Abbas.
It was surely utterly naïve and politically counterproductive to
extend such unilateral concessions before obtaining a single indication of
reciprocity from the Palestinians. But the worst travesty was the unprecedented
initiative of an opposition leader to furtively engage in foreign affairs
initiatives that conflict with the policies determined by a democratically
elected government. When this is applied toward hostile forces that promote and
endorse terrorism, it could even be considered seditious.
What makes Herzog’s behavior even more reprehensible is that all
opinion polls clearly demonstrated that a broad consensus of the nation was
adamantly opposed to further unilateral territorial concessions. Most Israelis
aspire for separation but recognize that unless the Palestinians demonstrate a
willingness to accept the reality of a Jewish state and cease terror
activities, there is no possibility of creating a Palestinian state.
To cap it, Herzog fought an election and failed to disclose to the
electorate that these negotiations had taken place. Today, he admits that had
he won, he had every intention of implementing these policies. Needless to say,
had he disclosed his policy, he would have been decimated at the polls.
A year later, after this sleazy episode has been exposed, Herzog
tries to justify his deceit by suggesting that the entire operation was
designed to persuade Abbas to cease inciting against Jews. The late Prime
Minister Yitzchak Rabin would turn in his grave if he could visualize how a
youngster whom he personally nurtured politically and had become leader of his
party, crossed every one of the red lines he had drawn in relation to
territorial concessions to the Palestinians.
...The somewhat insipid response by the media to these revelations is
a byproduct of our dysfunctional political system, having inured Israelis to
political deceit and made them highly cynical.
Herzog has probably hammered the last nails into the coffin of the
Labor party. Were an election to take place in the near future, it is almost
assured that these misguided initiatives would result in the decimation of the
Zionist Union...
After such duplicitous behavior – both ethically and politically unconscionable – Herzog must resign. The problem, however, is whether his potential replacements will be any better.
