Israel Matzav

Is Olmert really Rabin's successor?

Last Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert spoke to the Saban Forum. During his speech, he pronounced himself the successor to Yitzchak Rabin, who led Israel into the Oslo fiasco fourteen years ago. But is Olmert Rabin's successor? Here's the speech that Rabin delivered to the Knesset on October 5, 1995. It was one month before Rabin's assassination. It was the day that Oslo II (the 'interim agreement') was ratified by the infamous 61-59 vote that was paid for by the government with two ministerial appointments and two cars. Here's what Rabin said on that occasion:

Today, the Government presents to the Knesset the "Israeli- Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip." The Government will seek the Knesset's approval and will view the Knesset's decision as a vote of confidence in the Government.

The Jewish people, which has known suffering and pain, has also known how to preserve its faith, its heritage and its tradition during thousands of years of exile, and has realized the dream of generations. We have, with our own eyes, been privileged to see the return to Zion, the return of the children to their borders.

Here, in the land of Israel, we returned and built a nation. Here, in the land of Israel, we established a state. The land of the prophets, which bequeathed to the world the values of morality, law and justice, was, after two thousand years, restored to its lawful owners -- the members of the Jewish people. On its land, we have built an exceptional national home and state.

...

We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority. The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.

And these are the main changes, not all of them, which we envision and want in the permanent solution:

A. First and foremost, united Jerusalem, which will include both Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev -- as the capital of Israel, under Israeli sovereignty, while preserving the rights of the members of the other faiths, Christianity and Islam, to freedom of access and freedom of worship in their holy places, according to the customs of their faiths.

B. The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.

C. Changes which will include the addition of Gush Etzion, Efrat, Beitar and other communities, most of which are in the area east of what was the "Green Line," prior to the Six Day War.

D. The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

...

the primary obstacle today, to implementing the peace process between us and the Palestinians, is the murderous terrorism of the radical Islamic terrorist organizations, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are joined by the rejectionist organizations.

Terrorism wounds civilians and those serving in the IDF, the Police, the Border Police, and the other security forces, without distinguishing between them. It is clear that murderous terrorism has wounded and woundss Israelis' sense of personal security within the area of the state, and Israelis who live in the area of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.

The PLO, those in it subject to the authority of its chairman, Arafat, has stopped the terror against us, as they committed themselves in the Declaration of Principles. And yet, other terrorist organizations, continue to attack us, because it is their political aim to murder Israelis, because they are Israelis, through acts of terror, in order to cause the cessation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Because this is their aim, we have no intention of shirking from the efforts toward peace, even if the acts of terrorism continue to harm us. We, on our side, will make every effort against the terrorists.

We are well aware of the seriousness of terrorist acts, and in all of our considerations on the road to achieving a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are taking the necessary and permissible steps, in accordance with Israeli law, in order to fight it. This terrorism will not achieve its political goal.

We are also repeating our demand that the Palestinian Authority fulfill its obligation, in accordance with the agreements that we have signed with it has signed to be more severe, to step up, and to intensify its actions against the murderers and enemies of peace in the area under its control. We know the Palestinian Authority has taken a series of measures that have foiled attacks, but they can do more, much more, against the terrorist organizations -- the enemies of peace. [Note that even then, the government was deluding itself that Fatah was different than Hamas and Islamic Jihad and that the 'Palestinians' were not fighting terror. Abu Mazen learned well from his master, Arafat. CiJ]

...

I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.

...

We are aware of the fact that the Palestinian Authority has not -- up until now -- honored its commitment to change the Palestinian Covenant, and that all of the promises on this matter have not been kept. I would like to bring it to the attention of the members of the house that I view these changes as a supreme test of the Palestinian Authority's willingness and ability, and the changes required will be an important and serious touchstone vis-a-vis the continued implementation of the agreement as a whole.

The relevant article speaks about this:

"The PLO undertakes that, within two months of the date of the inauguration of the Council, the Palestinian National Council will convene and formally approve the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant, as undertaken in the letters signed by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel, dated September 9, 1993 and May 4, 1994." [The 'Palestinian Covenant' has never been amended. CiJ]

Is Olmert really Rabin's successor? Olmert is going to Annapolis to divide Jerusalem, and to give the 'Palestinians' all of Judea and Samaria. He may even return all the way to the June 4, 1967 lines. Would Rabin have done that?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:31 PM