Bush's "Road Map" Is A Road Map To Disaster

From the www.monabaker.com archive (legacy material)

Zionist Organisation of America | IMRA | 1 May 2003

NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has strongly criticized the Bush administration’s “Road Map” plan, warning that it is a road map to disaster–it will create a Palestinian Arab terrorist state that will endanger Israel and undermine America’s war against terrorism:
The ZOA is launching a nationwide campaign against the Road Map plan.
The ZOA’s efforts will include full-page newspaper advertisements from coast to coast; meetings with Members of Congress and the Bush administration; and public programs in conjunction with pro-Israel Christian organizations.
The ZOA’s campaign will emphasize:
* The Road Map will create a new terror state, a mini-Iraq: The Road Map intends to create a “provisional” Palestinian Arab state this year, with
permanent borders by 2005. Since the Palestinian Authority regime shelters, glorifies, and sponsors terrorists; and since it actively promotes of culture of anti-Jewish and anti-American hatred and violence (in its media, schools, summer camps, religious sermons, and speeches), a Palestinian Arab state will inevitably be a terrorist state. A February 2003 McLaughlin poll found that by a margin of 71% to 13%, Americans oppose creating a Palestinian Arab state because they believe such a state would seek to destroy Israel.
* Palestinian Arab obligations are vague and unverifiable: The Road Map requires the PA to “Undertake visible efforts on the ground” against
terrorism. The vague term “visible efforts” means that once again, the PA will be allowed to get away with revolving-door-arrests and other phony
gestures that give the appearance of fighting terrorism–but only when the television cameras are turned on. The Road Map does not require the PA to undertake specific, verifiable actions such as outlawing terrorist groups; surrendering terrorists to Israel for prosecution; or seizing terrorists weapons and turning them over to Israel.
* Endangers Israeli control of its capital city, Jerusalem: The wording of the Road Map implies forcing Israel to cede major sections of Jerusalem. It states that the goal of the plan is to “end the occupation that began in 1967,” and the U.S. government has traditionally referred to the Old City section of Jerusalem (where the Western Wall and Temple Mount are located) as “occupied territory.” The Road Map also requires the convening of an “international conference” that will deal with Jerusalem and other issues. Since at such a conference, Israel will be completely outnumbered by governments demanding Israeli surrender of parts of Jerusalem.
* Monitoring compliance will be in the hands of harsh critics of Israel: The Road Map states that “The Quartet will meet regularly at senior levels to evaluate the parties’ performance.” Thus the job of determining if the Palestinian Arabs are complying will be in the hands of four parties that have been consistently hostile to Israel and sympathetic to the Palestinian Arabs–the European Union, the United Nations, Russia, and the State Departments.
* Undermines Israel’s anti-terror operations: The Road Map requires Israel to “End demolitions of the homes of Palestinian militants.” The Israeli Army has found that the policy of dismantling the homes of Palestinian Arab terrorists –which is fully sanctioned by Israel’s highest court– is an effective deterrent against terrorism.
* New PA Prime Minister supports terror, denies Holocaust: The Bush administration’s decision to promote the Road Map is based on the myth that the new PA prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is a moderate. In fact, as recently as March 3, Abbas publicly endorsed the murder of Israelis beyond the 1967 border, and he has written a book denying the Holocaust. A February 2003 McLaughlin poll found that by 64% to 20%, Americans believe that international leaders should refuse to meet with Mazen just as they refuse to meet with other Holocaust-deniers.
* Jewish construction restricted, Arab construction ignored: The Road Map imposes an un-American policy of ethnic discrimination, by halting Jewish construction in the disputed Judea-Samaria territories, while not limiting the much more widespread Arab construction in those areas.
* Undermines America’s war against terrorism: The creation of a Palestinian Arab state would, in effect, reward the PA for its ongoing terrorist war against Israel, and send a message to terrorists everywhere that their violence will reap political concessions.
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The Zionist Organization of America, founded in 1897, is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations, educates the American public and Congress about the dangers that Israel faces, and combats anti-Israel bias in the media and on college campuses. Its past presidents have included Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and Rabbi Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.