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President Bush called for the Palestinians to adopt a new constitution that establishes a representative form of government, a rule of law, and an independent judiciary. He also offered U.S. and international help in overseeing the elections. Oslo Article I states, in part: "The aim of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations within the current Middle East peace process is, among other things, to establish a Palestinian Interim Self-government Authority, the elected Council (the "Council"), for the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, for a transitional period not exceeding five years, leading to a permanent settlement ..." Moreover, Oslo Article III states, in part: "In order that the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip may govern themselves according to democratic principles, direct, free and general political elections will be held for the Council under agreed supervision and international observation, while the Palestinian police will ensure public order." It states further: "These elections will constitute a significant interim preparatory step toward the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and their just requirements." Oslo Article VII provides for the structure of the Palestinian Council and its overall administrative powers. It states, in part: "The Interim Agreement shall specify, among other things, the structure of the Council, the number of its members, and the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the Israeli military government and its Civil Administration to the Council. The Interim Agreement shall also specify the Council's executive authority, legislative authority ... and the independent Palestinian judicial organs." "In order to enable the Council to promote economic growth, upon its inauguration, the Council will establish, among other things, a Palestinian Electricity Authority, a Gaza Sea Port Authority, a Palestinian Development Bank, a Palestinian Export Promotion Board, a Palestinian Environmental Authority, a Palestinian Land Authority and a Palestinian Water Administration Authority and any other Authorities agreed upon, in accordance with the Interim Agreement, that will specify their powers and responsibilities." The president also spoke of the Israelis leaving "occupied territories." The Oslo Accords actually began that process. Oslo Article XIII states, in part: "After the entry into force of this Declaration of Principles, and not later than the eve of elections for the Council, a redeployment of Israeli military forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will take place ... In redeploying its military forces, Israel will be guided by the principle that its military forces should be redeployed outside populated areas. Further redeployments to specified locations will be gradually implemented commensurate with the assumption of responsibility for public order and internal security by the Palestinian police force ..." The Olso Accords also create numerous protocols to implement these and other principles of Palestinian self-government. In July 2000, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, and Yasser Arafat met at Camp David for the purpose of working out final arrangements for a Palestinian state. Barak made concessions far exceeding the framework of the Oslo Accords, including Palestinian control over a large portion of Jerusalem. But Arafat walked away, without making any counterproposals. Since the adoption of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Israel has been the victim of a sustained campaign of terror against its civilian population. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Islamic Jihad, among other terror groups, have had virtual free reign in the territories. Nearly 80 homicide terrorist attacks have been unleashed against the Israelis. Recently captured documents prove that Arafat and his Palestinian Authority have been scheming with terrorist states, like Iran and Syria, to acquire armaments and fund terrorism. And their rallying cry is no longer land for peace, but the destruction of Israel — which is widely supported by the Palestinian people, not only their leaders. The Bush proposal is built on the same faulty premise as the Oslo Accords. Neither the Palestinians nor several of the terrorist states surrounding Israel seek peaceful coexistence with Israel. Every accord, every agreement, every treaty before and since Oslo has been viewed by the Palestinians and their allies as an incremental step toward Israel's demise. The historical record is incontrovertible and overwhelming. The president's address is a de facto retreat in the war against terrorism. He essentially restates the Declaration of Principles of the Oslo Accords, fails to hold the terrorists and their state sponsors accountable for their horrific and repeated acts of murder, and offers no concrete plan to discourage future terrorism. Whatever happened to the Bush Doctrine? |
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t is clear that most
of those praising the president's speech Monday as a groundbreaking step
forward in the so-called peace process are unfamiliar with the 1993 Declaration
of Principles of the Oslo Accords ("Oslo").
