Sharon's dictatorship

From Prof. Paul Eidelberg

For while Mr. [President George] Bush is committed to democratization of the Arab Middle East, his endorsement of [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon’s (politically divisive) withdrawal plan has prompted Israel’s ruthless prime minister to stifle all opposition to the plan’s implementation by measures which will gradually transform Israel, "the only democracy in the Middle East" into a military dictatorship.

Only a military martinet like Sharon summarily dismisses cabinet ministers merely because they disagree with him. Only a would-be dictator tells his cabinet, as Sharon did on February 13, 2005, "Anyone who speaks or writes against the Disengagement Plan is guilty of incitement"—a criminal offense involving administrative detention for up to six months. This was not an empty threat, especially with Labor entrenched in the government and with Shimon Peres, Oslo’s architect, serving as Israel’s vice premier.

As other writers have observed, here are some of the details of the emerging dictatorship:

Arrests of Jewish demonstrators

Beatings of Jewish protesters

Jail for Jewish demonstrators

Jail for Jews who refuse to be transferred

Jail without trial for vocal opponents of Sharon and his junta

Confiscation without compensation of Jewish homes of those Jews who refuse transfer, or will not voluntarily sign over their homes to the Sharon government, or will not quietly walk out the door the day of transfer

Demolition of Jewish homes, communities, hothouses, graveyards, synagogues in Jewish "settlements" [although Sharon is considering not demolishing them but giving the property as is to the Palestinian Authority because wealthy Arabs from Bahrain wish to pay billions to the PA for it].

Gush Katif will be a closed Military Zone, perhaps before Passover, thus preventing supporters from entering and making "settlers" subject to search and arrest for violation of curfew.

A Special Military Force made up of exclusively secular, non-Jewish IDF and Police is being trained to act solely against their fellow citizens to forcefully transfer them. There will be four Special Forces to every Jewish “settler” citizen.

Special caravans, remote holding areas, and jails previously used for Palestinian Arab terrorists are being set up to incarcerate Jewish demonstrators, and Jewish citizen "settlers" who refuse transfer.

Few people really understand the meaning and political consequences of Sharon’s retreat plan, notwithstanding the obvious significance of the "security fence." That retreat, which, to begin with, will take Israel back to its pre-1967 borders in stages, corresponds to the strategy of phases by which the PLO has ever conceived Israel’s demise.

In the process, Sharon’s phased truncation of Israel—an Israel increasingly vulnerable—will transform this country into a garrison state. The resulting cleavages, especially (but not exclusively) between religious and secular Jews, will tear this country apart and lead to a full-blown military dictatorship. This will be the irony and infamy of the Bush-Sharon Doctrine.