AUT: Should the Palestinians disarm?

[Scott Hamilton <s_h_hamilton@xxxxxxxxx>]

Harald says that he has never favoured the disarming
of the Palestinians armed in self-defence (as opposed
to suicide bombings). But how would armed ex-militia
members fit into his vision of civil rights protests
with liberal Zionists leading to the creation of
'probably de facto capitalist' East Mediterranean
federation?

If the PA and also its militia and Popular Committee
rivals are disbanded, as unwanted expressions of
Palestinian nationalism, how will the Palestinians be
able to use arms to defend themselves? How will armed
struggle fit into a protest coalition with liberal
Israeli Jews, the vast majority of whom have not
broken with Zionism, ie the belief in the legitimacy
of the Israeli state? And how will the 'entrepenurial
capitalists' who might want to create Harald's east
mediterranean federation feel about armed self-defence
by the Palestinians?

Reproduced below is a profile of Sharon's new Defence
Minister. Palestinians need arms to defend themselves
from Zionists like this.


The appointment of Shaul Mofaz as Israel's new defence
minister may herald a sharp shift to the right after
the collapse of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
coalition with Labor.

A staunch nationalist, General Mofaz was unusually
outspoken as a chief-of-staff, at times appearing more
hawkish than Mr Sharon in his attitude towards the
Palestinians.

Arafat is at the head of the Palestinian Authority,
which encourages, finances and trains terrorists. In
these conditions, it would be better if he were
expelled

Shaul Mofaz

For the past two years, General Mofaz, has been in
charge of fighting the Palestinian intifada, or
uprising, adopting increasingly tough tactics, which
have alarmed left-wing critics and human rights
groups.

Under Mr Mofaz's command, the Israeli Defence Forces
(IDF) have stepped up demolitions of Palestinian
suicide bombers' homes and blockades of Palestinian
towns and villages.

The IDF has also carried out dozens of "targeted
killings" of leading Palestinian militants.

The Iranian-born former paratrooper has made no secret
of his contempt for the Palestinian Authority (PA).

He has repeatedly advocated Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat's expulsion from the Palestinian territories.

He was recorded unawares at a press conference in
April, 2002, telling Mr Sharon: "We should kick him
[Mr Arafat] out".

General Mofaz compared the intifada to the 11
September attacks on the United States and branded the
PA a "terrorist entity".

Military force

As the intifada intensified, General Mofaz oversaw the
biggest Israeli military offensive since Israel's 1982
invasion of Lebanon.


Mofaz advocates Yasser Arafat's expulsion


In March, 2002, General Mofaz sent thousands of troops
into the West Bank, repeating the exercise three
months later after a spate of deadly suicide attacks
by Palestinian militants.

As chief-of-staff, General Mofaz directed some of
Israel's most controversial military operations.

These included:


The March 2002 assault on Jenin, where Palestinians
claim a massacre took place

The demolition of Mr Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah


The dropping of a one-tonne bomb on a Gaza apartment
block in July, 2002, which killed a leading
Palestinian militant and 14 civilians.
The intifada, however, exposed Israel's sacrosanct
army to the scrutiny of the world's media and cast a
spotlight on its treatment of the Palestinians.

The army was accused in some quarters of using
excessive force and Palestinian and Israeli left-wing
groups have called for Mr Mofaz to be prosecuted for
war crimes.

Illustrious career

General Mofaz's move into politics follows a long
military career, in which he has been credited with
helping to transform the Israeli army into the Middle
East's mightiest fighting force.


Mofaz commanded Israel's takeover of the West Bank


Born in 1948, the year of Israel's creation, Mr Mofaz
emigrated to Israel with his family at the age of
nine.

He joined the IDF in 1966 at the age of 18 and fought
as a paratrooper in the Sinai desert in the Middle
East War the following year.

In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Mr Mofaz commanded an
elite unit of paratroopers and participated in
Israel's most audacious hostage rescue operation in
Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976.

General Mofaz commanded an infantry brigade when
Israel's then-defence minister Ariel Sharon
orchestrated Israel invasion of Lebanon, and oversaw
their bloodless withdrawal in May 2002 as Israel's
chief-of-staff.

General Mofaz left the army in July, 2002, when his
four-year term as commander officially expired.













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