For the past two weeks since the 1st of September, Gaza has been the focus of a vicious and barbaric campaign by the Israeli army, seemingly paving the way for Prime Minister Sharon’s ‘Unilateral Disengagement Plan from Gaza.’ This plan, supposedly complementary to the internationally backed ‘Road Map’ has received much praising from the international community, including some Arab States, as a positive development towards peace. Does the systematic killing of innocent Palestinians or the demolition of homes and farm land imply a positive development towards peace? What kind of a World Order do we live in, that quietly condemns such a human catastrophe, while simultaneously doing nothing to hinder it? Where, will this Unilateral Disengagement leave the people of Gaza? Is the disengagement plan, complementary or contradictory to the ‘Road Map?’ These and other questions shall be explored.

To begin with, the extent of damage and destruction inflicted on Gaza cannot be underrated or underestimated. If anything these recent events need to be highlighted by Arab and Palestinian media. Gaza has been the site of a wide array of repeated War Crimes committed by Israeli forces on the helpless citizens of Gaza. To the naked eye, Gaza resembles an area hit by an earthquake easily above 7 on the Richter scale. The shocking statistics for the past 2 weeks are as follows:

• 35 Killed - Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS)
• 190 Injured - (PRCS)
• Approx 22 Homes demolished - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• 337 Dunums of Farm land destroyed - (OCHA)

The Disengagement Plan, rosy as it seems, is by actual fact a plan to kill as much Palestinian residents of Gaza, destroy as many homes and farm land as possible, making life in the Strip unbearable, in order to hand over a completely demolished and destroyed area. With no infrastructure left, the already underdeveloped Gaza has been thrusted a further 50 years behind.

The past 2 weeks have witnessed other developments, with concerns to the appalling humanitarian crisis in Gaza; firstly, the difficulty PM Sharon is facing from within his cabinet in trying to move forward with the Disengagement Plan. Secondly, the mass demonstration that took place in protest of a withdrawal from Gaza by settlers in Jerusalem. Thirdly, PM Sharon declaring the ‘Road Map,’ “abandoned for the time being” and finally, Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a national referendum on the issue of Disengagement.

All these events will ultimately benefit the Disengagement Plan and make the blood thirsty Sharon appear as a peace dove. How? Since the Unilateral Disengagement Plan was first introduced, the international community received it with open arms, deeming it complementary to the ‘Road Map and a positive development or initiative by PM Sharon. The recent demonstration staged by settlers in Jerusalem combined with the refusal of his ultra-orthodox members in the cabinet , portray the settlers who are traditionally Sharon’s stronghold as being extremists, (not to say they aren’t) while leaving PM Sharon as the last man standing trying to follow through with his ‘peaceful Disengagement Plan.’

Then there is the Issue of the ‘Road Map.’ It could be that people have no recollection of what it is, in light of the prevailing violence. To freshen up their memory. The ‘Road Map’ is the internationally backed and US proposed peace initiative calling for the creation of, “Two states living side by side in peace and security.” With PM Sharon announcing recently, “We accepted the roadmap, with our 14 reservations, and formally the Palestinians also accepted it. But nothing came of it. There was no progress. I came to the conclusion that we will get nowhere along this plan, there has to be a complete cessation of terror, violence and incitement, and only after that, when it ceases completely, can we move forward.” If Sharon means what he is saying, then it is only obvious that the Unilateral Disengagement has nothing what so ever to do with the Road Map. If anything, it is contradictory. The basis of the ‘Road Map,’ or in that case any proposed peace initiative involves negotiations between two parties, hence, Bilateral. Moreover the ‘Road Map’ calls for a halt to all settlement activity, while the disengagement plan is accompanied by more and more housing tenders being issued, by Israeli housing authorities for settlements in the West Bank.

The New world order we live in today, with the aftermath of 9/11, seems to have no space for Palestine. To give a few examples: the new world order classifies Sharon as a ‘man of peace,’ the new world order allows for the construction of an Apartheid Wall, the new world order allows the further expansion of settlements, the new world order watches quietly as months pass by with Palestinians being killed on a daily basis and finally, the new world order has declared a war on ‘Terror’ making each and every Palestinian a potential threat.

In spite of this all out war waged by Israel. Gazan’s remain steadfast, refusing to bow down in front of their oppressor and determined to carry on with their difficult lives. It seems the ‘Quartet’ will only re-engage in the stalled peace process once PM Sharon concludes his Unilateral Disengagement plan, giving rise to the new saying, “A Palestinian a day keeps the ‘quartet’ away.”