This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
A new Palestinian Authority (PA) was established. Arafat agreed to enforce Israeli authority.
Subsequent agreements followed. The West Bank was divided into three parts. Each has distinct borders, administrations, and security rules. They include Areas A, B and C, plus a fourth for Greater Jerusalem. A complicated system works as follows:
- Area A under Palestinian control for internal security, public order, and civil affairs;
- Area B under Palestinian civil control for 450 West Bank towns and villages; Israel retains overriding authority for settler safety and its own interests; and
- Area C, its water resources, and settlements under Israeli control on the West Bank's most valuable land; they're connected by special by-pass roads for Jews only.
Besides besieged Gaza, Israel controls the West Bank and Jerusalem. When Separation Wall construction's completed, its settlements, military areas, no-go zones, nature reserves, commercial areas, by-pass roads, tourist sites, checkpoints, and other barriers will comprise well over 50% of West Bank territory and Palestinian East Jerusalem
A longtime collaborator, Mahmound Abbas took credit as Oslo architect. Israel, of course, controlled everything. Arafat ran Palestine's side. Instead of driving a hard bargain, he capitulated. So did Abbas. Israel took full advantage. Things keep getting worse.
A previous article explained Israel's planned theft of 10% more West Bank land.
On April 10, Haaretz headlined, "Netanyahu is using Oslo Accords to annex more West Bank land," saying:
Israel's grabbing all it can get. An unnamed IDF officer defines Areas A, B and C as follows: "A is for Arafat, B is for bollixed up, and C is ours."
It's actually worse than that. Area C alone comprises over 60% of the West Bank. Israel considers it sovereign territory. Said knew a sellout when he saw it. The chickens keep coming home to roost.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
