As part of the initiative described in the previous post, here is a letter that was sent today to the Israeli minister of foreign affairs, Mrs. Tzipi Livni, with copies to the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, several other main characters in the Israeli politics, and to the two the main newspapers in Israel – “Maariv”, and “Yediot Aharonot”.
The day after the cease fire
A couple of days ago a cease fire treaty between Israel and Lebanon was achieved once again. This treaty has been preceded by others that were signed after the “Grapes of Fury” operation of 1996, after the Israel-Lebanon war of 1982, after the “Litani” operation of 1976, and by many other treaties even before that.
In these post-war days, it is up to us to see if we can prevent the next war - not by improving Israel’s deterrence or by signing fragile treaties - but by seeking a comprehensive peace treaty with Lebanon, while detaching it from the Syrian-Iranian axis.
Israel and Lebanon has a long history of fighting, but a very short list of reasons for fighting: the terror, and the Shaba Farms. On the other hand, Israel and Lebanon have a long list of mutual interests for ending this continuous fighting and signing a peace treaty, and it seems that the current Lebanese government and the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in particular, are the best companions Israel can ask for to achieve this goal.
I consider myself as a right-wing person, and usually I wouldn’t even consider treaties such as “territories for peace”, but Israel never had any claims or interest in the Shaba Farms, and the question from Israel’s perspective has never been whether we should give them away, but to whom we should give the farms: Syria or Lebanon.
Hezbollah claims they are fighting to free the Shaba Farms.
As part of the cease fire treaty, Lebanon demanded to be given the Shaba Farms, and demand that was rightfully declined by the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, as such an act would have been perceived as legitimacy and a prize for terror.
Giving the Shaba Farms to Lebanon as part of a peace treaty will strengthen Lebanon’s prime minister Fouad Siniora against the extremists, will nullify Hezbollah’s legitimacy which is based on the claim for the Shaba Farms, and will help, hopefully, stop the Syrian-Iranian destructive influence on Lebanon.
To summarize, I turn to you, the Israeli minister of foreign affairs, and ask you to take advantage of the international interest that has evolved due to the last war, and use this interest to recruit the world to an effort of building a peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon, while taking out the seed of terror, so this can really be the last war…
Respectfully,
Ofer Lando
The day after the cease fire
A couple of days ago a cease fire treaty between Israel and Lebanon was achieved once again. This treaty has been preceded by others that were signed after the “Grapes of Fury” operation of 1996, after the Israel-Lebanon war of 1982, after the “Litani” operation of 1976, and by many other treaties even before that.
In these post-war days, it is up to us to see if we can prevent the next war - not by improving Israel’s deterrence or by signing fragile treaties - but by seeking a comprehensive peace treaty with Lebanon, while detaching it from the Syrian-Iranian axis.
Israel and Lebanon has a long history of fighting, but a very short list of reasons for fighting: the terror, and the Shaba Farms. On the other hand, Israel and Lebanon have a long list of mutual interests for ending this continuous fighting and signing a peace treaty, and it seems that the current Lebanese government and the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in particular, are the best companions Israel can ask for to achieve this goal.
I consider myself as a right-wing person, and usually I wouldn’t even consider treaties such as “territories for peace”, but Israel never had any claims or interest in the Shaba Farms, and the question from Israel’s perspective has never been whether we should give them away, but to whom we should give the farms: Syria or Lebanon.
Hezbollah claims they are fighting to free the Shaba Farms.
As part of the cease fire treaty, Lebanon demanded to be given the Shaba Farms, and demand that was rightfully declined by the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, as such an act would have been perceived as legitimacy and a prize for terror.
Giving the Shaba Farms to Lebanon as part of a peace treaty will strengthen Lebanon’s prime minister Fouad Siniora against the extremists, will nullify Hezbollah’s legitimacy which is based on the claim for the Shaba Farms, and will help, hopefully, stop the Syrian-Iranian destructive influence on Lebanon.
To summarize, I turn to you, the Israeli minister of foreign affairs, and ask you to take advantage of the international interest that has evolved due to the last war, and use this interest to recruit the world to an effort of building a peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon, while taking out the seed of terror, so this can really be the last war…
Respectfully,
Ofer Lando
posted by Ofernicus at 11:41 PM
1 Comments:
Unlike the West Bank and Gaza, the Golan, like the Sinai is OCCUPIED territory from the point of international law.
It was under the recognized sovereignty of a country. As such, occupying it for defense pending peace is legal but settling and annexing it was not.
The entire Golan however, is sovereign Syrian land, NOT Lebanese.
I would compare the 'Sheba Farms' ploy to the idea of Israel bombing the eastern Sinai due to the border alterations made during mandatory rule. Perhaps there were some private Jewish ownerships there?
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