[The following is the translation of the press release sent to the Hebrew media]
Gush Shalom (the Israeli Peace Bloc) calls upon the Government of Israel to cease its effortsto impose by force unilateral solutions, and start immediate negotiations for acomprehensive cease-fire with the Palestinians and cessation of all belligerent actsbetween Israel and the Palestinians. The murderous suicide bombing at Be’er Sheba , whichdeserves all condemnation, proves once again that there are no military solutions. Ithighlights the futility of those who claim to ” burn the fact of defeat into Palestinianconsciousness ” , ” reach the bottom of the barrel of terrorism ” and other arrogant statementby the heads of the army and security services. Nor can unilaterally imposed solutions bringus peace or quiet.
Withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the dismantling of the settlements there, could have beenconstituted an enormous measure for building up confidence between Israelis andPalestinians – had it been decided upon in negotiations, as a first step towards acomprehensive solution and the end of the oppressive Israeli rule in all the territoriesoccupied in 1967. When the same withdrawal from Gaza is undertaken as a unilateral Israeliact, aimed explicitly at intensifying and deepening the occupation on the West Bank , itserves only to increase distrust and fan higher the flames of conflict.
Should the Government of Israel ever liberate itself from the false mantra that ” there is nopartner ” and from the constant demonization of Yasser Arafat, it will find that a Palestinianpartner does exist – a partner willing to go back to the political process; that among thePalestinian public there is considerable longing for new, non-violent means of action, aswas manifested last week at the mass Israeli-Palestinian rally at Abu-Dis addressed by Dr.Arun Gandhi.
For further information:
Adam Keller, Gush Shalom Spokesperson +972-3-5565804, +972-56-709603