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"In the Palestinian arena, a new leadership is adopting
a 'state logic' and rejecting terror as a political tool," Ya'alon told
participants of the IDF's Second International Conference on Low Intensity
Conflict Warfare. But, he added, "the ability of the new Palestinian
leadership to develop into a responsible and effective player depends on its
ability to advance the policy of 'one authority, one law and one legal
bearer of arms.'"
The military chief also said that Israel's strategic goal is to phase out
Palestinian labor by 2008.
Israel made the decision in response to more than four years of fighting
with the Palestinians, Ya'alon told the security conference. Before the
outbreak of violence in 2000, more than 150,000 Palestinians worked in
Israel, most in menial jobs Israelis refused to fill.
The Palestinian economy has traditionally relied heavily on work in Israel.
During the recent round of violence - when workers were barred from entering
Israel - unemployment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip skyrocketed, leading
to high poverty rates.
"Our goal is to stop any kind of Palestinian working in Israel by 2008. This
is our policy, this is our political directive and this is because of what
has happened here over the last four and a half years," Ya'alon said.
However, Israel will allow goods to flow freely through Israel's borders
with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a military official said on condition of
anonymity.
Ya'alon encouraged the European Union to provide economic assistance to the
Palestinian Authority and help the new leadership produce jobs.
In the meantime, Israel is willing to help the Palestinians reform and train
their security forces, as well as share intelligence information about
militant groups, Ya'alon said.
"We are ready to share intelligence, to allow them [Palestinian forces] to
deploy ... in Gaza. We're ready to allow them to operate in Judea and
Samaria," he said, referring to the West Bank. "But they did it so far too
slow and not effectively." |