Palestinians Won't Be Forced Out Again

Between 1990 and 1992, while minister for construction and housing, Sharon further encouraged the development of settlements in the West Bank, particularly to house Soviet immigrants. A recently released Israeli Peace Now report confirms that 15 new settlements have been constructed since Sharon took office and more than 50 since the Oslo accords of 1993. Sharon's current calls for stepping up the construction of settlements, supposedly to accommodate natural growth, do not even manage to fool the Americans, who are calling for a settlement freeze.

His views, ideology and history combine perfectly for what Sharon has in mind: killing for the sake of killing and insidiously "encouraging" Palestinians to leave by constantly attacking their children and their land.

Thus, the leveling of land during the "temporary" reoccupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and Gaza Strip also could signal Sharon's intention to make way for further annexation. Land confiscation continues to rule Israeli policy. The reoccupation tactic is yet another potential manifestation of this policy.

What Sharon tends to forget, however, is that Palestinians remember 1948, 1967 and the subsequent years of Israeli land confiscation. This is precisely why they are not ready to embark on a third exodus and leave the door open for further Israeli land appropriation.

What Sharon tends to ignore is that, by expanding settlements, he increases the risks to Israelis and provides them with less security, not more.