Sir, Some days ago, a very persuasive press statement was issued by the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland justifying the attitude of the Israeli Government towards the West Bank and Gaza land professing peace while his government waged war on Palestinian land.
The statement reiterated the Israeli Government's commitment to the peace process. However, looking back on the first 100 days of the new administration in Tel Aviv, it is hard to be persuaded by the arguments. In reality this so-called commitment has been merely talking about peace, and at the same time preparing the Middle East for a full confrontation.
During his first 100 days in office, Mr. Netanyahu has instigated a policy of constructing new settlements on the West Bank, expropriating and confiscating more Palestinian land in different parts of the West Bank and Jerusalem to make 780 houses for new Israeli settlers. According to the agreements made as part of the peace process between the Palestinians and the former Labour Government, the Israeli forces should have withdrawn from the city of Hebron immediately after the elections, but after a long wait the talks started again without any improvement on the agenda.
In recent weeks the Israeli army has forcibly entered, not only the homes of three members of the Palestinian Council, but also Oriental House, the information office of the PLO in Jerusalem. But the straw which has broken the camel's back has been the opening of a new entrance to the tunnel underneath El Aqsa mosque, one of the most important religious sites for Moslems. This is a serious violation of the Oslo accords, which forbade any changes in the status quo in Jerusalem.
A further proof of Mr. Netanyahu's intention to withdraw from the peace process has been his treatment of Syria. His government has begun the construction of 600 new houses in the Golan Heights, which have been occupied since 1967. This is in breach of the understanding of the White Plantation negotiations between the two countries.
Isolating Damascus was a clear objective of the initiative called "Lebanon First" the proposition of Tel-Aviv came together with public announcements of attacking the military positions of the Syrian army in Lebanon. During the 100 days of his government, Mr. Netanyahu has also escalated the attacks against the villages and the civilian population in South Lebanon, concentrating more arms and increasing the Israeli military presence in the area.
In spite of the peace agreement with Cairo, Egypt has not been sale from the new policy of Tel-Aviv. The aggressive declarations of the Prime Minister, and the Israeli media campaign against the country in the last couple of weeks, have led to a very dangerous situation. Recently an Egyptian soldier was killed by Israeli gunfire in the border area. The following day, an Israeli colonel was killed by gunfire from Egypt and another two soldiers were injured.
It is completely naive to believe in Mr. Netanyahu's commitment to the peace process, in these circumstances. Rather, events are leading the Middle East into full confrontation. Yours, etc., Philipsburgh Avenue, Dublin 3