- Title
- Essence
- Stages & Timetable
1] Civilian 2] Military 3] Notes
- Synopsis
1] Specific Goals of Disengagement 2] Main features of Disengagement 3] Israeli Security Provisions following Disengagement 4] Israeli Government Policy towards and after Disengagement 5] Other Points 6] Analysis Exercise/Points to Ponder
- glosery
- faq
"The Amended Disengagement Plan – Evacuation of Settlements and Territory" http://www.knesset.gov.il/process/docs/DisengageSharon_eng_revised.htm / as Word doc on http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/DisengagemePlan/displan060604.htm
The title of the plan, as opposed to that of the Law of October 26th 2004, is brought separately here; however, it should be understood that the details follow from the Law and subsequent amendments to it http://www.knesset.gov.il/Laws/Data/law/1982/1982.pdf, as well as from operative updates and working plans in the IDF, the Disengagement Authority http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMO/Hitnatkut/, and other government offices.
The two basic elements of the Disengagement Plan are: - The withdrawal of all IDF forces and bases from the Gaza Strip with redeployment; - The relocation of the civilian Israeli population of the Gaza Strip and part of Northern Samaria to areas inside of pre-1967 Israel. The Plan also includes details, some of which have generated controversy – either internationally, or within Israel.
1] Civilian
This government decision and subsequent law envisages disengagement from specified settlement clusters. The amended* resolution gives approximate dates for the disengagement (July-August) ; it does not state how much time will be allotted between each phase. Rather, each clause, deals with each cluster of settlements, but a subsequent IDF recommendation** is to pursue the evacuation of all the Gush Katif settlements in an ongoing series, and in as tight a time frame as possible (3 weeks, from start to finish for all the Gaza Strip/Gush Katif) :
**Stage 1: The northern Gaza settlements of Alei Sinai, Dugit and Nissanit. 20th July 2005 or delayed until after Tisha B'Av, mid-August [possibly one of these as a test case]
Stage 2: Morag, Netzarim and Kfar Darom].
Stage 3: 15 settlements in Gush Katif. Removal of one settlement in the Gaza Strip as test case to analyze operational procedures and resistance Removal of the rest of the communities in the Gaza Strip (21 communities) – reduced to 3-4 weeks
**Stage 4: The four northern West Bank northern Samarian communities of Ganim, Kadim, Chomesh and Sa-Nur – one week, August 2005.
2] Military
December – Completion of withdrawal of IDF forces and equipment from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria.
3] Notes
*Amended Resolution
“The government will reconvene close to the evacuation of this group, to discuss the circumstances at that time, and examine whether there is anything in these circumstances to influence the evacuation.”
http://www.knesset.gov.il/process/docs/DisengageSharon_eng_revised.htm
This clause was essential to the agreement of some Likud Ministers who would not vote outright for disengagement, and would also allow the cabinet to delay evacuation on security grounds.
** Stage 1 was originally marked as Stage 3; Stage 4 was originally Stage 2; they still appear as such on Israel government websites; change of schedule recommended by the IDF, Cabinet.
The Prime Minister's Office website [http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/DisengagemePlan/ ] describes the main features of Disengagement and they are presented here in a more streamlined sequence, with additions and adjustments to April 2005.
1] Specific Goals of Disengagement:
- Increase Israel's long-term security;
- Reduce friction between Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Arabs;
- Absolve Israel of legal responsibility for Gazan Arabs;
- Improve West Bank & Gaza Strip economies for their citizens (i.e. inside the PA);
- Encourage the Palestinian Authority to fight terrorism, thereby putting the Quartet's Road Map back on track.
2] Main features of Disengagement:
- Relocation of all Jewish civilians living in the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria to other areas;
- Buildings, primarily civilian, will generally be left standing, although some buildings and installations may be demolished before final disengagement in the interests of security; synagogues and cemeteries will be relocated;
- Infrastructure, such as water, sewerage, electricity, and telecommunications, will be left in place.
- Removal of all IDF outposts and installations from the Gaza Strip and in northern Samaria, subsequent to completion of civilian relocation;
- Improvement of West Bank transportation infrastructure and connection to the Gaza Strip;
- Reduce the number of checkpoints throughout the entire West Bank;
3] Israeli Security Provisions following Disengagement:
- Creation of an electronically smart perimeter inside Israel, i.e around the Gaza Strip
- Continued Israeli presence along the Philadelphia Route until a suitable security arrangement is worked out in the future [under negotiation with the US, re: Egyptian control];
- Gaza Airport and Seaport [Glossary] remain closed until Israel leaves Philadelphia Route; (plans exist to rebuild the Seaport).
- Continued exclusive authority over Gazan air space;
- Continued naval presence in coastal waters;
- Israeli control of entry for foreign security personnel or advisors;
- Construction of new crossing points on Gaza Strip perimeter to allow Palestinian workers & merchandise to continue to enter Israel, after passing through security;
- Continued international passage between Gaza Strip and Egypt, but not necessarily under Israeli control;
- Maintain Erez Crossing point [Glossary] from northern Gaza Strip (but transferred to new facility, just inside Israeli territory);
-
4] Israeli Government Policy towards and after Disengagement:
1. Continued insistence that the Palestinian Authority collect all unauthorised and illegal weapons in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with previously signed agreements; 2. Assertion of Israel's right to take preventive and reactive military action in the Gaza Strip & West Bank; 3. Seek coordination with Palestinian Authority on related issues, possibly with the involvement of foreign advisors ; 4. Encouragement for the development of the PA economy so Palestinian workers will not need to seek work in Israel; e.g.., in particular, the re-opening of Erez Industrial Zone [Glossary], provided that security can be coordinated with the PA; 5. Reserving the right to raise the issue of value of vacated building structures, infrastructure and businesses transferred to Palestinian control (possibly in future negotiations related to the compensation of Arab refugees); 6. Address the international community for support for Disengagement Plan.
5] Other Points
Although not formally part of the Plan, the following were addressed in the Road Map http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/conflict/roadmap2003/index.html, were discussed between PM Sharon and President Bush, and also appear in the Weisglass-Rice letter of April 18, 2004 [http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Communication/ DisengagemePlan/letter1804.htm ]:
1. Limitation on settlement growth, including setting of fixed boundaries 2. Removal of settlement outposts not authorized by the Israeli Government
Cabinet Communique - May 8, 2005 Information Department, Israel Foreign Ministry - Jerusalem Website: http://www.mfa.gov.il E-mail: feedback@mfa.gov.il
The Cabinet discussed the issue of agricultural land for the re-establishment of Gaza Strip farms and decided as follows:
A farmer entitled to compensation according to Article 36 of the 2005 Disengagement Plan Implementation Law, who is entitled to receive alternative agricultural land according to the law, will be entitled to an allotment of land, in addition to his relative share of land in areas outside the Gaza Strip, according to one of three alternatives:
* A farmer may request from the Israel Lands Administration ("the Administration") to allot to him an available plot in an agricultural community in a national preference "A" area in the Negev or the Galilee. Upon the assent of the community cooperative association, the Administration will allot the available plot without charge, in return for renunciation of the compensation they are entitled to for their residential and agricultural plots in the Gaza Strip. The Administration will give the Disengagement Authority a list of available plots of land by 13 May 2005; the Disengagement Authority will transfer that list to the farmers.
* A farmer is entitled to request that the Agriculture Ministry and the Administration allot him an agricultural plot similar in size to the accepted norm in the region, where not more than 40 dunams will be developed for hothouses, in locations in national priority "A" areas, in which land that was temporarily is available for re-allocation. Allocating such land will be in return for renouncing the compensation to which they are entitled by law. The farmer will be obligated to work the land, and not to transfer his rights, or rent, to others. The Disengagement Authority will be in contact with the farmers in order to form, within two weeks, a list of farmers who wish to receive such land in accordance with the foregoing, in order to being preparing the land according to demand.
* A farmer may initiate the purchase of rights to developed agricultural land, in proportion to the amount of land actually worked on by him in recent years in the Gaza Strip, from the fixed squares of the agricultural cooperative associations in national preference "A" areas. The Administration will purchase this land for the farmer at a price of not more than $3,000 per dunam, for a developed area not to exceed 40 dunams. The farmer will pay the value of the purchase, to the extent that it is required. Such purchases of land will be in return for renunciation of the compensation to which they are entitled by law.
Despite the foregoing, a farmer whose workable hothouse area is less than 40 dunams will be able to receive the abovementioned conditions when the Administration purchases for him land of an area exceeding the size of the his workable land in the Gaza Strip, up to a maximum of 40 developed dunams, at a price of $1,500 per dunam and the farmer will pay the value of the purchase. For this article, national preference "A" areas, in accordance with the Encouragement of Capital Investments in Agriculture Law, will be expanded so as to include areas south of the Nitzan-Kiryat Malachi line.
Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz will determine rules which will assure that lands are worked by the farmers and that will prevent the transfer of rights, and rental, to others. The Administration Council Chairman will submit to the Council rules for the allocation of land as outlined above. The Water Commissioner will allocate water quotas for the re-establishment of farms as per the foregoing. This decision is subject to approval by Attorney-General Meni Mazuz.
6] Analysis Exercise – Points to Ponder
1. Pick out the security provisions that are most hotly contended outside Israel and give your opinion why this is so. 2. Give examples of what you think are Israel's biggest costs and say why. 3. Give examples of what you think are Israel's biggest problems and say why.
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