The R-word may be a dirty word here in Quebec, but for Ariel Sharon, a referendum on the Gaza pullout may not be such a bad idea:
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon revealed on Wednesday that he would be willing to support proposals from Likud MKs to hold a referendum on his plan to withdraw from settlements.
“I do not rule out going to a referendum,” Sharon told reporters in the Knesset cafeteria.” I think it’s a good idea. I don’t rule it out and I will look into the idea. It’s important to gauge the opinion of the public.”
There are two reasons why I think this is the best course of action on Sharon’s plan, neither of which has anything to do with bolstering his leadership. Firstly, we’re not talking about sovereignty-association or other such nonsense; we’re talking about people’s security, people’s lives. The people deserve a say. And secondly, because Israel – as a country with more opinions than citizens – needs to make sure that any drastic steps can be backed by the will of the people. A referendum will foster public debate among citizens, and will lead to more angles being considered.
Unfortunately, even Sharon acknowledges that there is no good answer to this one:
Singling out the Geneva Accord and the Saudi plan, Sharon said his plan is better than the alternatives.
“It’s never a choice between good and bad,” Sharon said. “It’s a choice between bad and even worse. You always have to look at what is more dangerous.”
Personally, I think that unilateral withdrawal is the “more dangerous” option because it sets a precedent of rewarding terror and swapping land without peace. But then, only Israelis will be able to vote in a referendum, and I’m not Israeli. The people whose lives are most directly affected should be the ones doing the deciding.
do the palestinians in gazxa get to vote in your referendum?
that would be the day, allow the Palestinian some civil rights!! this is a referundum to decide whether to follow international law or not. israelis would have to choose whether they care about and respect international law which clearly specifies that israel, the occupying force, should have gotten the fuck out of gaza 36 years ago. oh wait… we forgot about the west bank too!
According to segacs, ‘The people whose lives are most directly affected should be the ones doing the deciding’ — yet she completely overlooks the majority of the inhabitants of Gaza. Think that says something about her worldview?
Here’s a good Ha’aretz article that does what she doesn’t: ‘In the eyes of the occupied beholders’, Feb. 9.
And here’s another from Ha’aretz which discusses Sharon’s possible motivations for such a move: ‘The failure of the policy of force’, Feb. 9.