Benny Begin Attacks Disengagement Plan http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=61155 April 20, 2004 29 Nisan 5764 Former Cabinet Minister Benny Begin, speaking on national television last night, attacked PM Sharon's withdrawal-from-Gaza plan, calling it a "cave-in-to-terrorism plan." "They're soft like pizza, and they fall like dominoes." So said former Cabinet Minister Benny Begin on national television last night, referring to the senior Likud members who have recently jumped on the disengagement bandwagon. Begin, who resigned from the Netanyahu government in January 1997 over the Hevron-withdrawal agreement, termed the current disengagement/withdrawal plan under consideration a "cave-in-to-terrorism plan." Prime Minister Sharon has proposed a unilateral disengagement from Gaza, under which Israel is to withdraw its forces and evacuate its towns and 8,000 residents by the end of 2005. This is to be done with no coordination with the Palestinian Authority, and as such, involves no reciprocal commitments on its part. Ex-Minister Benny Begin, son of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin, made the point last night that there is a great gap between what the public thinks the plan includes and what it actually states. "The truth must be told," Begin said. "This is a plan to evacuate the communities in Gaza and northern Samaria, and nothing else. It will allow Hamas to unfurl its flag over the synagogue in N'vei Dekalim." The very name of the plan is misleading, Begin said. "It provides no change at all in terms of disengagement from the Arabs. According to this plan, who will provide electricity to Gaza? - Israel. And who will provide food to Gaza? - Israel. And who will provide security for Israel? - The Shabak, the IDF, and the Mossad. This is precisely the situation of today. It's nothing more than running away from terrorism." "Will this plan lead to a better security situation?" Begin asked rhetorically. [ed. note: Sharon himself has said only that he "hopes" it will lead to a reduction in terrorism.] Begin: "The plan talks only about the short range, but what about the long range? The Prime Minister is dealing with the short range, such that this is essentially a plan that encourages terrorism. A real leader tells the truth. Those who are giving us this plan are not telling the truth. If they are telling us only about short-range security, this means that in the long-range, there will not be security." The Prime Minister's Office was quick to correct Begin on this point, noting that the overview to the disengagement plan states precisely the opposite: "The plan will lead to a better security reality, at least in the long term." The PMO's correction did not address Begin's essential point, however, regarding the plan's implication that terrorism would remain unchecked. Mr. Begin does not accept the announcement of Education Minister Limor Livnat - who said on Sunday that she supports the plan - that she feels "torn." "[She said that she] heard that the public wants quiet," Begin said, "so she immediately provides them with an illusion. These people [the senior government leaders who support the plan] know with certainty that this plan is only an illusion: Terrorism will continue, and we will still be attached to Gaza." "It's absurd to speak of disengaging," Begin added, "when Sharon's plan states that the IDF will maintain security in Gaza, and will permit PA workers to cross into [pre-'67] Israel daily. This is not disengagement... I reject the image being portrayed to the effect that Gaza's Jewish residents are religious zealots. We all know this is not the case... Gush Katif was started by the Labor government, and enjoyed the support of the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin... We all know that if we leave Gaza, terrorism will increase and the situation will deteriorate." Begin was asked the obvious question about how he explains his father's Camp David agreement with Egypt, in which the Jewish towns in Sinai were evacuated. His response: "Camp David was the largest peace agreement ever signed in the Middle East, while this is a unilateral retreat and nothing more." Interviewer Nissim Mishal then said, "But Benny Begin, there are so many former prime ministers and chiefs of staff and others who are certain that the disengagement plan is good. How can so many people be wrong?" Begin replied: "But Mr. Mishal, a decade ago there were so many former prime ministers and chiefs of staff and others who were certain about Oslo - and they were wrong, and I was right. And I am right again."