Israel's Gaza pull outplan

Secondly, does a simple pullout of the settlers from the region mean freedom of movement for the Palestinians at all? The area will still be ringed by the Israeli troops twenty-four hours a day. According to the approved plan, they will continue to control Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace. We wonder whether this was the kind of freedom that the Palestinians were fighting for.

And lastly -- and most significantly -- were the Palestinians, the major stakeholder in the crisis, ever consulted about the plan? As a leading Palestinian negotiator aptly put it -- the Israelis were 'negotiating with themselves'. The Israelis discussed the future of the Palestinians, decided the fate of their children, but one vital component was missing in the whole procedure -- the Palestinians themselves. Such unilateral decision is totally unacceptable. In fact, there has been no negotiation with them since the erection of the wall. This was a prime opportunity for Sharon to bridge that gap. Unfortunately he gave no emphasis on it.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Peace has been eluding the region for far too long. There have been attempts galore in the past, some even have been rewarding and recognised as such by world bodies. But where is peace? Each side blame the other for failure in the negotiations; in the bargain, innocent lives on both sides perished in terrorist acts. Israel must understand that no amount of pressure or force or for that matter any unilateral move, even if it is ostensibly positive, will bring the peace that, at least, they are hoping for. Bring the Palestinians back to the negotiating table and find a solution acceptable to all.