By Ryan Jones
Nov 24, 2005
Hours after leaving the Labor Party to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new Kadima faction, veteran politician Haim Ramon indicated he made the move because he supports what he knows is Sharon's intention to unilaterally quit most of Judea and Samaria if necessary.
Ramon told an Israel Channel 10 news program that Sharon prefers to follow the internationally-backed Road Map peace plan and come to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinian Arabs.
But if that fails, and ?Palestinian? terror continues, Ramon said Sharon will unilaterally withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria in order to set Israel's final borders.
Earlier this month, advisers to the prime minister said he views this as his ?historic mission.?
Regarding Sharon's denial this week of planning future pullouts, Ramon explained it would be foolish of the prime minister to reveal his true plans prior to elections.
Recent public opinion polls show that most Israelis are opposed to surrendering any more of their ancient homeland, even within the framework of a peace agreement with the ?Palestinians.? For Sharon to openly admit he is prepared to uproot more Jews from their homes could guarantee his defeat at the ballot box.
That Sharon would be prepared to lie on a matter of such grave national importance in order to secure more votes finds precedence in this summer's Gaza withdrawal.
Sharon's election campaign prior to his landslide 2002 victory centered on his platform of no withdrawal from Gaza, a move his Labor Party challenger, Amram Mitzna, was advocating.
At the time, Sharon declared the fate of Jewish Gaza would be the fate of Tel Aviv.
Many of his supporters were shocked when only one year later Sharon put forward his ?disengagement? plan.