The revised disengagement plan includes significant changes, compared with the original plan presented to President George W. Bush. The most important change concerns the evacuation of residences.
Under the authorized plan, "Immovable assets: In general, the residences of settlers and sensitive structures, including synagogues, will not remain. The State of Israel will try to transfer other installations, including industrial, commercial and agricultural facilities to a third international party, which will use them for the benefit of the Palestinian population that is not involved in terrorist activities. Responsibility for the Erez industrial zone will be transferred to a Palestinian or a consensual international entity.
"Together with Egypt, Israel will examine the possibility of establishing an joint industrial zone on Egyptian, Israeli and Gaza Strip border."
"Settlers' residences will not remain" means demolition. At issue are thousands of residences, many of them large houses.
The Prime Minister's Office is worried by a perception that Israel will leave destruction and ruin in its wake, and is therefore reviewing other options, including sealing the area during the evacuation. The immediate purpose is to prevent the media from photographing the demolitions.
The new disengagement plan includes major economic clauses, involving the transfer of NIS 3-5 billion, part of which will come from the US, part from Europe, and part from Israel.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly wants to recruit the Labor Party and head of the opposition MK Shimon Peres for an important mission. Sharon wants to exploit Peres' standing in Europe to raise an aid package for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip following the Israeli evacuation. Peres has wide experience in this field. He is more warmly received in Europe than Sharon or Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu.
The disengagement plan includes some special arrangements for Israel's continued supply of services to the Palestinian population. The plan stipulates, "The water, electricity, sewage and communications infrastructures will remain. In general, the State of Israel will continue, in exchange for full payment, to supply electricity, water, gas and fuel to the Palestinians, in accordance with existing agreements. The current agreements, including water and the electromagnetic field will remain valid."
The Prime Minister's Bureau is now striving to recruit international organizations to share in the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on June 7, 2004