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Gaza Pull-Out Will Pale Unless Trends in Jerusalem Are Reversed, WCC Director Says

A director from the World Council of Churches says the true value of the Gaza pull-out cannot be determined until seven ''signs of peace'' are made visible in coming months.

Political observers say the evacuation of 25 Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank has opened doors to improved relations between Israel and Palestine and a more secure Middle East. However, a director from the World Council of Churches says the true value of the Gaza pull-out cannot be determined until seven “signs of peace” are made visible in coming months.

“In such a long and bitter conflict we must not turn our back on any initiative that could help bring peace, like the Gaza pullout, but nor can we turn a blind eye to actions that perpetuate injustice in the name of peace and security,” Peter Weiderud,
Director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, wrote in a statement.

The historic pull-out began last Monday and officially ended today when Israeli soldiers cleared the two remaining militant strongholds there, according to reports from the area. The evacuation marked the first time Israel abandoned Jewish communities in lands the Palestinians claim for their future state, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the withdrawal could reduce friction with Palestinians and improve his nation’s security.

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In his report to member churches, Weiderud agreed that the pull-out could prove successful and enhance prospects for peace there. However, he said there are several “signs of peace” to look for in ensuing months since peace cannot be understood in isolated series of events.

These signs of peace include the opening of secure land, sea and air links from Gaza to the outside world, how many of the people evacuated from Gaza are resettled within Israel's pre-1967 borders, and whether from now on decisions affecting both parties to the conflict are negotiated equitably between the two sides.

The population of the evacuated territories represents only two percent of the Israelis who have settled outside of the pre-1967 borders, and reports indicate that about half of the evacuees will be moved from Gaza to other still-occupied territories. The WCC warned that if such reports are true, the pull-out will mean nothing to achieving a long-term two-state solution.

“Where the settlers from Gaza are relocated will be one of the clearest indicators of overall prospects for peace,” the WCC statement read. “Their new locations will be physical evidence of future intentions toward other occupied land, the issue at the heart of the conflict.”

Another “undeniable sign for peace,” according to the WCC, is a move toward bilateral talks for peace.

The Gaza pullout was developed as part of a plan of unilateral disengagement that involved extended talks between Israeli and American authorities – not Palestinian officials. The main reasoning behind the unilateral approach is that there is currently no reliable Palestinian partner with which Israel can make progress toward peace.

According to WCC, however, the “decisions affecting both sides” should be “negotiated equitably between the two sides.”

“Equitable negotiations would be an undeniable sign for peace,” Weiderud wrote. “They would send a vital signal that the use of violence by either side will no longer determine the course of events.”

Weiderud explained that bilateral talks would “lend much-needed credibility” to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and help future negotiations models on other critical disputes over land and water rights and access to Jerusalem.

The WCC also urged the international community to “meet its obligations to bring peace” since pressure from external forces, including churches can be very effective. Weiderud said a “positive indicator to watch for” is the involvement of the US administration in tracking the peace process.

Another controversial sign is whether Jerusalem becomes a “home for both its people.”

“Any good that comes out of the Gaza withdrawal will pale in the long term unless current trends in and around Jerusalem are reversed,” the statement read.

That means Palestinians should have “free access to their communities in East Jerusalem while Israel assures the security of its citizens in accordance with international law.”

And the last sign is whether Israelis become more secure.

“We are convinced that, by replacing unilateral actions with negotiations under international supervision and the rule of law, a just peace agreement can be concluded,” the statement read. “Then all who live in Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel, and all of us, will see real signs of peace.”

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