Sharon opposed West Bank evac, says confidante

Ariel Sharon

TEL AVIV, Israel – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not support withdrawing from Judea and Samaria, the biblical Jewish lands now known as the West Bank, and opposed unilaterally vacating any of the territories' Jewish communities, one of Sharon's closest confidantes told WND.

Officials from the ruling Kadima Party, which Sharon founded prior to his massive stroke in January, have been stating for months their planned withdrawal from Judea and Samaria was a policy initiated by Sharon.

Judea and Samaria borders Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.

"If he was fully functional today, Sharon would have told the world, 'Look what we got from [withdrawing from Gaza and] making concessions for peace. So if you think I am going to give one inch of more land, you are very wrong,'" said Uri Dan, author, columnist and one of Sharon's closest confidantes.

Dan first became friends with Sharon in 1954. When Sharon was defense minister in 1982, Dan served as his media adviser. He is well-known in Israel to have been one of Sharon's closest confidantes throughout Sharon's premiership.

Sharon last August evacuated the Gaza Strip, including the area's Jewish communities, which he originally helped to establish.

Two months before national elections here last March, Sharon suffered a massive stroke that reportedly caused extensive brain damage. He has been hospitalized in a coma ever since.

Three weeks after Sharon's incapacitation, his deputy Ehud Olmert took over as prime minister and formally announced the Kadima administration would seek to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria, a plan Olmert claimed would fulfill the legacy of Sharon.

But Dan said Sharon told him repeatedly there would be no further unilateral withdrawals following Israel's Gaza evacuation.

"Sharon said time and time again there would absolutely be no more unilateral withdrawals [after Gaza]. He fully predicted Hamas would rise to power and would not want to abandon Judea and Samaria to terror groups," said Dan.

Since Israel's Gaza withdrawal, over 500 rockets have been fired from the territory aimed at Jewish communities in the adjacent Negev desert, including Ashkelon, which houses a power station that supplies much of Israel with electricity. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority say al-Qaida operatives have infiltrated Gaza and are poised to attack. Hamas won PA elections by a large majority, in part claiming credit for the Gaza withdrawal and promising more Israeli withdrawals from other land.

Kadima officials, including Olmert, have stated many times Sharon envisioned a West Bank withdrawal. During the weeks leading up to ballots here last March, Olmert announced his election would be a referendum on the Israeli public's support for his withdrawal plan. One of the major slogans of Kadima's election campaign featured the catch phrase that touted the party was "following in the footsteps of Ariel Sharon."

"There is no greater insult to Sharon than these declarations, as he battles valiantly for his life in Hadassah hospital," said Dan.

Dan said Sharon's future policy supported President George W. Bush's Road Map to Peace, which calls for the dismantlement of Palestinian terror groups before negotiations can be conducted regarding any land transfers.

"Sharon agreed to accept the Road Map because he believed that despite its many drawbacks it would serve as Israel's best international line of political defense," Dan said.

He said if the Palestinians met the requirements set forth in the Road Map, Sharon may have dismantled some Judea and Samaria Jewish communities in the framework of a negotiated settlement.

"[But] at a time like this, a promise of further withdrawals only encourages Hamas to intensify its extremist positions. ...Would [Sharon] have gotten up and announced the fact at a time when Israel is waging an international struggle against Hamas' legitimacy? Of course not," said Dan.

About 200,000 Jews live in Judea and Samaria. A separation barrier, still under construction in certain areas, cordons off nearly 95 percent of the territory from Israel's pre-1967 borders. More than half of Judea and Samaria's Jewish residents reside on the side of the fence closest to Israel. About 80,000 more Jews live on the other side of the barrier. Olmert officials have stated the past few weeks the new prime minister plans to enforce a withdrawal from all 68 Jewish towns that fall outside the barrier.

In a widely circulated WND article, leaders of every major Palestinian terror organization warned they will soon launch a massive violent campaign against Israel focused mainly on Judea and Samaria Jewish communities.

One senior terrorist said now that Olmert announced a withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, terrorism against Israel must be stepped up "to prove we are chasing out the Israelis like we did in Gaza."