Weekly Commentary: Has Netanyahu's "Demilitarized State" Ploy Opened a Pandora's Box?

Dr. Aaron Lerner
Date: 25 June 2009

When Netanyahu spoke in his 14 June speech at the Begin-Sadat Center at
Bar-Ilan University of the imperative that there be guarantees that a
Palestinian state would indeed be a "demilitarized state" without ever using
the words "independent" or "sovereign" to describe the state he left a few
microns of wiggle room to argue later that it is patently obvious that it is
impossible to guarantee that a Palestinian state would indeed remain
demilitarized is if it is an autonomous rather than sovereign state.

Unfortunately, it is far from clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu will be
able to guide the discussion to this very logical conclusion.

In fact, members of his own team are claiming that the "demilitarized state"
can indeed be guaranteed.

And that's not all.

Less than two weeks after the presentation and there are reports that
Washington has pulled off some shelf the old scheme to have a
"demilitarized Golan and Jordan Valley" that would involving transforming it
into a park.

What's the problem with a demilitarized Golan? Simply put, it fails to
assure that Israel would win the critical race back up the Golan in the
event that conflict breaks out in the future. And this while undoubtedly
setting into motion the arming of Syria - as has been the case with Egypt -
with the best American weapons U.S. grant money can buy.

Is this only a blip or just the beginning?

Don't be surprised if in the coming days and weeks we hear of a
"demilitarized Jerusalem" and maybe even a "demilitarized corridor" that
cuts Israel in half as it connects the Gaza Strip with the West Bank.