Green Left Weekly's MIRIAM TRAMER spoke to journalist and political commentator AMOS WOLLIN in Tel Aviv about the agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
What are the responses of Israelis and Palestinians to this agreement?
Both Israelis and Palestinians are divided more or less 50-50, but that is changeable. Both sides will move in the same direction to acceptance because there will be lots of money poured into the occupied territories, and that will change the situation there in every respect.
What is your analysis of the agreement?
It is an interim agreement — you can't say how things will develop, but that will depend very largely on how much international support it gets and secondly on how far the other Arab countries are going to make agreements with Israel. If both these things develop, there is going to be less and less resistance because it's so overwhelming, I would say.
What are some possible outcomes?
It's a long-term interim agreement which lasts almost six years. No-one knows what the future will bring. It's not a peace agreement. It doesn't change very much on the legal side because the Israelis will be there and will be sovereign in the territories and the army will control everything. Actually, it is occupation by a different name. Israel continues to be in charge of internal and external security. It's an agreement between a horse and its rider. You can't just ignore that.
Is it a breakthrough or a trap?
Well, I suppose it's both. The so-called moderate progressives accept what is going on as fact but with reservations and with criticism. I think they will rejoin the mainstream but reluctantly and on a wait and see basis.
I understand that for three days Jordan has not been letting Palestinians in. Is that correct?
That is correct. Jordan is very much afraid of the situation because it does not know exactly how things will develop and they are not part of this agreement and they will have a separate agreement with Israel probably next week.
Jordan does not want to be left out. That is one of the reasons why Israel preferred to do it in this way — to be an incentive for the Jordanians and also for the Syrians to join in. That is the position. Nobody wants to be left out, and that is probably going to fall into place.
What do you think Palestinians and Israelis who oppose the agreement will do?
Both sides are now in demonstrations and protests. The government will get a majority in the Knesset, but the opposition is strong both inside and outside the Knesset. Once the agreement has been signed, people will start to recognise the facts. The right-wing parties are against it because they know it will keep Labour in power for many years to come. It is the end of their hope of regaining power.
Is it the end of what they stand for — the Greater Israel idea?
This I don't know, because Mr Rabin also hopes to retain more or less everything in this respect, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for the next five or six years.
This is not the concern of the Likud. The real concern of the Likud is that the settlements in the occupied territories, while they will stay there, will not expand. They will be entirely at the mercy of the government and international factors. This is a major victory for Mr Rabin and he will get massive international support, politically and otherwise. This is one of the main concerns. It is a victory of the big bourgeoisie.
The line of Mr Peres, of turning Israel into a Singapore together with the occupied territories serving as a reservoir of cheap labour power in a kind of symbiosis, means much more money pouring into Israel. It changes the situation entirely and in this respect is undoubtedly a major breakthrough.
So you do not believe that those who are now opposed to the agreement will resist militarily in great numbers?
Pouring in money is one of the means of reducing resistance. I think resistance will be much reduced by a normalisation of living standards because people are so poor now even a small betterment of conditions will reduce opposition. I mean this is the whole plan.
Arafat knew this was going to happen immediately steps were taken in this respect. This was all prepared in advance so there will be an immediate pouring of money and easing of restrictions — some people will be allowed to come back, some people will be released from jail, all kinds of sweets, carrots for the population. This should make it much easier for the occupying power to control the situation.