Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority, has raised the alarm in Washington D.C. against the incoming Netanyahu government. Erekat wrote in an editorial column published in Saturday's edition of The Washington Post that Israel's commitment to peace is in doubt, while it is being made a priority by U.S. President Barack Obama as part of America's "more integrated approach" to Middle East policy. "Peace is not a word that sits comfortably with the Israeli right, which will dominate Israel's new government, even with Labor's decision this week to join it," he wrote. Taking a swipe at the new coalition, Erekat added, "Among its ranks are those who have long opposed peace with Palestinians, no matter the cost; who use the cover of religion to advocate extremist views and who have supported the expulsion of Palestinians or now devise loyalty tests to achieve the same result." The PA negotiator bitterly noted that incoming Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu has proposed an "economic peace" rather than accept the notion of a two-state solution from the outset, but Erekat stopped short of issuing an open ultimatum. "Palestinians have not engaged in years of negotiations to see them fail. But neither is our patience unlimited," he warned. Among the list of "musts" that Israel is expected to comply with – ending with the establishment of a PA state based on the pre-1967 borders -- is "an immediate and complete freeze on settlement activity, including all natural growth and the construction of Israel's '[security] wall." The PA chief negotiator warns that "without a settlement freeze, there will be no two-state solution left to speak of." Accuses Israel of 'Crippling Regime of Closures' Erekat also slammed Israel's "crippling regime of closures" and called for Jerusalem to remove all security restrictions that have reduced terrorism in the country. "Checkpoints, Israel's wall, the permit system it imposes on Palestinians and other restrictions on movement frustrate Palestinian life, fragment Palestinian society and strangle our economy," he wrote, without mentioning the reasons behind the restrictions. Erekat also cited the "urgent need to reopen Gaza's border crossings to allow the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, especially desperately needed humanitarian supplies and reconstruction materials." Gaza Crossings: Open or Closed? Jerusalem-based spokesman Chris Gunness of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) also contends that Israel is choking the people of Gaza. "The needs in Gaza remain immense and the urgent priority is and will continue to be building materials," Gunness told Israel National News in an email interview last week. "Karni is not open for imports, exports and humanitarian goods in an unrestricted sense according to the Access and Movement agreement of November 15th 2005." But according to statistics from COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), there has been a gradual but marked decrease in demand for humanitarian supplies in the past several weeks. In the week ending March 21, COGAT reported that 16,436 tons of humanitarian aid, food commodities, medical supplies and medication, supplies for the private and public sectors were transferred to Gaza. Kerem Shalom operated on six scheduled days, Karni conveyor belt operated three days and Nahal Oz operated five days. Erez crossing operated six days, enabling movement of medical patients beyond regular operating hours. In addition, the Gaza power station received 2,178,410 liters of heavy duty diesel and 1,017 tons of gas for domestic uses was transferred into the region via the Nahal Oz crossing fuel depot. "This week a noticeable increase in domestic gas was ordered by the Palestinian side (compared to 582 tons last week)," noted IDF Major Peter Lerner, COGAT spokesman. "The ongoing supply of gas for domestic use is reliant on Palestinian demand and is not subject to any limitation by Israel." Gunness vehemently disagreed, however. "There is not a reduction in demand for supplies," he said flatly. "Quite the reverse." Nevertheless, when pressed, the UNRWA spokesman focused only on the agency's building 93 building projects: "Following the fighting there is a massive increase [in demand] for building materials," he insisted. Israel is concerned the material will be used for building factories for the production of weapons, including rockets. When asked whether there was anything other than building materials that is desperately needed and not being allowed in to the region, Gunness replied, "You saw all the coverage of pasta and tomato paste?" The comment was a reference to a complaint by a U.S. Senator several months ago over the omission of pasta on the list of approved products for shipment of humanitarian supplies in to Gaza. Israel has since allowed it to enter Gaza. Lerner noted that the PA has also reduced the number of medical referrals to Israeli hospitals, adding that there were 80 medical evacuations from Gaza to Israel via the Erez Crossing, including escorts. Only the Rafiah Crossing is closed most of the time – and even that crossing has been open more often than the public might be aware of. Egypt opens the crossing, which straddles the Gaza-Egyptian border, for periods of up to three days at a time. Israel has said that the Rafiah Crossing will not reopen on a regular basis until the ruling Hamas terrorist organization returns kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, abducted by its operatives in June 2006.
