Israeli political sources reported that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been holding talks, in recent months, with reserve Maj. Gen. Dani Terza, who drew a West Bank withdrawal map based on a request by the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. The plan is solely based on Israel’s interests and not on international resolutions.The sources stated that, several weeks ago, Netanyahu had Terza hold a meeting with President Shimon Peres to inform him on Netanyahu’s ideas regarding the borders of the “Palestinian State”, and the possibilities of preparing a map that represents the “vision of Netanyahu”.
Terza informed Peres of details discussed during previous Palestinian-Israeli negotiation sessions, especially sessions regarding borders, in addition to sessions held in 2008 between Olmert and his Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, with senior
Palestinian officials.
In recent months, Peres held four secret meetings with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, at the house of a prominent Jewish businessman in London.
Before the meeting between Peres and Terza took place, Terza was supposed to hold a round of secret talks at the Jordanian Capital, Amman, but the talks did not talk place as Netanyahu ordered them voided.
Terza, 52, is a settler living in Kfar Adumim illegal settlement, and served as a member of the Israeli negotiations team in 1994, He also headed a special department in charge of the construction of the Annexation Wall, under the government of Ariel Sharon.
Israeli Peace Bloc, Gush Shalom, reported that Terza is the official who planned the so-called “Jerusalem Envelop” that aims at completely isolating Jerusalem from the West Bank, by constructing the Annexation Wall in a way that allows Israel to annex vast areas of Palestinian lands while isolating the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem and its surrounding areas.
During the November 2007 talks in Annapolis, Terza was a member of the Israeli team that prepared the “Israeli withdrawal plan” that was presented by Olmert to Mahmoud Abbas in August 2008. Under the plan, Israel “offered” a withdrawal from %93.2 of the occupied West Bank without any withdrawal from Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley; The plan also offered a %6.5 land swap.
Terza also drew another withdrawal plan that was presented by the then-Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, to Palestinian official, Ahmad Qorea’. It included a %92.7 withdrawal from the occupied West Bank, also without any withdrawal from Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, the Arabs48 news website reported.
After the United States failed to ensure the resumption of peace talks in November 2010, two months after the talks collapsed due to the resumption of settlement activities, Terza worked with Netanyahu but failed to achieve any progress in the stalled peace talks as Israel insisted on what it called “its right to build and expand settlements”.
The US then decided to mediate indirect talks, and tried to convince Netanyahu to
present his stances regarding the borders of the anticipated Palestinian State.
Netanyahu then held several meetings with Terza and discussed several important issues, especially Israel’s settlements, mainly in the Jordan Valley, and the borders of the state.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed the meetings took place, but claimed that Netanyahu only intended to get a clear idea on attempts to draw potential West Bank withdrawal plans prepared by former governments, and that he never issued any decision regarding borders, adding that a plan, addressing this issue, was never prepared.
Israel’s policies in the occupied territories are based on constructing and expanding illegal settlements, and rejecting the internationally guaranteed Palestinian right of independence, including the Right of Return of the Palestinian Refugees, and the full withdrawal from all territories Israel occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem.
