RAMAT GAN, Israel, April 28 (UPI) -- The guidelines for Israel's next Cabinet include explicit readiness for a withdrawal and an evacuation of settlers from parts of the West Bank.
The nine-page 62-item Cabinet Guidelines were released Thursday night after negotiators for Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party and Amir Peretz' Labor concluded a coalition agreement.
The agreement, signed in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, contains three documents: An agreement stipulating the terms under which Labor would join Olmert's government and, for example, says that Peretz will be defense minister; a technical document outlining how the coalition will function; and the Cabinet Guidelines. The latter is, essentially, a declaration of intent.
It is a document that all coalition partners must sign. There will be only one version of the Cabinet Guidelines, stressed Kadima negotiator Eyal Arad.
The political chapter in it contains no surprises. Olmert discussed his ideas in speeches and interviews. However the document is important because it formally states the next government's goals and the Knesset will have to approve it before the government is sworn in.
The guidelines say the government will aim to shape the country's permanent borders so that Israel will be, "A Jewish state with a Jewish majority and ...a democratic state."
The desire to maintain Israel's Jewish character is the rational for a withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories. Israel cannot annex those territories and retain a Jewish majority. If it does annex them it would eventually cease being a Jewish state or have to forgo democracy to maintain Jewish control.
The document goes on to say the government will act to implement Olmert's plan outlined in his victory speech on election night. It attaches the text and says it is "an inseparable part" of the guidelines.
In that speech Olmert said to the Palestinians: "We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved Land of Israel...with much pain evacuate Jews who live there, in order to create conditions that would enable you to fulfill your dream and live beside us, in your own state, in peace and quiet."
The guidelines say Israel would seek "negotiations and an agreement with the Palestinians." It does not specifically identify the partner, whether it is the Palestinian Authority, the presidency or the government, but goes on to list Israel's conditions for negotiations with Hamas that controls that government: Mutual recognition, acceptance of agreements that were signed in the past, acceptance of the internationally devised roadmap for peace, a cessation of violence and, the disarming of terror organizations. These are also the demands of the Quartet that devised the roadmap, the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, but Hamas has rejected these demands.
"If the Palestinians will not be wise enough to act accordingly in the near future, the government shall act also in the absence of negotiations and an agreement with them," the guidelines state.
The unilateral steps would be taken, "On the basis of a broad national agreement in Israel and a deep understanding with Israel's friends in the world headed by the United States of America and President George Bush," the guidelines say.
In his election night speech Olmert said: "We shall not wait endlessly. It is time to act."
The cabinet document does not say how long Israel would wait before acting unilaterally, or what are the criteria to decide there is no chance for a negotiated settlement.
The head of Labor's negotiating team, David Liba'i, told United Press International the decision whether to move unilaterally be will taken in the Cabinet.
The issue might be a source of contention between Kadima and the more dovish Labor. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah wants to negotiate with Israel and Hamas has indicated readiness to let him do so. It is Olmert who maintains that Abbas is a lame duck.
The guidelines stipulate that Israel's new borders will require, "A reduction of the areas of Israeli settlement" in the West Bank.
In a paragraph relating to law enforcement the document says, "The government will act to implement the outgoing government's commitments and decisions regarding the unauthorized settlements." That means: withdraw them.
The outgoing government that Ariel Sharon had formed withdrew the Gaza Strip settlements and dismantled four settlements in the northern West Bank, but now is the first time that Cabinet Guidelines include a commitment to dismantle settlements.
Sharon's guidelines merely talked of the need for "painful compromises by all sides," and "examining the possibility for a redeployment" in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The past guidelines said, "No new settlements would be established," while the new guidelines talk of pulling some down. The new document does not mention Olmert's intention to strengthen settlement blocs that he seeks to keep in the West Bank. The omission is probably a sign of Labor's hand.
The guidelines make it more difficult for the nationalist Israel Beitenu (Israel is Our Home) to join the coalition. Israel Beitenu seeks a territorial swap in which Israeli-Arab areas would revert to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for settlement blocs that Israel would keep. It maintains Israeli-Arabs should demonstrate loyalty to the Jewish state in order to have civil rights.
The guidelines stipulate the government will maintain, "Complete social and political rights to all its citizens... (and) will not put up with any sign of racism."
After signing the agreement the negotiators raised a toast but the head of Kadima's team, Yoram Turbowicz who will be Olmert's Chief of Staff, had water in his glass.
"Why?" reporters asked.
Turbowicz said Labor's team finished its work but his is not done. At the moment Olmert can count on the support of 55 Knesset members in the 120-seat legislature, not yet a majority. Talks are continuing with the 12-member Orthodox Sepharadi Shas Party and the ultra-dovish five-member Meretz.
Kadima hopes to present the government to the Knesset next week, a party spokesman said.
