Ex-Minister Ramon Defends Disengagement, Blames Barak for Oslo Collapse

Former minister Haim Ramon has asserted that his support for Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza was crucial and not a mistake, viewing it as a necessary step to ensure a solid Jewish and democratic state. In a podcast interview, Ramon stated, "If I hadn't joined Sharon, there would have been no disengagement." He believes that without his participation, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would not have proceeded with the plan.

Ramon explained that his conviction for unilateral withdrawal solidified in 1987, as he feared waiting for a permanent agreement with the Palestinians would jeopardize Israel's future. He expressed regret over not challenging Ehud Barak for the premiership after Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, calling it his biggest political error. Ramon sharply criticized Barak's handling of the Oslo process, particularly his "all or nothing" approach at the Camp David summit, which he claims led to the collapse of negotiations and the outbreak of the Second Intifada. He also accused Barak of initiating the policy of containment towards Hamas, allowing the organization to gain a foothold in Gaza.

Addressing critics who link the disengagement to Hamas's rise, Ramon argued the error lay not in the withdrawal itself but in subsequent policies. He blamed Benjamin Netanyahu for strengthening Hamas by transferring funds and prioritizing it over the Palestinian Authority, a move he called a "fatal mistake" aimed at preventing a Palestinian state.

Ramon warned against complacency, predicting that a failure to separate from the Palestinians will inevitably lead to a bi-national reality. He anticipates Palestinians will eventually demand equal rights in a single state, a situation he believes Israel cannot sustain or the world will not permit. Ramon concluded by stating Israel must choose between ruling millions of Palestinians without rights, becoming an unsustainable bi-national state, or remaining a Jewish state on a portion of the land and managing security long-term.