The
last month in the Israel/Palestinian conflict has taught us a valuable lesson. The world community took two actions that
were fair and balanced, signaling to the parties, including the extremists,
that enough is enough; end the conflict by nudging the parties towards boundary
lines based on UN Resolution 242, i.e. a Two State Solution.
At
first the world community supported Israel for defending itself against rocket
attacks from the Hamas controlled Gaza. Then the world community overwhelmingly
supported an upgrade in Palestine’s status at the UN from an “entity” to a “state.” What is the world community of nations trying
to tell the Israelis and Palestinians?
I
hope that both the Palestinians and Israelis interpret the world community
actions in the spirit that I believe they were taken.
After
the cease-fire between between Gaza and Israel, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal quickly stated
that Hamas is willing to accept a TSS with 1967 borders. This is a major
accomplishment for the advancement of peace in the region. No similar statement was heard from any of
the major parties within Israel.
In fact, after the UN voted to upgrade the
status of Palestine to that of observer “State”, Israel responded by stating
that they will go forward with objectionable plans to build settlements in Area
E1 around Jerusalem, which effectively kills the TSS by dissecting a West Bank
home for a Palestinian State. This too is a major accomplishment but not for
the advancement of peace but for the prolongation of the status quo, i.e.
occupation. This is sad.
Britain, France Spain, the European Union,
Denmark, Sweden, Australia and Egypt have all summoned its Ambassadors to
Israel, a step short of “recalling” the Ambassador to protest the Israeli
settlemtn announcement. Germany’s
Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to meet formally with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to sternly tell him to drop plans to build 3,000 new settler
homes in a highly contentious strip of the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem.
Netanyahu
responded by not fully appreciating what the World community was trying say to
Israel and Palestine by telling the German press, "I appreciated the
support of Chancellor Merkel and the German government during the operation in
Gaza..At the same time, I would be disingenuous if I didn’t tell you that I was
disappointed, as were many people in Israel, by the German vote in the UN.
Netanyahu
also stated that the UN vote also would unite the West Bank Fatah Party with
the Gaza Hamas Party, as if that was taboo.
This just reinforces my argument that Israel is not looking for a TSS
but a Three State Solution (TSS). He
also referred to Hamas as terrorist, overlooking the fact that in his own
coalition includes the Shaas Party, whose whose spiritual leader Rabbi
Ovadia Yousef calls for the annihilation of the Palestinians.
Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abass has signaled, after the upgrade of the UN
status for Palestine and in response to the Israeli action on new illegal settlement
building, that he will seek International Criminal Court action “in the case of
Israeli aggression.” Netanyahu responded
by withholding $100 million of taxes that Israel collects on behalf of
Palestinians and must turnover to the Palestinian Authority.
