Palestinians Plan State, but Will Netanyahu Block it?
The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, has put forward a plan for a Palestinian state to be attained within 2 years. This is the first time such a blueprint with a timeline has been offered and it is a very big deal. The reason it can be taken more seriously than most talking points generated by the Israeli-Palestinian 'negotiations' (the longest-running ugly divorce in contemporary history) is that President Obama is dedicated to a two-state solution. If he is going to get one, something like Fayyad's plan is crucial, and so is a timetable of some sort (it has to be before the presidential campaign season in 2012).
Of course, the Likud government of Israel is all about preying on the Palestinians' land and resources and is die-hard opposed to a two-state solution. Israel is strangling the Palestinian economy.
The Israelis are restricting Palestinians' water supply and essentially using their water at a rate 4 times that of the Palestinians.
Dozens of Palestinians in East Jerusalem have been pushed out of their property by Israeli squatters and are now forced to sleep in the streets.
Israeli illegal immigrants into the Palestinian West Bank routinely act like thugs, beating up on Palestinians and stealing from them.
Israel has 11,000 Palestinians behind bars, and has repeatedly blocked family visits to prisoners, which the Red Cross has called a violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law more generally.
The Israeli military justified the attack on an unarmed American peace protester as a 'justifiable act of war.' (He is in a perhaps permanent coma).
Much of the US press, as usual, is ignoring the belligerent statements of Likudniks in the Israeli government and misrepresenting the Palestinians, whose statelessness (and consequent lack of human and legal rights) is imposed on them by a brutal Israeli military occupation and/or perpetual siege and blockade.
If there is going to be a two-state solution, as Obama insists and toward which the Fatah government in the West Bank is now moving quickly, it will depend on level-headed Israelis who recognize that the occupation of the Palestinians is actually a threat to Israel. I'm not optimistic that the rumored turn to a harder line against Iran by Obama in return for a Likud acquiescence in a Palestinian state will actually work. A gasoline boycott on Iran won't be effective, and the Likud will likely drag its feet so that in the end it will get everything its leaders want-- no real Palestinian state, continued subjection and exploitation of the Palestinians, and plus bad US-Iran relations and sanctions on Iran.
Now may be a time for Avi Shaked, the multi-billionaire internet entrepreneur, to make another offer.
On April 4, 2009, Haaretz revealed that Avi Shaked had been an extremely influential figure in the Geneva Accord Track II negotiations between liberal Israelis and the Palestinians.
In 2006, Shaked made headlines by offering then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a billion dollars. (H/t to this poker site for preserving this news item) if only they would just make peace already. Given how corrupt both governments are, it is amazing that no one took Shaked up on his offer.
I'm being a little tongue in cheek, of course. But influential and prominent pro-peace Israelis like Shaked do exist, and even the right of center Kadima Party has accepted the need for two states. I keep hoping that Netanyahu's government will fall and that those Israelis who want to do the right thing, for themselves and for the Palestinians, will get in in time for Obama to finally settle this dispute, which has poisoned the Middle East against the United States and generates enormous violence and tragedy on both sides.
End/ (Not Continued)
posted by Juan Cole @ 8/26/2009 02:00:00 PM
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14 Comments:
fyi, tristan anderson (the american injured by israel) was not killed. he remains unconscious but he's not dead. somewhat important distinction.
Speaking of bets, I think it'd be safe to expect another "generous offer" before too long.....
However, there is a relentless consistency in the colonization process that waxes and wanes with the press coverage, and we have to give credit to the forces that be that will clothe this foreseeable/due next PR move in different language.
Of course, these people are not the sort who will say anything that will expose them negatively in a PR sense (as distinguished from what the IDF may do when they think nobody is watching/caring).
When it gets down to it, these people are a bit boring in their transparency.
Does the plan include territorial goals?
I have always believed that Israel believes it is easier to steal land that belongs to others when that land is not part of a separate state or country. That is why Israel will never allow a separate independent Palestine. IT IS ALL ABOUT LAND AND THE EASIEST WAYS TO GRAB IT
did sayed hakim die or did I imagine it?
To answer HCohen above: the plan is based on the pre-1967 border.
The Israelis cannot actually block the establishment of a state. The other nations recognizing the new State of Palestine is sufficient. Remember that Israel itself is not recognized by neighboring Syria or Lebanon, nor by dozens of other countries.
I very much doubt that Fayyadh would have made the announcement without behind the scenes nods from the world's major blocks, including the USA.
The new state may still be under occupation. That is an Israeli choice. But the legal consequences are very different. The UN will be obliged to defend its new member against foriegn occupation, for starters.
Hamas has rejected the plan:
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=221777
"To answer HCohen above: the plan is based on the pre-1967 border."
Israel has already made clear that this will not be allowed, and President Obama will not force the matter. Israel will keep the land that has been gobbled up, unless we change policy and we will not be doing that during this Presidency.
I have been completely out of touch with these issues for quite a while now, so hearing this is good news. However, judging on Israel, the US, and other more influencial countries, I doubt we are going to see a Palestine anytime soon. Although Obama is dedicated to a 2 state solution, he is not the only factor when it comes to the establishment of Palestine. It requires a lot more involvement of other countries, especially-and sadly-Israel.
The cruel injustice as you have listed have been going on for a substantial amount of time. With this, the 'irrational' behavior of Palestinians, such as that in January, was triggered by these humanitarian crises. Every time a Palestinian does some harm to Israel, the world is magnified to that event, but the daily, harsh treatments of Israel are not looked upon at all. The world needs to refocus its lens to reality; what is going on in the Gaza and West Bank is a serious humanitarian crisis.
"President Obama will not force the matter."
No, of course he won't. He's as beholden to AIPAC as all the rest of the members of the executive and legislative branches of the US government.
Doing anything to coerce any Israeli government to observe international law and countless UN resolutions obviously does not fall within the "change we can believe in" rubric.
One day it will all catch up with the Israeli governments, but I'll be long gone from this earth when that happens.
To anonymous 2:58 -
There already was a Palestinian declaration of independence in 1988. It changed nothing, merely the mode of occupation. The occupation, the facts on the ground, those are what matter. Legal games won't get the Palestinians anywhere. The Israelis can and do outlawyer the Palestinians 100 to 1. Like the US, the Israelis have always been concerned about engaging in "lawfare" (to turn a neocon term back on the right-wing fascists as they deserve). They note, then twist, every jot and tittle of the law, using them as daggers and knives, literally committing murder with the law as their weapon. At the end of the day, the occupation that began in 1948 is the problem. The steady absorption of all the 1967 territories has already put an end to the two-state "solution" (if ever it was a solution to begin with), now we are merely waiting to see if South African reconciliation or Rwandan ethnic cleansing and slaughter will be the path chosen by the Zionists. Two things we know for sure are that Americans won't care one bit if the Zionists choose mass slaughter (we're in boil the frog mode already), but that the Palestinians internally and in diaspora will remain steadfast no matter what the Zionists, Americans, or Arab ruler stooges say or do.
After reading an article written by the Israeli Ambass. to the UN, in which he went on about how the Palestinians "needed to" get themselves together and show they are interested in developing Gaza, etc., which, after all, the Germans and Japanese did after WWII, I wrote him suggesting that Israel needed to develop a Marshall Plan for Gaza. Isn't that what decent occupiers do? I never received an answer from him or his office, however, I still think putting pressure on Isreal to do just this would be excellent. I have made this suggestion to J Street as well and hope they will give it a push.
If you have any connections, please help demand this plan.
Booshan
The comment above is incorrect. Arafat threatened to declare a state in 1988 but was talked out of it by the US.
It was clear then that Regan was against it and would use US influence to prevent other nations from recognizing the new State. Now the Americans do want a Palestenian State.
another example of resources theft - a large reserve of natural gas has been discovered in recent years in Gazas territorial waters, well Israel has already signed the contracts for the drilling and exporting.
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