Israel’s Allies Should Guarantee a Strong Palestinian State
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sysAdmin
- . December 14, 2023
- . Update: December 14, 2023 6:49 pm
The world is seeing Israel do a u-turn to the possibility of a two-state solution as Tel Aviv continues it military offensive against the Hamas in Gaza. The Oslo Accords, which marked its 30th anniversary in September, was to end the Israel-Palestine conflict by paving the way for a two-state solution. But the Israelis have been pushing against it, and now it’s more evident than ever.
Shlomo Karhi, Israeli Communications Minister, says there is never going to be a Palestinian state. He said Tel Aviv will not go back to the terms of the Oslo Accords. “We respect and cherish the President of the United States, Joe Biden, who went out of his way during the most difficult period of the State of Israel. But we live here, this is our country. The historical property of our ancestors.”
Highlighting President Biden’s words, he said the security of the Jewish people is at stake here. “Definitely yes, a Palestinian state would endanger them.” This comes after the West (US and the United Kingdom and the broader Europe) gave leeway to Israel to bombard Gaza killing thousands of civilians and children, and calling it “right to defend itself”.
Oslo Accords Crushed Palestinian State
Josh Paul, a former US State Department official, says the US recognizes Palestinian statehood, but hasn’t done enough. He believes Oslo Accords failed because of the ill will of those who never wanted to see it succeed.
“Although intended as an interim agreement that would last no more than five years, its expiration was premised on permanent status negotiations that would resolve issues including Jerusalem, settlements, Israeli military locations, Palestinian refugees, borders, foreign relations and Israelis in Palestinian territory.”
Paul attributed its failure to the fundamental imbalance between Israel’s status as a nation-state that gets to decide its own aims and actions, and the PLO’s status as the representative of an occupied people with little capacity beyond day-to-day governance of a shrinking territory. The official said the Palestinian Authority was created as an interim body to oversee parts of the occupied territory.
But the Palestinian Authority relied on the Israeli government for its existence, and often served as an extension of the Israeli security apparatus. It was never regarded as credible or legitimate by the Palestinian people themselves.
Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party never made way for a Palestinian state. The right-wing party’s charter states that between the sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.
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Recognize Palestinian State Now
With Israel continuing its military aggression and occupation in Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the US should recognize Palestinian statehood. Paul said Washington should endorse a Palestinian membership application in the United Nations Security Council. Doing so would set the ground for permanent status negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
“Disputes, such as over the status of Jerusalem or control over borders, water rights and airwaves, can be settled through established global arbitration mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Telecommunication Union.” The diplomat says this would be easy and the US would need to continue as a guarantor-in-principle of Israeli security.
And now, it’s very much challenging as Israeli ministers are stepping away from the idea of a Palestinian state. The Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich called the two-state solution a suicide for Israel. He said the US has been pushing Israel towards suicide for years by promoting a two-state solution.
