This year’s Summer was not a very typical one, neither in America, nor in the whole World. Usually bringing fewer excitements, than other seasons, this one let us witness a political shakedown in the USA, fall of Gaddafi’s regime, slaughter of innocents in Syria…
Autumn (I don’t want to call it FALL in this article…), usually brings to New York City a refreshing breeze, cooling a bit overheated streets. It brings also the UN Session.
Most of them come and go unnoticed to the typical New Yorkers, but this one is awaited with anticipation, even anxiety of sort. In couple of days Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, is going to present his case for the statehood of Palestine, to the UN Security Council.
He’s been networking for this cause tirelessly, since the beginning of the Arab Spring. He appealed to the people and the politicians in the Middle East, Europe, and other parts of the World. Finally Abbas came to New York to close it...
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About 63 years ago the new country appeared on the maps of the Middle East - Newly Created Country – Israel. The World’s public opinion was unified. After the WWII, and the Holocaust it was obvious that it was a high time to give the long oppressed people, the place which they could call: home. So, the Jews, who lived all over the World were given a place where they would be welcomed, and which would be THEIRS, from that time on. Finally, after the years of disregarding the problem, and witnessing the attempt to execute “a madman’s diabolical plan” to exterminate the whole race, this race earned the right to have the place of their own.
As the result of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, which broke afterwards, the place provided by the UN resolution for the new state, was substantially augmented.
The same time, for another race, instead of the national celebration, came the NAKBA (“nakba” in a loose translation is a "day of the catastrophe"). According to the UNRWA estimates, more than 711 thousand Palestinians (mostly Arabic-speakers), had to flee or were forcefully displaced from their land (*1). Refugees are not only those who were displaced, but also their descendents. It brings the total number of Palestinian Refugees, a sizable part of the Palestinian Diaspora, to about 5 Million people (almost the same amount of Palestinians live within the Israeli borders) (*2).
In the wake of 1967 Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, UN Security Council unanimously passed the Resolution 242, calling for the cessation of the hostilities and stipulating: (*3)
1. Withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the disputed territories.
2. Respect for the sovereignty of the territories.
3. Guaranteeing freedom of navigation through the international waterways in the area.
4. Achieving the just settlement of the refugee problem.
5. Guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area.
This resolution became a foundation, and a reference point of the whole process of peace-talks, which have been conducted to a very unsatisfactory effect throughout these four decades (*4).
Since the Camp David talks in 1978, the hopes of the involved people rose periodically… but never lasted long, ruined by the inflexibility, or (let’s call it) stubbornness of the Israeli politicians, who insisted time and time again, on creating new Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and refusal of allowing any refugees to return.
Let’s be reminded at this moment that all the demands of the Resolution 242 were based on the condition, which read:
“(…) Emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war (…)”.
Since the Peace-Process had been initiated, whole generations of the new refugees were born, and suffered their refugee fate. The whole generations of the world’s spectators were born and matured waiting in vain (so far) for the right solution to the “Palestinian problem”.
We witnessed the terrorist acts of the PLO, plane hijacking, and bombings. We witnessed the heavy-handed responses of the Israeli Security Forces, and counted dead civilians in Gaza and West Bank. We witnessed The Noble Peace Price ceremony when former terrorist, Yasser Arafat became outspoken politician – a champion of his people. We witnessed his untimely demise (poisoned by someone who had a stake in ending his charismatic leadership). We witnessed the new initiatives brought to the table, and eventually rotting away, like sour grapes.
We witnessed sometimes resolute and moderate Israeli governments, and other times the likes of Tzipi Livni (an executioner of 1460 Palestinians during Cast Lead Campaign in 2008), or Benjamin Netanyahu, who got angry with President Obama, when the latter remarked that the Peace-Talks had to be based on the 1967 borders.
But sometimes it just looks like a bad case of “good cop – bad cop” routine, when the representatives of the US Governments on one hand push for the cessation of the settlements in the occupied territories, and on the other hand - veto the resolutions (or notions) condemning these settlements.
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All people have the right to have their own place on Earth. To me, it’s an undisputable tenant of the civilization. Jews have their state, and rightfully so.
But the same rule applies to the people who, like Jews, have been in Palestinian territories from the same, ancient times (or even earlier if we count Philistines as the Palestinian forefathers). There is no logical, accepted by the World community, argument against the State of Palestine.
Against, it‘s only Israel – unfortunately supported in this issue by my own country – America. The Obama Government (Susan Rice – the US Ambassador to the UN) warned that the US would veto the Palestinian Statehood in the UN.
According to Israeli spokesperson the only acceptable way of ending the 40 years old impasse is through the direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis… Has it worked so far? When the settlement are out of the question, and the borders of 1967 are out of the question (as un-defensible) – and the UN sanctioned statehood is out of the question… What’s left?
In his famous “olive branch” speech in Cairo, President Obama extended his hand to the Arab Nations and to the Palestinians:
“On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. (…)That is in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest, and the world’s interest. That is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience that the task requires. The obligations that the parties have agreed to under the Road Map are clear. For peace to come, it is time for them – and all of us – to live up to our responsibilities.”
The United Nations Security Council vote will determine soon who stands for the Peace in the Middle East, and who wants to sacrifice it for the sake of the comfort of the current, aggressive Israeli government.
We all heard the catastrophic scenarios of what would have happened if Abbas fulfilled his promise and asked for the Statehood. It just transpired as strong threats from the state of Israel. But unfortunately the USA joined this bullying act, threatening with cutting the ‘foreign aid’ to Palestine, which alone would cripple the Palestine’s economy. Israel on its account threatens with confiscating the revenues earned by West Bank and Gaza even farther increasing the Palestinian hardship.
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When are we going to stop this madness?
As I repeated time and time again: nothing is now the way it was before. The World changes.
The World changes due to the Information Superhighway, better self-awareness of the people in previously remote, and oppressed by the Colonial Superpowers countries.
Thus the Arab Spring, and its execution – bringing shock and awe to all, who were afraid of extreme islamization, radicalization leading to terrorism…
Nothing like that happened (it still may…), and the people – protagonists of these epic turns of history – proved that they wanted the same as every American, German, or English… respect, sovereignty, independence…
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A few days ago, President Carter – the President who started the (in-) famous Peace-Process between Israel and Palestinians – stated clearly that: “As an alternative to a deadlock and a stalemate now, we reluctantly support the Palestinian move for recognition” (*6).
Reluctantly, or not – the support for the Palestinian Statehood is due now!
Nothing is now as it used to be. Palestinians are not a bunch of terrorists, as the World viewed them 40 years ago. They are just ‘dead tired’ people who want to be free and live in peace. But if one pushes them too hard, they do not have much to loose. Desperate people behave desperately.
On the same token, Israel is not a poor, battered “holocaust survival” any more, but a new champion for “Apartheid”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state would have “dire consequences” (*6).
They have proven already, that they are not interested in the Peace-Process, or any sort of negotiations, but to preserve a convenient “status quo” by all cost. Does the USA have to second it?
It’s time to stand by the principles of Democracy, and support the People who have been suffering long enough, too long in any understandable context – and support the move for the Palestinian Statehood.
The TIME is now.
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*1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_refugee
*2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_diaspora
*3. http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/240/94/IMG/NR024094.pdf?OpenElement
*4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6666393.stm
*5. http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-cairo-speech-the-transcript
*6. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63481.html
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