Abbas Seeks Palestinian Statehood

The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians may soon draw to a close or escalate to levels not seen in decades.  Ironically, the same move on the part of the Palestinians may bring about either result.  Today, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will apply for official recognition of Palestine by the United Nations.  Abbas chose this course of action due to what called Israeli intransigence in negotiations over the creation of a Palestinian homeland.  More accurately, this move would represent a reformation of a Palestinian homeland, as Israel was known as Palestine from the time of the Romans until 1948.  Despite multiple previous endorsements of a two-state solution to the conflict, President Obama said threatened to veto such a vote.  Even European nations that typically support the Palestinians oppose the statehood bid, according to The Guardian.  The long-suffering Palestinian people deserve recognition and a true homeland and, as former President Jimmy Carter recently observed, there is no good reason why they should not get it. 

            Understanding the complete history of the conflict is important.  While the United Nations officially recognized the state of Israel in 1948, it has its beginnings in 1917’s Balfour Declaration.  At the close of World War one, Great Britain found themselves flush with Jewish refugees from the battlefields.  Unable to send them back and not wanting them either, the British issued the Balfour Declaration.  The Balfour Declaration sent these refugees to what was then known as Palestine, with the caveat that these refugees would not exceed one-third of the total population.  Contrary to popular belief, anti-Semitism did not begin or end with Hitler and is not unique to Germany.  Prior to this, Muslims, Jews and Christians all lived in Palestine in relative peace and harmony.   These new settlers, however, immediately began forcing native Palestinians out of the homes, resulting in 1 million displaced Palestinians.  These Palestinians remain scattered around the world to this day.  This event, called the Nakba (Arabic for tragedy) by the Palestinians, is the genesis of the modern conflict. 

            Over time, Israel claimed more land from the Palestinians and their other Arab neighbors during several wars throughout the twentieth century.  In addition to establishing settlements in the West Bank, Israel took the Shebaa Farms from Lebanon, the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Desert from Egypt.  Israel returned control of the Sinai to Egypt in 1978’s Camp David Accords.  They did so because they accepted the legitimacy of UN Security Council Resolution 242, which essentially states that any land taken by military force is occupied illegally.  Although Israel previously accepted the legitimacy of this resolution, the refuse to return their other occupied territories to their rightful owners.  Israel also maintains a blockade around the Gaza Strip.  This blockade not only prevents weapons from entering Gaza, it also prevents food, medicine and building materials from entering as well.

            Yet another issue related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict concerns the disproportional responses of Israelis against Palestinian aggression.  For example, Israelis in the West Bank bulldoze the homes of Palestinians that may have encouraged their children to throw rocks at Israeli tanks.  Israeli soldiers have also intimidated Palestinians attempting to vote.  Israel has also held scores of Palestinians for decades on the charge of disturbing the peace.  To this day, many have not actually had trials.  Finally, Israel responds disproportionately to rocket attacks from Gaza.  While Palestinian attacks typically kill a few dozen Israelis, the Israeli response typically kills hundreds of Palestinians.  While all violence is unacceptable, Israel has never accepted the idea that their disproportional responses beget more violence.  All the while, the Israelis use the arable land in ways that degrade the quality of the soil.  They also irrigate their land inefficiently, using an unfair amount of water, as well as severely restrict Palestinian access to roads, causing much of their produce to spoil.

            It is clear that the Israelis and the Palestinians want nothing to do with one another.  Both sides have attempted to negotiate peace deals in the past that involve a two-state solution.  This is where the intransigence Abbas refers to comes in.  Past demands on the part of the Israelis include the total disarmament of the Palestinian people and a guarantee that no Palestinian ever harm any Israeli ever again.  Obviously, they cannot make such a promise and should have to forgo their ability to defend themselves just to gain full independence.  Furthermore, such compromises are based on the idea that Gaza and the West Bank belong to Israel when the land is clearly the property of the Palestinians.

            As previously mentioned, the United States and Western Europe favor the position of the Israelis.  President Obama goes so far as to threaten to block Palestine’s bid for official recognition.  This directly contradicts several past statements by the President in which he expressed support for a two-state solution.  This actually comes as no surprise, considering that Israel is the single largest recipient of United States foreign aid.  Much of that comes in the form of military materiel.  In other words, we have facilitated the Israelis many disproportional responses against the Palestinians.  It is clearly in our national interest to endorse Palestine’s bid for official recognition.  While it will not erase our role in the abuse of the Palestinian people, it would go along way. 

            The Palestinian people have suffered long enough.  First, the British stole a large section of their country and gave it to refugees they did not feel like dealing with.  Then the Israelis took even more land, as well as unfair levels of nature resources and responded disproportionately to the acts of Palestinian aggression with the assistance of the United States.  They have finally had enough.  If we truly value freedom and human rights, we must support the Palestinians in their bid for statehood without onerous preconditions.  To any Palestinians reading this, remember the words of Theodore Herzl, “If you will it, it is no dream.”  It is time for you receive the same freedom and recognition that he and the Israeli people once sought.  For further information on the conflict, read Palestine Peace not Apartheid by former President Jimmy Carter.