Independent Palestine – End to Israeli Occupation and Jewish Settlements

October 25, 2010

By Padmini Arhant

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process had tremendous potential for development and the recent impasse is primarily due to the lack of political will in leading the authorities to the desirable outcome.

Although the moratorium expiry on settlement expansion has contributed to the friction with the building permit issued for an estimated 534 homes in the Palestinian territory – West Bank, the United States less enthusiastic efforts to dissuade the controversial incursion predominantly derailed the progress.

Lately, the legitimate questions were raised through the panel on Israeli-Palestinian peace process:

QUESTIONS From:

Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar – Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies – Thank you.

In the continued absence of a political resolution to the conflict,

1. Why must occupation be the default position?

Response – Occupation will no longer be the default position. The Israeli authorities are being misguided by the real forces behind the Middle-Eastern quagmire.

As long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved the profiteering from the prolific arms trade continues debilitating the peace prospects and thereby exacerbating the Palestinian plight.

However, this situation will change in semblance to the historical facts that all illegal occupations and invasions eventually cease contrary to the false assumptions.

Moreover, the Palestinian and other oppressed states freedom are a top priority among the inevitable Change in the immediate future.

2. Why must Gaza be pauperized and the West Bank cantonized?

Response: Again, there is absolutely no reason for the status quo. If the strongest ally United States could influence Israel in every U.N vote on minor to major international issues,

It is incomprehensible that U.S. is unable to achieve similar consent from Israel on the settlements, territorial disputes, economic embargo on Gaza, East Jerusalem and West Bank militarization.

Israel is misled by the factions not necessarily pledged to its sovereignty or peace in the region. The coalition with the orthodox groups relying on self-determined course in promoting unlawful settlements are yet another impediment in the Israeli – Palestinian peace agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared hopeful at the last month’s preliminary peace talks and even disassociated from the Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman’s views delivered at the U.N. General Assembly in September 2010.

Therefore, the subsequent setback conspicuously leads to the internal and external political pressure on Israeli leadership to procrastinate until the Palestinian conditions deteriorate to the point of no return forcing the beleaguered Palestinian residents in Gaza and other occupied territories to become the Israeli subjects on Palestinian homeland.

Imperialism in the twenty first century is a far-fetched aspiration for a democratic nation unnecessarily projecting the provocateur image to the international community.

Further, the provocation generates the requirement to stockpile weaponry not excluding nuclear arsenal pervading across the globe.

It would be fair to point out that Israeli leadership might not be overtly pursuing the agenda but the current occupation confirms the reality much to the global disappointment.

Israel must realize that with the rocket firing cessation and relatively isolated violence from Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem construction and series of human rights violation through unilateral economic sanctions against Gaza combined with the military deployment in the Palestinian territories are counterproductive placing the democratic nation in spotlight as the belligerent authority.

As a result, Israel is isolated from the rest of the world and made vulnerable with United States and the remnant Western nations as the few allies for normal relationship.

Additionally, the U.S. threat not ruling out the nuclear options against Israel’s adversary undermines the sovereignty and capability to defend itself despite Israel’s nuclear empowerment.

Israel is a free nation but has not demonstrated in the U.N. voting or Palestinian issue thus far.

Accordingly Israel is perceived as the United States Union territory rather than an independent state maintaining cordial relations with Arab and other nations around the world.

3. Why are Palestinians treated as a humanitarian problem rather than as people with political and national rights entitled to self-determination?

Response: The Palestinians have endured enormous pain and misery in the prolonged political stalemate.

Palestinians as people are entitled to political and national rights in every aspect.

Under the imminent free Palestine – the territories clearly demarcated prior to 1967 Israeli conquest would constitute the integral part of the liberated Palestine particularly the entire West Bank and Gaza comprising East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

With respect to the refugee population spread across Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza – the new treaty enacting the right of return to the Palestinian expatriates would grant naturalization to the emigrants.

4. Why should Palestinians be forced to accept their own decay?

Response: Palestinians will not decay any more.

There is unanimous consensus among the majority in the global society to expedite the two states solution with independent Palestine co-existing alongside democratic Israel confined to the internationally recognized pre-1967 boundaries.

Jerusalem being the holy city for all three religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam,

It is imperative that the leaderships establish peace and harmony between Palestinian and Israeli citizens for mutual social and economic benefits.

5. Why must they be punished for resisting?

All are born to be free with equal rights. Palestinian and fellow citizens around the world seeking independence are not deprived from it.

Unfortunately quelling dissent is increasingly accepted as the norm even in a democratic society let alone any other form of government.

History is testimony to the fact that one voice ultimately transforms into the universal representation prevailing against undemocratic rule and social injustice.

Since time immemorial, the unjust annexation or in the other extreme the unruly secessionism defying historical evidence is narcissism than serving the humanitarian cause.

Palestine and similar states liberation is not a hypothesis but a definitive reality.

If Israeli coalition partner is the obstacle in the Palestinian political resolution, then the Israeli authority could forge alliance with the party prioritizing Israel’s peaceful existence over personal ideology.

Hence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could seize the opportunity and proceed with the meaningful dialogue beginning upon settlement termination.

Settlement issue is not a pre-condition but rather a reasonable request to facilitate negotiations leading to the diplomacy success.

Two states solution is paramount to both Israel and Palestine for a long lasting relationship extending to other Arab neighbors as seen in Syria’s overture towards Israel at the 65th U.N. General Assembly session in September 2010.

Finally, regarding the two chilling responses from Palestinian Children during the survey on their wish list – “Get out of Gaza or Die,”

NO child in any part of the world should experience the frustration to leave their homeland or desire to end their precious life.

Palestine needs these brave and intelligent architects to build their nation with strong democratic principles vowed to peace, non-violence and solidarity within and outside the territory.

It is important for the Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem to come together as one nation in moving their country forward.

Likewise, setting the differences aside for a new partnership with their Israeli friend and neighbor is equally essential to sustain permanent peace.

It would ensure security, political stability and economic prosperity for the two states permeating to the entire region.

Palestinian liberty and Israeli security means a bright future for their people.

Peace to Palestine, Israel and throughout Middle East.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under International Politics 

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