Has the peace efforts failed? By Professor Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi The questions on our minds, we the people, are: Has the efforts to reach a peace settlement failed? Has the United States given up on us? Is there no hope? Have we, Palestinians and Israelis, become addicted to conflict and cannot live without it or we just do not want to taste the bitter pill? Those damn settlements…were they the primary reason for sabotaging the negotiations? I am not sure since I do not know whether they are real or imaginary threat to peace. Do settlements predetermine the outcome of the negotiations? If so perceived, is this perception a reality? How many of those settlements would just vanish if we would welcome their occupants among us as Palestinian citizens in an independent Palestinian secular and democratic state? Even if the Israeli agenda is to scare us by keeping pouring money in settlement construction, the whole world do not recognize the legality of those settlements and do not want to import their products, not to forget their unpopularity among the general Israeli public since they are absorbing needed funds to improve social welfare, health and education. Even within the framework of the Oslo Accords signed by Israel in 1993 those settlements are illegal not to mention their illegality in international law. Settlements and settlers have projected the ugly face of the Israeli military occupation igniting among many in Europe and the rest of the world feelings of sympathy for the Palestinians and at the same time, blemishing the Israeli image and awakening the dreadful emotions of anti-Semitism. There is the big picture for all to see of the wide asymmetry of power between the Israelis and the Palestinians militarily, economically, and technologically. In this game, it is clear that Israel has the upper hand. What Israel is prepared to give is what will eventually determine the course of the negotiations towards peace or continued conflict. It is Israel who could bridge the wide gap on the major old issues such as Jerusalem, borders, security, refugees, while Palestinians could bridge it regarding the new issues raised such as recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, stationing of Israeli army in the Jordan Valley, not seeking retribution from the international criminal court of justice, and the non-military nature of the new Palestinian state. All those issues are amenable to being resolved as a package of trade-offs such as recognition of Israel as a Jewish state in return for recognizing the State of Palestine in the United Nations, or for US guaranteeing the security of the Palestinian state against foreign aggression in return for having the State of Palestine without an army. The price for peace is reasonable and what is perceived today to be too high a price to pay for peace will be viewed tomorrow as a totally realistic price to pay as the windmills we create in our minds would vanish particularly with the new realities on the ground. We, the people, are ready to pay the price to purchase peace to reach a win-win outcome. This is the direction we wish our leaders to take – to lead us from conflict to peace, from despair to hope, and from intolerance to reconciliation. Peace is simply our choice and the people’s choice should become our leaders’ choice. This is not our fantasy but our aspirations. It is not Plan B but Plan A. The time is ripe and we call upon President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John F. Kerry not to give up but to double their efforts even if that means dragging both parties to paradise in chains.
Posted on: Sun, 11 May 2014 18:30:28 +0000
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