Let's begin at the beginning; every four years when a US president is elected, news of a new American peace plan that will save the Middle East and American reputation in the region are sparkling like champagne bubbles at embassy receptions. For the sake of the readers, we will not make a recollection of all the previous plans, road maps, Oslo or Taba agreements, it would be very boring and sad However “our” new elected US President, Obama, seems to have a definitive plan for the Israeli/Palestinian/Arab conflict. Of course, the very details of this plan are not yet unveiled and they will not be until everybody is ready to attend a grandiose, enlightening and international meeting with shaking hands and golden documents to initial. Nevertheless, lot of information is already filtering though news papers, “off record” declarations and unofficial meetings or think tanks lectures. And yet, up until now it doesn't make a good impression for those who support Palestinian freedom and a just peace in the Middle East. However, on Wednesday 8th September an independent Palestinian Deputy, Hassan Khraisha, declared to have succeeded in having a look at the draft of the American plan1. If what he saw was the real plan, then it is the worst thing that ever came out of a disturbed diplomatic mind.
First of all, the cookies:
_Establishment of Palestinian statehood in 2011.
_Setting up an International Fund for Palestinian refugee assistance.
Then, the bitter cup:
_No to the return to the 67' borders.
_No to the removal of Israelis settlements.
_No to the return of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.
_No to a real sovereignty for the Palestinian State; i.e. Demilitarization of the Palestinian State, an end to Israeli control over Palestinian skies.
_No to the return of refugees to their home.
_No to the recognition of the refugees problem by Israel.
_No to even the right of Palestinian refugees from neighboring countries to resettle freely in Palestinian territory.
Well, if this is the Plan, then it is not a Peace plan but a “No” plan.
Of course, for the Israeli government it is very acceptable because it is completely in line with what Nethanyahu proposed last June in 2009. Yet, for the sake of the show they are making all the fuss about “freezing” the settlements. Eyebrows raised, all the occidental governments are saying loudly to Israel to freeze the settlements! How brave! But they just forget that freezing settlement construction is not what Palestinians want or what the International Law requires. They must remove all and even the tiniest military or civil Israeli construction built inside the 67' borders! So far, nobody knows with which “Orwellian” storytelling they will try to covert it as a peace plan, but what I hope is that the Palestinian “Pétain” who will sign this agreement is not yet born . Of course, we have to denounce this plan together with our Palestinian friends for what it is, a definitive "Banthoustanization" of Palestine.
Then, another word related to this plan should raise our attention. This is Normalization. This means in diplomatic terms, the total acceptation of Israel by the neighbouring states beginning by Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf countries, with the initialization of peace agreements and the establishment of diplomatic and economic relations. Until now, Arabs states always conditioned such a move on the complete realization of Palestinian aspirations and the withdrawal of all occupied lands by Israel. In 2002, Saudi Arabia supported by the Arab League, made an unprecedented proposal, a package dealing with the two conflicts, the Israeli-Palestinian and the Israeli-Arab, offering in exchange a total normalization with Israel. It was rebuffed without even a word from both the American and Israeli administrations. Since then, 8 years or so have passed with more colonization and more Palestinian land grabbing. Nowadays, the Palestinian territory look likes an archipelago2, each Palestinian village and city is isolated from the other and more than 500 000 armed settlers are occupying Palestinian land. Eight years have passed and the shadow of the Wall is surrounding every inch of Palestine, Gaza is the biggest ghetto on earth and Israeli bunkers are still on the top of Golan Heights. So there is no question, that if it is the plan, then it is a lure, a trap like others before, but this time the target is not the Palestinians.
Currently, Palestinians are in a weak position and divided between themselves, their political organizations in crisis, so Israelis can easily handle a status quo. The real targets of this plan are the Arab states. The American administration as well as the Israelis want to engage them in a Process of Normalization, but of course they are just giving words in exchange. Obama needs to overcome, in one way or another, the catastrophic results of the Bush policies and the turmoil of the Afghan and Iraq war. Bringing the Arab States to the same table with Israel under the patronage of the USA, would be already a success for Obama’s administration. The Israelis also want it, whatever they say, for two reasons. First, they want to secure a “freeze Arab ” front in case of a war with Iran. Second, from a more long term view, a normalization process with Arabs States will help to reverse a worldwide growing movement of defiance against Israel, especially after what happened in Gaza last January.
Today, this is symbolized by the Global Boycott, Disinvestments and Sanctions for Palestine lead by a coalition of Palestinian and international Ngo's and associations which is emerging as a worldwide campaign3. And it is already producing effects. A few days ago, the Norwegian Minister of finance himself announced the withdrawal of all Norwegian State funds from an Israeli hi-tech company, Elbit, due to its involvement in the construction and maintenance of the apartheid wall4. In Canada, a huge coalition of actors, scholars and film directors lead by personalities such as Ken Loach, Jane Fonda and Howard Zin, protested against the decision of the directors of the Toronto International Film festival to focus and celebrate the “100”th birthday of Tel Aviv. These are only the first victories from a long list to come. The Israeli government knows very well that 20 years ago, that such a campaign put the Apartheid South African regime on its knees. The Israeli's fear that, they fear this “South African Moment”. It may take years as it took decades for South Africa, but it is up to everyone, from India to France, from Venezuela to USA, to help it come About as soon as possible.
End Note :
1. www.palestinecenterblog.org/2009/09/elements-of-us-peace-plan-revealed.html
2. http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/bousac170509.html
3. www.bdsmovement.net/
4. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1112218.html
_Establishment of Palestinian statehood in 2011.
_Setting up an International Fund for Palestinian refugee assistance.
Then, the bitter cup:
_No to the return to the 67' borders.
_No to the removal of Israelis settlements.
_No to the return of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.
_No to a real sovereignty for the Palestinian State; i.e. Demilitarization of the Palestinian State, an end to Israeli control over Palestinian skies.
_No to the return of refugees to their home.
_No to the recognition of the refugees problem by Israel.
_No to even the right of Palestinian refugees from neighboring countries to resettle freely in Palestinian territory.
Well, if this is the Plan, then it is not a Peace plan but a “No” plan.
Of course, for the Israeli government it is very acceptable because it is completely in line with what Nethanyahu proposed last June in 2009. Yet, for the sake of the show they are making all the fuss about “freezing” the settlements. Eyebrows raised, all the occidental governments are saying loudly to Israel to freeze the settlements! How brave! But they just forget that freezing settlement construction is not what Palestinians want or what the International Law requires. They must remove all and even the tiniest military or civil Israeli construction built inside the 67' borders! So far, nobody knows with which “Orwellian” storytelling they will try to covert it as a peace plan, but what I hope is that the Palestinian “Pétain” who will sign this agreement is not yet born . Of course, we have to denounce this plan together with our Palestinian friends for what it is, a definitive "Banthoustanization" of Palestine.
Then, another word related to this plan should raise our attention. This is Normalization. This means in diplomatic terms, the total acceptation of Israel by the neighbouring states beginning by Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf countries, with the initialization of peace agreements and the establishment of diplomatic and economic relations. Until now, Arabs states always conditioned such a move on the complete realization of Palestinian aspirations and the withdrawal of all occupied lands by Israel. In 2002, Saudi Arabia supported by the Arab League, made an unprecedented proposal, a package dealing with the two conflicts, the Israeli-Palestinian and the Israeli-Arab, offering in exchange a total normalization with Israel. It was rebuffed without even a word from both the American and Israeli administrations. Since then, 8 years or so have passed with more colonization and more Palestinian land grabbing. Nowadays, the Palestinian territory look likes an archipelago2, each Palestinian village and city is isolated from the other and more than 500 000 armed settlers are occupying Palestinian land. Eight years have passed and the shadow of the Wall is surrounding every inch of Palestine, Gaza is the biggest ghetto on earth and Israeli bunkers are still on the top of Golan Heights. So there is no question, that if it is the plan, then it is a lure, a trap like others before, but this time the target is not the Palestinians.
Currently, Palestinians are in a weak position and divided between themselves, their political organizations in crisis, so Israelis can easily handle a status quo. The real targets of this plan are the Arab states. The American administration as well as the Israelis want to engage them in a Process of Normalization, but of course they are just giving words in exchange. Obama needs to overcome, in one way or another, the catastrophic results of the Bush policies and the turmoil of the Afghan and Iraq war. Bringing the Arab States to the same table with Israel under the patronage of the USA, would be already a success for Obama’s administration. The Israelis also want it, whatever they say, for two reasons. First, they want to secure a “freeze Arab ” front in case of a war with Iran. Second, from a more long term view, a normalization process with Arabs States will help to reverse a worldwide growing movement of defiance against Israel, especially after what happened in Gaza last January.
Today, this is symbolized by the Global Boycott, Disinvestments and Sanctions for Palestine lead by a coalition of Palestinian and international Ngo's and associations which is emerging as a worldwide campaign3. And it is already producing effects. A few days ago, the Norwegian Minister of finance himself announced the withdrawal of all Norwegian State funds from an Israeli hi-tech company, Elbit, due to its involvement in the construction and maintenance of the apartheid wall4. In Canada, a huge coalition of actors, scholars and film directors lead by personalities such as Ken Loach, Jane Fonda and Howard Zin, protested against the decision of the directors of the Toronto International Film festival to focus and celebrate the “100”th birthday of Tel Aviv. These are only the first victories from a long list to come. The Israeli government knows very well that 20 years ago, that such a campaign put the Apartheid South African regime on its knees. The Israeli's fear that, they fear this “South African Moment”. It may take years as it took decades for South Africa, but it is up to everyone, from India to France, from Venezuela to USA, to help it come About as soon as possible.
End Note :
1. www.palestinecenterblog.org/2009/09/elements-of-us-peace-plan-revealed.html
2. http://www.monthlyreview.org/mrzine/bousac170509.html
3. www.bdsmovement.net/
4. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1112218.html
