Ramallah-Palestine : March 7, 2010 :
Once again indirect negotiations will be resumed between Palestinians and Israelis. In a tense atmosphere of accelerated construction of settlements in the West Bank despite ostensible settlement freeze, the annexation of Islamic Holy sites in Hebron, Bethlehem, the ongoing ethnic cleansing in East-Jerusalem and the continued siege imposed on the Gaza Strip the Arab League has decided to give peace negotiations a chance.
Using the partial settlement freeze announced by Netanyahu to polish his political image and in order to emerge as King of Israel he believed to be saloon ready for a new round of negotiations with the Palestinians. The step was welcomed and praised by the Western Allies of Israel hoping that such a step will be sufficient to entice Palestinians to return to table. The US and the EU countries didn’t spare efforts in trying to convince the Palestinians to give Netanyahu a chance. Yet, Palestinians who have been living under Israeli rule for decades know well that the leading Israeli mentality never had “sacred dates” or agreements. While paying lip service to peace, Israel continued its daily violations of Palestinian human rights including the un-satiable greed for Palestinian land. Such illegal measures are clear evidence that Israel’s conquest of Palestinian land is more important than making genuine peace in the region.
President, Mahmoud Abbas who was reluctant to resume the futile talks with the Israeli Rightist Government felt the pressure of the US Administration and the Europeans. In principle he is a man of peace and negotiations, yet he was trying to explore the intentions of the Western countries and their willingness to use their leverage in the direction of peace based on the Two-State Solution. By relaying the question to the Arab League Follow-up Committee he was trying to engage the Arab States in the political process, in case it has the chance to be implemented.
By accepting to resume talks, President Abbas was subjected to some criticism from his own Palestinian camp, from the right or the left, as well as from critical Arab countries. Once again Arabs and Palestinians were divided in two camps: The “negotiation camp” and the Camp of “resistance”. Both Camps: The pros and cons started to argue in public about the use or the futility of such proximity talks. Some of the opponents considered such step as a rescue hoop for Netanyahu and his rightist coalition, while others considered it as a face saving step for the Obama Administration at the expense of the Palestinian cause.
Anyway, Palestinians know well that the four months grace period given to new proximity talks will neither change Israel’s position, nor will it alter the Israeli approach towards the unequivocal withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories. Having a weak and divided Arab and Palestinian camps to deal with and enjoying the tacit approval of the US and other Western allies Israel can afford to maneuver and buy time for its expansionist dreams, Wall construction and Israel’s new drive to Judaize Islamic Holy Sites in the West Bank.
Nowadays, a logical question arises on whether Israel’s insistence on resuming negotiations is for reaching a fair settlement to the aging conflict, or just for tactical purposes?
Definitely, since Netanyahu’s ascent to power a year ago Israel’s image around the world is deteriorating and Israel’s standing has been weakened on local and international levels. In pushing to resume negotiations while Palestinians were insisting on settlement stop, Netanyahu was planning to isolate the Palestinians and hold them responsible for missing his new Israeli “generous” offer. With such a spectacular statement about temporary freeze of settlement construction, he was trying to regain Israel’s standing and improve Israel’s image around the world.
Political spectators know well that Israeli- Palestinian negotiations have been going on since the Madrid Conference in 1991 without achieving any tangible progress on the ground. Therefore, Palestinians have the right to question themselves about the benefits of such protracted negotiations, while the rightist Israeli government is announcing even today the construction of 112 new Israeli housing units in the Israeli settlement of Betar Elit near Ramallah erected on usurped Palestinian land.
Palestinians have the right to ask the Western allies of Israel who preach peace, democracy and human rights around the world: Why such noble ideals of peace and democracy stop short when Palestinian rights are in question?
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