The Palestinian Spring Begins in New York
Published in Al Arab Al Yawm
(Palestine) on 6 September 2011
by Jawad Bashiti (link to original)
The United States and some countries in the European Union have clearly expressed discomfort and fear about the potential consequences of the Palestinians’ request to the United Nations to join the international community as a full-fledged nation whose territory will include land taken by Israel during the war in June of 1967. This move was made possible by the Arab Spring. The enemies of the Arab people have great political clout, and they support the enemies of the Palestinians. They are blinded by their own bias; therefore, they seek to thwart the plans of the Palestinians as well as those of the entire Arab community.
The Obama administration does not have the courage to say or even hint that Netanyahu and his government are thwarting not only this attempt by the Palestinians, but all attempts to negotiate in any way. The Palestinians have lost hope in a negotiated solution brought about by “partners” and “intermediaries,” and this despair has motivated them to go to New York.
Here is Netanyahu stirring up new levels of anti-Arab sentiment in an already difficult situation for the Arabs due to the actions of the United States. He is also bribing the United States to work against the Palestinians in front of the United Nations.
The most important thing that the Palestinians and Arabs can and should do now, at least until the end of September, is to refuse all proposals offered by the U.S. or others to resume negotiations between the Palestinians in positions of authority and Netanyahu's government. I think that the most important thing for the Palestinian Arabs to do is to achieve the recognition of the Palestinian state by the United Nations in front of the General Assembly, the return of the lands taken by Israel in the 1967 war and full membership in the international community. Only after the Palestinians and Arabs have achieved this should they let the U.S. set up new negotiations between the two states for a permanent end to the conflict.
The United States, along with Israel and some European nations, will not succeed in thwarting the efforts of the Palestinians and Arabs in front of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Most of the members stand with the Palestinians and support their efforts, but if the U.S. succeeds, it will merely be apparent to the Arab people that the U.S. is and will continue to be the ally of their greatest enemy.
In the end, this success will work against the interests of the U.S. when the Palestinians ultimately win their case in front of the United Nations. The U.S. and its allies have made attempts to paint the Palestinians as idiots for going to the United Nations rather than negotiating with Israel. Those who form a strategic alliance against the rights of the Palestinian nation persist in thinking that a Palestinian state can only be accomplished through negotiations with Israel because then, the Palestinians need to pay a high price to Israel in order to get a Palestinian state, especially regarding the problem of Palestinian refugees. Thus, it is considered that if the Palestinians are given a state by the United Nations, they are getting it for free.
The Jews who are native to Palestine or came to Palestine had their nation established via UN General Assembly Resolution 181, not through negotiations with the Palestinians. When the United States perpetually calls and invites the Palestinians to get their state through negotiations with Israel, they are taking position that is not only illegal and immoral, but illogical. In this case, it has been confirmed and established that Israel and the United States (subservient to Israel’s plans and pressure) have failed to prevent the Palestinian effort to achieve a state through its own kind of negotiations with the Jewish state.
The Obama administration does not have the courage to say or even hint that Netanyahu and his government are thwarting not only this attempt by the Palestinians, but all attempts to negotiate in any way. The Palestinians have lost hope in a negotiated solution brought about by “partners” and “intermediaries,” and this despair has motivated them to go to New York.
Here is Netanyahu stirring up new levels of anti-Arab sentiment in an already difficult situation for the Arabs due to the actions of the United States. He is also bribing the United States to work against the Palestinians in front of the United Nations.
The most important thing that the Palestinians and Arabs can and should do now, at least until the end of September, is to refuse all proposals offered by the U.S. or others to resume negotiations between the Palestinians in positions of authority and Netanyahu's government. I think that the most important thing for the Palestinian Arabs to do is to achieve the recognition of the Palestinian state by the United Nations in front of the General Assembly, the return of the lands taken by Israel in the 1967 war and full membership in the international community. Only after the Palestinians and Arabs have achieved this should they let the U.S. set up new negotiations between the two states for a permanent end to the conflict.
The United States, along with Israel and some European nations, will not succeed in thwarting the efforts of the Palestinians and Arabs in front of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Most of the members stand with the Palestinians and support their efforts, but if the U.S. succeeds, it will merely be apparent to the Arab people that the U.S. is and will continue to be the ally of their greatest enemy.
In the end, this success will work against the interests of the U.S. when the Palestinians ultimately win their case in front of the United Nations. The U.S. and its allies have made attempts to paint the Palestinians as idiots for going to the United Nations rather than negotiating with Israel. Those who form a strategic alliance against the rights of the Palestinian nation persist in thinking that a Palestinian state can only be accomplished through negotiations with Israel because then, the Palestinians need to pay a high price to Israel in order to get a Palestinian state, especially regarding the problem of Palestinian refugees. Thus, it is considered that if the Palestinians are given a state by the United Nations, they are getting it for free.
The Jews who are native to Palestine or came to Palestine had their nation established via UN General Assembly Resolution 181, not through negotiations with the Palestinians. When the United States perpetually calls and invites the Palestinians to get their state through negotiations with Israel, they are taking position that is not only illegal and immoral, but illogical. In this case, it has been confirmed and established that Israel and the United States (subservient to Israel’s plans and pressure) have failed to prevent the Palestinian effort to achieve a state through its own kind of negotiations with the Jewish state.