International mediators trying to promote peace in the Middle East have come up with a candid and bold report which states that Israel’s unbridled settlement expansion is scuppering the viability of a future Palestinian state and raises ‘legitimate questions’ about Israel’s sincerity and commitment to a two-state solution. The finding is nothing new, because even those with the remotest interest in the Palestinian issue know that Israel has no interest in any peace process and has been working assiduously and ruthlessly to kill its prospects. But what is interesting about the finding is that it comes from a very powerful bloc – the so-called Quartet of Mideast negotiators which comprise of the UN, the US, the European Union and Russia. As in the case of all such Western reports about the Palestinian issue, this report too tries to balance its opinion by criticising Palestinians for their alleged excesses. The report criticised Palestinians’ glorification of those who commit ‘terrorist acts’ against Israel and urged the Palestinian Authority ‘to act decisively’ to stop incitement to violence against Israel. But on the issue of settlement expansion by Israel, the report speaks the truth without diluting it – it said that Israel is trying to create “a one-state reality of perpetual occupation and conflict” which is “incompatible with realising the national aspirations of both peoples.”
The important question now is whether the Quartet is seriously interested in acting on its findings by forcing Israel to respect international laws and honour the commitments it has made in past agreements and talks with the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is known for his utter contempt for peace talks and genuinely believes that Israel can thrive without a peace deal and by keeping Palestinians under perpetual occupation while continuing to grab their land. Any failure by the Quartet to work towards changing the status quo will kill the possibility of peace process forever. That the US is a party to the report is a positive development, but Washington is unlikely to support any action like imposing sanctions on Israel.
Palestinians are not enthusiastic about the report. Saeb Erekat said the report didn’t meet their expectations because “it attempts to equalise responsibilities between a people under occupation and a foreign military occupier.”
The report also points out a truth about Palestinians – their lack of unity which is hampering the restart of peace process. Palestinians who have been excoriating Israel must address this grave issue at first – the colossal damage their disunity is causing to their cause.
International mediators trying to promote peace in the Middle East have come up with a candid and bold report which states that Israel’s unbridled settlement expansion is scuppering the viability of a future Palestinian state and raises ‘legitimate questions’ about Israel’s sincerity and commitment to a two-state solution. The finding is nothing new, because even those with the remotest interest in the Palestinian issue know that Israel has no interest in any peace process and has been working assiduously and ruthlessly to kill its prospects. But what is interesting about the finding is that it comes from a very powerful bloc – the so-called Quartet of Mideast negotiators which comprise of the UN, the US, the European Union and Russia. As in the case of all such Western reports about the Palestinian issue, this report too tries to balance its opinion by criticising Palestinians for their alleged excesses. The report criticised Palestinians’ glorification of those who commit ‘terrorist acts’ against Israel and urged the Palestinian Authority ‘to act decisively’ to stop incitement to violence against Israel. But on the issue of settlement expansion by Israel, the report speaks the truth without diluting it – it said that Israel is trying to create “a one-state reality of perpetual occupation and conflict” which is “incompatible with realising the national aspirations of both peoples.”
The important question now is whether the Quartet is seriously interested in acting on its findings by forcing Israel to respect international laws and honour the commitments it has made in past agreements and talks with the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is known for his utter contempt for peace talks and genuinely believes that Israel can thrive without a peace deal and by keeping Palestinians under perpetual occupation while continuing to grab their land. Any failure by the Quartet to work towards changing the status quo will kill the possibility of peace process forever. That the US is a party to the report is a positive development, but Washington is unlikely to support any action like imposing sanctions on Israel.
Palestinians are not enthusiastic about the report. Saeb Erekat said the report didn’t meet their expectations because “it attempts to equalise responsibilities between a people under occupation and a foreign military occupier.”
The report also points out a truth about Palestinians – their lack of unity which is hampering the restart of peace process. Palestinians who have been excoriating Israel must address this grave issue at first – the colossal damage their disunity is causing to their cause.
