The
Palestinian leadership, abetted by many Western governments, has now
torn up every agreement it made with Israel. Once the efforts of two
decades of negotiations—including irrevocable Israeli compromises in
giving the Palestinian Authority control over territory, its own armed
forces, dismantling settlements, and permitting billions of dollars of
foreign aid to the Palestinians—were destroyed, the world has decided to
focus the blame on Israel approving the construction of 3000
apartments.
In 1993, Israel signed an agreement with the PLO to make peace in the Israel-Palestinian
conflict. The accord, known as the Oslo agreement, included the following passage in Article 31:
“Neither
side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent
status negotiations.”
By essentially unilaterally declaring the existence of an Arab Palestine, the world has abrogated that agreement.
What
is shocking is not just that this has happened but there has been no
discussion much less hesitation by dozens of countries to destroy an
agreement that they hitherto supported. Indeed, a study of the history
of this agreement shows clearly that the Palestinian side prevented the
accord from succeeding, most obviously by permitting and carrying out
continuing terrorism and rejecting Israeli offers for a Palestinian
state with its capital in east Jerusalem both in the 2000 Camp David
summit and in the ensuing offer conveyed by President Bill Clinton at
the end of that year.
Now
there are certain implications of this move. I am completely aware that
virtually no one in a position of power
in the Western world cares about these implications but it is necessary
to remind them and others of just what they have done. And at least
the Western public should know how this all looks from an Israeli
perspective, information often denied it altogether or distorted by the
mass media.
--They have rewarded the party that refused to make peace.
--They
have rewarded the side that rejected the offer of a state and pursued
violence instead, cheering the murder of Israeli civilians.
--They
have removed the framework on the basis of which Israel made numerous
risky concessions including letting hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians enter the West Bank and Gaza Strip; establish a government;
obtain billions of dollars of money; created military organizations
that have been used to attack Israel; establish schools and other
institutions which call and teach for Israel’s destruction; and a long
list of other things.
As
a result of these concessions, terrorists were able to strike into
Israel. Today, Hamas and its allies can fire thousands of rockets into
Israel. Israel has paid for the 1993 deal; the Palestinian Authority has
only
taken what it has wanted.
Abbas
Zaki, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, was one of many who
stated that the Oslo Accords have now ceased to exist. What then governs
the situation and Israel-Palestinian (Palestine?) relations?
Nothing.
There
is, for example, no standing for any claim that the Palestinian side
has recognized—much less accepted—Israel’s existence. Indeed, a
“one-state
solution” is daily advocated by Palestinian leaders.
Yet
the world’s outrage is reserved for Israel’s announcement that 3000
apartments will be constructed on land claimed by Israel on the West
Bank, all built on settlements whose existence until a bilateral
agreement was reached was accepted by the PLO and the Palestinian
Authority. Incidentally, repeatedly decisions of Israeli zoning boards
that permit construction in future provoke global hysteria about the
bulldozers moving in next week. Perhaps if the Palestinian Authority
would make peace those buildings would never get built in a few years.
Whether
or not the announcement of this construction was a good idea, the fact
is that it is hardly the biggest outrage in what has just happened. The
decision is a signal that if the Palestinian side, or indeed the world,
isn’t going to recognize what was in effect a treaty—contrary to
international practice—and in favor of the side that violated the
treaty—even more contrary to international practice—Israel is not going
to be bound by the interpretation of that document by those who have
torn it up.
Again,
what’s important here is not to complain about the unfairness of
international life, the hypocrisy of those involved, and the double
standards applied against
Israel. This is the reality of the situation and must be the starting
point for considering what to do.
And what’s important is to do that which is necessary to preserve Israel’s national security and to ignore to the greatest possible extent anything that subverts it.
And what’s important is to do that which is necessary to preserve Israel’s national security and to ignore to the greatest possible extent anything that subverts it.
What
has experience taught us? Very simply this: The Palestinian
leadership's priority is not on getting a state of their own--they have
missed many opportunities to do so--but to gain total victory. No matter
how much you might think it is rational for them to seek to have a
country living peacefully alongside Israel forever as it develops its
economy and
culture and resettles refugees out of the camps they do not think so.
And that's all that's important.
Taking a state of that kind is only acceptable to the PA, and even more to the Hamas, leadership if it serves to promote that goal. Even if moderation provides material rewards they prefer militancy. But after all, suffering--even if self-inflicted--brings massive political gains for them.
Taking a state of that kind is only acceptable to the PA, and even more to the Hamas, leadership if it serves to promote that goal. Even if moderation provides material rewards they prefer militancy. But after all, suffering--even if self-inflicted--brings massive political gains for them.
What
has the world's behavior taught us? Very simply this: Nothing we can do
will suffice. If Israel were to accept unconditionally a Palestinian
state along the 1967 borders with its capital in east Jerusalem, the
Palestinian Authority
would then demand that all Palestinians who so wished and had an
ancestor living there before 1948 must be admitted to Israel with full
voting and all other rights. And then what would the UN do?
What
has diplomacy taught us? That the other side will not keep commitments
and those guaranteeing those commitments will not keep their word to do
so. And then they will complain that Israel doesn't take more risks,
give more concessions, and defend itself too vigorously.
Well, that's the way things are and in some ways they've been like that for
decades; from a Jewish standpoint, for centuries. So what else is new?
Of
course, all the proper statements will be made and the diplomatic
options pursued by Israel. They will not make any difference on the
rhetorical dynamics but their point is to limit the material effects.
That
is not a pessimistic assessment at all. Basically, this process has now
been going on for about 40 years. It will continue to go on, partly
because the West has been and will continue to be content with purely
symbolic anti-Israel measures so it can reap some
public relations’ benefits without any costs. The quality of existence is more important than the quality of the ability to justify one's existence.
By
coincidence, several surveys have just been published which pertain to
Israel’s achievements in the face of such obstacles as small size, lack
of resources, international hostility, and war waged against it by
neighbors.
In its November 21, 2012, issue, The Economist
Intelligence Unit, a respected research group which is part of The Economist (which
has been bitterly anti-Israel in recent years) published a study—“The
lottery of life: Where to be born in 2013””-- of the best places for a
baby to be born in 2013 and subsequently live its life. Israel was rated
at number 20, just behind the United States (20, incidentally down from
being number 1 in the 1980s!) and ahead of Italy (21), France (26), and
Britain (27).
In the World Happiness Report, Israel rated 14th and
in health it was in the 6th position, ahead of the United States, Germany, Britain, and France.
Living well, as the saying goes, is the best revenge. Meanwhile, Israel’s neighbors don’t get criticized by the UN—many of them get elected to the Human Rights Council despite their records—but are sinking into violence, disaster, and new dictatorships.
Living well, as the saying goes, is the best revenge. Meanwhile, Israel’s neighbors don’t get criticized by the UN—many of them get elected to the Human Rights Council despite their records—but are sinking into violence, disaster, and new dictatorships.
So
which fate is preferable? To win the wars forced on you, to develop
high living standards, to enjoy real democratic life, or to writhe under
the torture of dictators,
terrorists, and totalitarian ideologies?
Israel's
fate includes to be slandered, its actions and society so often
distorted by those responsible for conveying accurate information to
their own societies. And that also means to be attacked violently by its
neighbors, though it can minimize the effectiveness of that violence.
Like our ancestors we have to deal with this bizarre situation, this
mistreatment that others don't even understand still exists.
But we cannot let this nonsensical excuse for reality drive us mad or make us
mad.
There
are only three ways, which must be combined, to survive: to believe
truthful things, do constructive things, and laugh at the absurdity of
the situation.
For
such a set of alternatives to exist--the fictional world of
hypocritical and misinformed Israel-bashing or the real world --is
ridiculous, empowered by the behavior of the world and especially by the
West.
But that’s what does exist in this early twenty-first century era.
Truly, as the Israeli saying puts it and as the story of the Oslo agreement so vividly proves, en breira, there’s no choice. Fortunately, the real-life alternative available is a good one. Go ahead; do what's necessary; reconcile everyone possible; but don't let that stand in the way of survival.
And, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, Time will tell just who fell and who's been left behind. When you go your way and I go mine.
But that’s what does exist in this early twenty-first century era.
Truly, as the Israeli saying puts it and as the story of the Oslo agreement so vividly proves, en breira, there’s no choice. Fortunately, the real-life alternative available is a good one. Go ahead; do what's necessary; reconcile everyone possible; but don't let that stand in the way of survival.
And, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, Time will tell just who fell and who's been left behind. When you go your way and I go mine.
Professor Barry Rubin, Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center http://www.gloria-center.org
The Rubin Report blog http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/
He is a featured columnist at PJM http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/.
Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal http://www.gloria-center.org
Editor Turkish Studies,http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713636933%22
No comments:
Post a Comment