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Declaration of the State of Palestine May End Violence - Security Council - Global Policy Forum Declaration of the State of Palestine May End Violence
By Muslehuddin Ahmad *
Daily Star
June 18, 2002An early declaration of the Palestinian State, hopefully early next year, and withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces beyond 1967 borders with the peace process moving forward simultaneously with other issues would stop violence and ensure security to Israeli people. This will also make America safer. Any body can guarantee that.
Don't touch my house; I'll not touch yours that's the approach of the Palestinian leadership now and it is the right one. Terrorism begets terrorism. Israeli army's recent atrocities in Jenin in the name of Defensive Shield turned the place into a "Ground Zero" and thus this can easily be classified as state terrorism. Revenge was waiting to come and it did take place on June 6. A car bomb killed 17 Israelis, many of them military personnel, in a bus which was to leave for Northern Israel from Tel Aviv. This was undoubtedly a terrorist attack and the responsibility was claimed by Islamic Jihad an organization totally opposed to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The PA condemned the attack. Because the suicide bomber is a Palestinian, Sharon makes Arafat fully responsible for the attack This amounts to saying that any American citizen carrying out any terrorist attack in the USA or elsewhere and any American becoming Taliban make the President of America responsible! There must be limit to such irresponsible arguments and justifications put forward by Sharon and his associates for preparing the ground for attacking Palestinians town and villages and destroying the headquarters of the Chairman of PA Arafat. To any neutral person such attacks are nothing but terrorism and totally 'unacceptable' as rightly pointed out by an envoy of the EU who met Arafat recently. Ariel Sharon ordered such attacks against Arafat and the Palestinian people and left for the White House. This happens to be Sharon's sixth meeting with President Bush in some 15 months time.
Some details of the meeting were published in NY Times. One gets baffled while attempting to make any remark on the outcome of such a meeting. Unfortunately, the President has been having the story of only one side and that also from a person who is the avowed enemy of Arafat. Indeed, Sharon himself said openly that he regrets not having killed Arafat in early eighties. Only a terrorist can make such an open statement against the leader of another people. The US President can never have the correct picture unless he hears both sides and makes up his mind keeping in view the interest of the people of both sides. Along with it the President would obviously like to keep US's overall political and strategic interest above those of the selfish interests of Israel.
President Mobarak, who has full knowledge of the situation on the ground in the area gave his views and ideas about the present position and the way to deal with it. Sharon has apparently given the opposite view. This is, however, normal and expected from the PM of Israel, but the President being the peace broker has to make his own decision. President Bush said after the meeting with Sharon that " no one has confidence in the emerging Palestinian government". He did not elaborate. The rest of the world apparently does not feel the same way. After all, Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian people. Until another election takes place he continues to be the leader. It's good that the US Administration so far avoided supporting Sharon on his demand to ignore or even exile Arafat. Any way, as the leader of the Palestinian people Arafat has the democratic right to reshuffle his cabinet. This may not suit Sharon because he wants someone who would go by whatever he says. In any case neither Sharon nor any body else has any right to decide who should be the Palestinian leader. It's the Palestinian people who will elect their leaders.
Israel was planted in Palestine by the UN in May 1948. Obviously, Israel's area was determined by the UN while the decision was taken to establish Israel in the Palestinian land. Israel should be happy with whatever it got and subsequent occupations and annexations after '67 war were declared by the UN as the occupied territories. There is a precise resolution of the UN asking Israel to vacate the occupied territories. It has not even bothered to comply and hence the whole fight of the Palestinians to free their land from occupation. It's no use saying whether the Palestinians are using suicide method to fight occupation, which is considered terrorism against Israeli undeclared war by using F16/17, Apache helicopter gunship, deadliest tanks and bulldozers which is considered civilized method to kill Palestinian people men, women and children! This war, as it appears, will continue till the occupation ends, no matter what others say or do. Israel's atrocities will only make the Palestinians more desperate. This is what President Mobarak also indicated as he knows the situation and the sentiments of the Arabs on the issue.
Unfortunately, this war has spread now to other areas and the US being the "committed friend" of Israel has become the worst target. It's time for the US to take into consideration the history of the Jewish people; how they suffered and became reasons for others to suffer. Starting from 9/11, the US has started bearing the brunt and this may increase as various reports show, though the US Administration has already taken strong anti- terrorist measures. A time may come when even these strong measures would not be enough. Injustices that breed and multiply terrorism must end, otherwise these determined people who are not afraid of death, will continue to terrorize the world.
Israel rolls its tanks and armored carriers into the Palestinian territories any time it desires on the pretext of arresting terrorists. The question arises: Is the Palestinian controlled territory (s) a part of Israel? If not, how does Israel, being a foreign power makes incursions into the Palestinian territories any time it desires, kills people, destroys homes and other properties? It also arrests people but often frees most of them as they are not considered terrorists, imposes curfews and so on. If this is not terrorism, then what else is terrorism? Only suicide bombing? Such a one-sided view cannot be accepted by all. If the entire West Bank and Gaza are still parts of Israel, then let all Palestinians join Israeli general election. Then one would see the election result - neither Sharon nor anyone of his party men including Netanyahu will ever be the Prime Minister of Israel; it would be an Israeli peace activist or a moderate Labour party man. It could even be Arafat. Moreover, the Jewish character of Israel would disappear.
Therefore, it is in the interest of Israel to support the declaration of the Palestinian State as early as possible. Such a formal state will make Palestinian people even more responsible and certainly make them aware of their obligations towards their neighbour thus two states 'living side by side in peace and security' as often stated by President Bush. And here comes the proposal of President Mobarak. Though President Mobarak's proposal has not been released in detail to the press, the basic ideas have been given. There could be an agreement to declare the Palestinian State on the area of original Palestine minus the area of Israel as determined by the UN when Israel was created. The rest of the matters may be negotiated. In any case according to UN resolution the occupied territories are to be vacated by Israel. However, there could be some adjustment in the sensitive areas bordering the Green Line because of security reasons provided Palestinians are compensated elsewhere through release of some Israeli land in favour of the Palestinians. This will also ensure East Jerusalem to Palestinian State as the entire East Jerusalem is an occupied territory. However, the Western Wall has to be with Israel to ensure the right of the Jewish people to come freely and pray there. There should be no problem as the area is separate with a separate entrance through Dung Gate.
In the meeting with President Mobarak, President Bush, however, was not ready to commit a time table which is understandable, but he did say that the work 'should start immediately and now'. This gives the beginning of the time table, but Secretary Powell has virtually elaborated on this and said this week that ' the Bush administration was considering backing the formation of a Palestinian state even before its borders and other details are agreed on.' [NYTimes 06/09/2002]. He also added that ".. it may be necessary to have a provisional state, an interim step; it may take several steps to get there." Though there does not appear to be any instance of such a provisional state in the world (there were, however, states awaiting recognition of other countries), here one can take it to mean that it will be a Palestinian state for all purposes, but the borders and other details will have to be worked out. But there must be an agreement that Israeli army will withdraw and go beyond 1967 borders and that there should be international force including those of the US to guard the provisional borders till the final border lines are accepted and drawn. An early declaration of the Palestinian State, hopefully early next year, and withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces beyond 1967 borders with the peace process moving forward simultaneously with other issues would stop violence and ensure security to Israeli people. This will also make America safer. Any body can guarantee that.
Muslehuddin Ahmad is a former Secretary and Ambassador and founder president of North South University (Bangladesh)
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