Why opposing the current round of depressing violence is necessary but not at all sufficient. First, it is a war that damages huge numbers of civilians, mainly children and women, primarily in Gaza. By the end of the fourth week of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, more than 1500 people have been killed, and around 8000 wounded. Meanwhile, there are not enough shelters for the thousands of displaced Palestinians and the vast majority of them cannot leave Gaza. They live under restrictions that make them effectively trapped, unable to seek refugee status across an international border. Secondly, the social and political consequences of this massif and overwhelming military operation will be felt in both the short and long term. In the short term, it could strengthen support for Hamas not only in Gaza but also in the west bank. The concept of armed resistance against Israel and notions of revenge resonate with the majority of young Palestinians in Gaza – where the majority of the population are refugees that are living through their third war in five years. The same concept might ignite the flam for a widespread violence and third intifada all over the occupied Palestinian territory leading to a direct confrontation with the armed settlers with fare damaging consequences. In the longer term, it remains to be seen whether a victorious Hamas emerges from the latest round of fighting with more or less support. But undoubtedly this conflict will contribute to a Palestinian society seriously affected by a traumatized generation of young people losing hope in peace agreement and are currently experiencing their third displacement in Gaza since 2009. Thirdly, the Israeli government argues that it prefers a political resolution in the long term, and in order to achieve that, the aggression of Hamas against their country must be stopped by force. Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket fire should be recognized and indeed the military confrontation between Israel and Hamas makes sense according to the logic of an armed conflict. Hamas is launching hundreds of rockets against its enemy and Israel is defending its population with the Iron Dome and by destroying Hamas’ military infrastructure. However, this armed conflict should be distinguished from the ‘real’ problem, the underlying political conflict between Israel and Palestine and the obstacles to resolving this, which include the illegal settlements on the West Bank according to international law and the lack of interest of Hamas in a two state agreement. A resolution of the conflict by demilitarizing Gaza by force is therefore not a solution. Sooner or later, These deeply rooted political issues should be addressed in a diplomatic process. So what is the way forward? Agreeing to a long-term ceasefire is urgent and should be the first priority. Both sides with a real implication and support from the international community have a responsibility to end the violence as soon as possible. Efforts for a stupide 72 humanitarian ceasefire made by the United States, UN body and Egypt to convince Hamas and Israel to agree on this are as yet unsuccessful. However, a ceasefire cannot replace a lasting solution, as in the Egyptian-brokered agreement in 2012. As an Israeli columnist noted, opposition to this war means not only ending the violence, but also finding a different response to predictable situations, so that there won’t be a next time. For Gaza, a return to calm would be a return to the eighth years of blockade. It would be a return to over 50 percent of the population either unemployed or unpaid, a return to no external access to markets, employment, or education and a continuation of living on assistance from the international community. For Israelis, it would be a return to a situation of waiting until Hamas attacks on their country start again. It will just be a matter of time until Hamas rebuilds its military capabilities with no guarantee of stable Arab regimes. The only solution is continuing international efforts to reach a political peace agreement. In order to achieve this, Israeli and Palestinians will have to create a stable political context in which the ultimate goal of a two-state solution can eventually be achieved. Israel should be ready to end its occupation, step-by-step. It should lift its blockade of Gaza and allow the Palestinians access to the outside world. At the same time, the Golf rich states should step up their financial and technical support and work with the Palestinians on building a neutral strong state with stable institutions. This process should have the unambiguous support from the international community especially the United States and the European Union. The influence of the religious right in Israeli politics, favoring a hard line against Hamas, and a Palestinian government backed by Hamas, whose founding charter is committed to the destruction of the Israeli state, will not make this an easy process. That is why public opinion and political leaders in Israel, Europe, the Middle East and the United States should continue to defend the concept of a lasting peace and convince the moderate segments of the Israeli and Palestinian population that there is no other way for a safe future. As usual, returning to the ‘calm’ before the current crisis is not a solution and would not last.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:11:36 +0000
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