Why the Palestinians do not Have Their State

If one is to believe the mainstream news reports or much of the noises coming from numerous sources, the sole reason the Palestinians do not yet have a homeland of their own is Israel. The Israelis reportedly refuse to compromise one iota on any of the items vital and the basis of the Palestinian requirements for a functional state. Oddly, in a strange and peculiar manner, this is exactly the truth. When the Palestinian leaders, spokespersons, representatives, advocates, activists, and other supporters state that if only Israel would grant the few simple and vital core requirements which the Palestinians insist is necessary for their statehood then everything would be complete and the terror and violence would end. It is only because the Israelis refuse to grant the Palestinians simple and straight forward items to complete the formation of their state that one does not yet exist. The question which nobody ever seems to ask of those speaking for the Palestinians is exactly what it is they require for their state to come into fruition.

 

The truth is that the Palestinian list of demands all revolves around one central item, the end of any existence of a Jewish State. They would be perfectly happy if they were able to “liberate” the entire area they believe is their Palestine. They would replace all of Israel and their state would contain every piece of land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Some of their representatives actually accept that some form of the State of Israel would necessarily have to remain existent alongside any Palestinian State. They even accept this fact but insist that Israel be ruled by Muslims and the Jews would be allowed to remain under the protection provided for any Dhimmis. This is what they envision when they demand the “Right of Return” for over five million Palestinian refugees from all of the surrounding countries where the numerous Palestinian refugee camps are located. The vast majority of these refugees were not even born in 1948 when the camps were formed after the unsuccessful war was launched by numerous Arab and Muslim countries including but not limited to Egypt, Syria, Trans-Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq in order to annihilate any vestiges of the Jewish State. The stated claim of that war in the words of the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husayni in his declaration holy Fatwa, “I declare a holy war, my Moslem brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!” In June of 1967 during the prelude to the Six Day War in which Israel defeated several Arab armies from Syria, Egypt, and Jordan; capturing all of the Sinai Peninsula and lands beyond the Golan Heights as well as all of Gaza, Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem, and any other lands which Jordan referred to as the West Bank; President Nasser made numerous speeches often referring to the genocide of the Zionists, the Jews and the State of Israel. And Syria and Egypt allied once more in 1973 attacking Israel on the holy fast day of Yom Kippur presumably to undo the mistakes in history of 1948 and 1967 and despite initial gains, the Israelis held their lands and were approaching Cairo and Damascus when the United Nations, the United States and the rest of the world forged a ceasefire. During all of these attempts to erase Israel there had not yet been even the slightest mention of a State of Palestine. The only usage of the name Palestinian was by Yasser Arafat and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) which had been formed with the sole intent of replacing the State of Israel with the Palestinian State. The PLO did not lay any claims to Gaza, Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem, or any of the West Bank before the Six Day War. The PLO was content to allow Jordan to retain the West Bank lands and Egypt to retain Gaza.

 

The intent of the Palestinians has not changed since before the Six Day War, they still demand the end of Israel replacing it with a State of Palestine. Yasser Arafat called their plan the liberation of all of Palestine by stages. The aim was to gain as much of the lands between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea by negotiations and then continue the resistance through terrorism until they had freed the rest of Palestine and destroyed all of Israel. Hamas continues to hold true to the formula of replacing all of Israel with a Palestinian State and proudly exclaims this regularly. The Palestinian Authority, Fatah, and the PLO also all continue to hold to this policy though they will speak of accepting two states existing side by side in peace and security. The truth is they would accept such only if both States were governed by Muslims and either the Jews accepted Dhimmi status or were annihilated. Abbas has stated on numerous occasions that even if he should accept a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Palestinians would retain the rights of occupied peoples and thus the war of attrition through terrorism would continue. Since agreeing to allow the formation of a Palestinian state even if it used the 1967 lines for borders returning every inch of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem would not end the terrorism or bring the conclusion of the conflict. What would Israel gain by making such a so-called peace? This is what is behind the Israeli insistence that the Palestinians admit and recognize that Israel will be a Jewish State. Unless the Palestinians agree to the existence of Israel as the Jewish State, the Israelis are fully aware that peace treaties would not end the terror or the claims of Palestinian lands being under occupation. Everything which is occurring presently including the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanction) demonstrations and protests against Israel worldwide, the claims of apartheid against Israel and everything else that has grown cancerous from the Palestinian war of genocide against the Jewish State, and that is what they are fighting, would not end with any singing of a treaty which did not include recognition of the right of the Jews to have their State of Israel. Until the Palestinians admit to the existence of a Jewish State there can be no peace. When the Palestinians will permit the Jews to have their State in peace, then there is the possibility for a Palestinian State. Had the Palestinians accepted the existence of a Jewish State at any time previously there would already be a Palestinian State. The real problem separating the two sides is not about land or borders, it is about existence, not only the existence of a Palestinian State but also a Jewish State. That is the sole solution and it is and has been available as soon as the Palestinians are willing to accept a real existence of two states for two people, two equal people both living in peace and mutual recognition. They do not necessarily need to start as friends but that too may someday become possible.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Will President Obama Challenge Hamas and Other Palestinian Threats?

Mushir al-Masri, speaking as a Hamas representative from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, declared that should United States President Barack Obama visit the Temple Mount during his excursion in Israel, it will be equivalent to a declaration of war on the Arab and the Islamic world. He demanded that there should be a declared third intifada and requested Egyptian assistance in the “resistance” of such a desecration by the American President take place. Khalid al-Batash, a senior Islamic Jihad member, also called to prevent Obama from visiting the compound. And these were not the most definitive of warnings. Sheikh Akrameh Sabri, former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and current head of the higher Islamic council was quoted by AFP warning, “Any visitor is welcome to Al-Aqsa, but they should follow the regulations of the Waqf and enter through the Lions’ Gate and not through Mughrabi Gate, to ensure Muslim sovereignty. The visit shouldn’t have a political theme to it because Al-Aqsa belongs to Muslims only and it is their place of worship and we refuse that any Israeli official accompanies the visitor.” Hatem Abdel Qader, head of the Jerusalem portfolio for the Fatah movement, said that Obama’s visit should be coordinated with the Palestinian Authority and with the Jordanians.

 

With such demands and even the somewhat overt threats makes one wonder if President Obama will simply avoid making any visit to the Temple Mount and what kind of result would such produce. It can be expected that should President Obama not visit the Temple Mount at all just to assure that he does not insult Islam or the easily riled Palestinians that such will be interpreted as a slight and a surrender to Israeli pressures which obviously had advised the President not to risk a visit. Whether or not the Israelis actually gave such advice will be of no consequence, the expressions of anger and reaction to insult is all that matters. Why else do the different Palestinian groups and even individual spokespeople make contradictory statements which when taken in full cover every possible action or lack of action as insulting and offensive to Islam and the Palestinian cause. These statements, demands and counters are made such that after President Obama has returned to the United States the Palestinians can choose which demands or warnings were transgressed and have the appropriate riots and violence targeting Israelis as the responsible and guilty party. The Friday riots after services on the Temple Mount were far more violent, viscous and animated this week and included not only the usual rock throwing and riots but also included Molotov cocktails and greater numbers and severity of attacks against security personnel stationed around the Temple Mount. This should be viewed as a warning of violence to come and a preliminary riot on which to build upon at a later date.

 

There has been an increase in violence with an emphasis on attacks in Judea and Samaria that has been escalating for the past weeks. There has been a definitive rise in rock and firebomb attacks on motorists and Israeli housing and crops. Some have already referred to these increased acts of violence as the beginning of yet another intifada. It is very likely that such is actually the case and that the plan is to use President Obama’s visit and some otherwise unimportant event as the trigger for the third (some say the count is as high as six) intifada. Additionally, there will be some within the leadership of the Palestinians will also blame Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for having formed a coalition which they see as unhelpful and biased against the Palestinians. This will be the complaint no matter which parties are included within the coalition and even with Tzipi Livni, one of the most likely to offer unprecedented concessions in peace talks, being placed completely responsible for any peace talks or other dealings between Israel and the Palestinians. Prime Minister Netanyahu is likely making this decision relying of Mahmoud Abbas to refuse any offer no matter how generous that Tzipi Livni would offer. This is another reason for another intifada as starting such violence would likely scrub any possibility of restarting the peace process while such increased violence is occurring. The Palestinians also are likely counting on the rest of the world, especially the Europeans, to demand Israeli gifts and concessions in order to end the violence and entice the Palestinians back to the negotiating table and restarting the peace process. We have seen this act so many times over the years that one might be tempted to think that it would not still work. The truth is that as long as Israel is being forced to sacrifice the Europeans and much of the world will gladly demand such sacrificial acts despite knowing they will be fruitless and will not engender any advances in the peace talks. But first, will President Obama actually visit the Temple Mount and if so which gate will he use? Then comes the other point of inquiry, will he attend to the Temple Mount with security provided by Israel or by the Palestinians and depending on which, how safe should President Obama feel?

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

The Ways Israel Refuses Negotiations for a Two State Solution

Palestinian authority leadership such as President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat among others claims they have been forced due to Israeli intransigence by rejecting reasonable prerequisites in order to facilitate negotiations to form two states in the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. There are those who attempt to place the blame on the Palestinian Authority claiming they have placed impossible preconditions in place in order to avoid having to negotiate in good faith. The Palestinian Authority claims that they have not set preconditions for negotiation but are simply requesting Israel respect the Palestinian rights by performing a few simple acts to fulfill their obligation to prove their honest intent to reach an equitable peace. The Palestinians hold that it is Israel making unfair demands as a condition for negotiations by demanding that Israel be recognized as a Jewish State rather than entering negotiations to settle such differences. So, what is the truth and who is correct?

It is a fact that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has made the demand that the Palestinian Authority recognize that Israel is the Jewish State. The obvious reason for this demand is so the Israelis can refuse to allow the Palestinians their Right of Return to their properties within Green Line Israel that they had possessed before the 1948 declaration of the State of Israel. It was after this declaration that they had lost their lands and homes. The Palestinian Authority does not recognize there being a difference between those who were forced from their lands and those who fled the violence by the Jewish soldiers of the newly formed Israel which caused them to flee and leave their lands. The Palestinians do not recognize the Israeli claims that they fled at the behest of the Mufti of Jerusalem who, according to the Israelis, assured them they could return within a short period and take possession of not only their old homes, but everything that had belonged to the Jews. The Palestinians refuse such claims and propose it was the Jews who made war with its neighbors as soon as they declared their state in order to gain the lands they claim for the formation of their dream of a Greater Israel. The entire Arab nations refute the Jewish claim that they were attacked by their neighbors who only fought against the Jewish expansionary forces who had attacked the Arab people to steal their lands and would have succeeded if not for the brave resistance by the Arab armies resisting their attacks. Now they again refuse to recognize the Palestinians proper claims to their ancient lands.

The Israeli have refused to agree that any future border between Palestine and Israel be defined by the 1967 borders which existed before Israel engaged Jordanian forces in their war to expand and take Jerusalem and the West Bank thus denying the Palestinians their lands. Israel has refused to even consider allowing the Palestinian and Arab refugees from resettling on their properties which were stolen from them by Israeli armed aggressions either in 1948 or in 1967 when Israel fought wars against her Arab neighbors. Because of the Israeli intransigence, there are approximately five million Palestinian and Arab refugees who are being denied their rightful full Israeli citizenship and being prevented from returning to their homes, farms and pasture lands. Israel has even made claim to the Palestinian capital city of al-Quds by renaming it and claiming it was their capital city some two or three thousand years ago. The Jews have no ancient claim to these lands which have been Arab and Muslim lands since our ancestor Abraham first brought Islam to this area. Israel has refused to reapply the rightful building ban on their illegal settlements which break numerous international laws. There are even some Israelis who are calling for Israel to simply annex all of the Palestinian lands as a punishment if we rightfully use options available to gain recognition of our rights to form the state of Palestine, a real ancient state that has a documentable history from antiquity. Israel also has refused to release those Palestinians they have held in prison for purely political reasons, some from even before the Oslo agreements. It makes no difference what we claim as our dutiful rights recognized by numerous countries and the General Assembly of the United Nations as the Israelis simply refuse to recognize anything other than their own views of history and how the world should be. And they even have the backing of many countries which the Jews have an overbearing influence and have persuaded these countries to adopt the Israeli view as their own despite all evidence for the Palestinian cause. Israel has built an Apartheid Wall which they intend to use to claim lands that rightfully belong to the Palestinian people. All of these denials and the Israeli government had the nerve to claim that it is the Palestinians who refuse to negotiate? The Palestinians are ready to negotiate as soon as Israel meets their obligations as we have presented them, and not one moment sooner. So, the ball is in Israel’s court and we await their compliance so we may continue with honest negotiations.

If the above makes sense and you believe it to be an accurate assessment of the Israel-Palestinian standoff, then you have swallowed an inordinate amount of propaganda without taking the time to validate what you have been told and find the truth. The truth is that Israel has made numerous offers of peace which have included over ninety percent of the lands beyond the Green Line and sharing parts of Jerusalem with the Palestinians so they may have their government within the city limits of Jerusalem and they have been rejected without even the offer of a counter proposal by the Palestinian leadership. These offers have been made to Yasser Arafat and to Mahmoud Abbas since the passing of Arafat. If the Arabs had wished to have a homeland for the Palestinians they could have had half of the land with some of the choice lands going to the Arab state back in 1948 but instead they declined the United Nations offer which the Jews had accepted and instead six Arab armies attacked the nascent state of Israel before it was even a full day old. The truth be told, Jordan occupied the West Bank from 1948 until after the June War in 1967 and never was a single utterance made for the making of a state for the Palestinians when making such would not have required anything from Israel. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed in 1964 with Yasser Arafat as its leader and Mahmoud Abbas as its second in command with a Charter which called for the eradication of Israel. When the PLO was formed, Jordan had possession of the West Bank and West Jerusalem and there was no Israeli occupation, so what was the reason for forming the PLO other than the destruction of Israel. The PLO, despite promises made at the signing of Oslo Accords, has never altered or amended their Charter and it continues to call for the eradication of all of Israel and the subjugation or murder of the Israeli Jews. The Palestinians are claiming that Israel refuses to meet their few requirements before holding final status negotiations. The few requirements, some of which are listed above, cover almost every single final status points which are to be negotiated. Should Israel meet these requirements, then the only thing left for negotiation would be when and where to sign the paperwork. The Palestinian Authority leadership knows full well what they are demanding and that these demands preclude the need or possibility for negotiations. The reason they make the demands is to avoid having to negotiate. The reason the Palestinians are able to get away with such blatant deceit is due to the European desire to undo what they along with the League of Nations and finally also with the United Nations and the World did by establishing Israel as a Jewish State. They believed they would be rid of their “Jewish problems” and that would be that. They never figured that Israel would not only survive but actually thrive. It was expected that Israel would collapse and that would be the end of it. Well, surprise. Israel has been founded, Israel is thriving despite all efforts to the contrary, and Israel is not going to go away if they have anything to say about that. And fortunately, they have a large say so about that.

Beyond the Cusp