A majority of Israeli Jews (59%) would support the government discriminating against the country’s Arab minority if it formally annexed the occupied West Bank, according to a survey published by Haaretz newspaper on the 25th October. The survey reveals ultra-nationalist opinions bordering on racism from a considerable segment of Israeli society. Still more alarming is the recent declaration of Prime Minister Netanyahu in a meeting with EU member states, in which he raised the issue of the “legitimacy of the occupation” of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and pronounced himself in favor of the building of settlements on this land.
By and large, international public opinion has chosen to ignore the dangerous slide of Israel into the murky ideological zones of its far-right parties under the pretext that Israel is a democracy and therefore will sooner or later steer itself back to ‘normal’ waters. However, many Palestinians living under Israeli occupation since 1967 feel that a suitable solution for their life long struggle to gain freedom and independence is now fading away. They put the blame for this squarely on the Israeli Prime Minister and his fanatic foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose policies have radicalized Israeli society to the point where an apartheid-like situation has rapidly gained momentum.
But it would be a mistake to only blame Israel for this state of affairs. Since the passing away of Yasser Arafat in 2004, the Palestinian Authority itself has gradually diluted the careful steps taken by Arafat over three decades to build a climate suitable for a peaceful solution. It has let itself be dragged into the growing and unattainable preconditions put forward by an Israeli government keen on perpetuating the colonization of the West Bank and denying Palestinians the right to self determination.
Israel is now poised for elections in January. The Palestinian Authority’s leadership mandate has not been renewed by the people since 2009. On the Palestinian side the situation today requires an infusion of young Palestinian minds willing to challenge Israel on its own grounds, improve the plight of the Palestinians under occupation while keeping them focused on achievable goals. Palestinians need to conduct without further delay an international campaign to convince public opinion that the two-state solution, which Israel continues to thwart (while paying it lip service), is a necessity in order to establish a durable peace in the region.
Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority has to explain to the people why the borderline policies it has so far adopted did not bear any fruit. It has to incessantly reveal to the world how Israel’s insidious occupation has led the Palestinian economy to the verge of collapse. It has to explain why the Israeli Prime Minister has constantly disregarded President Abbas’s efforts to reach agreements on the issues of Jerusalem and the settlements and instead, defiantly continued to authorize rampant settlement activities. The PA must abandon its laissez-faire policy and deal with the Israeli challenges resolutely, making it clear that it will not abandon the struggle towards statehood and will not be bullied into political concessions that do not meet the basic political requirements of the Palestinians.
What is urgently needed now at this turning point in the history of the region is an Israeli spring similar to the grass-root movements that have transformed countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen and has now caught up with the Syrian regime. Certainly the situations are dissimilar but it is frightening to watch Israeli society being gradually transformed by the forces of racism and chauvinism as a majority disregards Palestinian rights altogether and contemplates an endless and ruthless occupation of land conquered by force.
Where are the Israelis from the “Peace Now” movement who used to defy their government’s occupation policy? Where are the citizens who barely a decade ago used to refuse to serve with the army in the occupied Palestinian territories? Netanyahu urged the Obama administration in January 2011 to shore up Mubarak’s falling regime in face of the revolution of the Egyptian people. President Obama disregarded the pressure put on his administration and remembered Jefferson’s words that “the tree of liberty” had to be “refreshed… with the blood of patriots and tyrants”. Israelis must get to terms with the changes in the political landscape of the region; they are irreversible. And they must realize that by persisting with neo-colonialist policies, their government pushes peace further down the road and dangerously increases the risks of a general conflagration.
It is clear that a new Israeli leadership has to emerge to steer the country away from the catastrophic state of affairs to which the Netanyahu government has led it. New, more audacious leaders have to come to the front, put an end to the occupation of Palestinian land and conclude a durable peace which will guarantee the Palestinians an independent state and both the Israelis and the Palestinians the security they seek. Throughout history, peace agreements have been achieved with the help of leaders who have defied the odds. But as Hegel wrote more than a century back, great leaders do not just create historical reality themselves but they definitely “uncover the inevitable future”.
Palestinians and Israelis alike must rise up and face today’s challenges, work together to push for a drastic change in the dynamics of the relations between them. Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding said Albert Einstein at the end of World War II. Now is the time to demonstrate this in the Middle East.
Image: Michel Kichka
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Thanks to Mr Souss for this visionary article ,you have touched a very important subject ,you have seen the growing and alarming relluctance of the Israelis . regarding , and concerning the arabs population and toward occupation in the poll you just mentioned,it is a failure ,a wholesale failure. a fiasco policy , and the failure of the world, and of the U.S. to fullfill their most vital role in contemporary American history. and world history and diplomacy, ,, the role of the Israeli left was a failure, A wall was created between the palestinians and Israelis in order to prevent any understanding and dialogue ,the roots of the problem of the confliis is in the Israeli leadership . the right wing ultra extremist, Natanyatou and,Lieberman. the result as you are predicting ,,, An Israeli spring ,..as long as many countries do no thave a solution, including America ,, an Israeli spring should be a waking call, for those passive, arrogant raciist. right wing Israelis who feel they are the Superior race , and shall dominate an occupy others , an Israeli spring shoud emerge in Israel . Whatever is the human cost
Thanks for telling us Israelis what to do. I should preface the rest of this comment by noting that I will probably vote for something in the vicinity of Labour, Meretz-Yachad, or even, if I just want to protest-vote, the Communist Party.
That said, the Israeli peace movement dried up on two occasions: Arafat starting the Second Intifada as a response to not getting what he wanted at Camp David, and the failure of the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. What we Israelis see is a Palestinian people who are incorrigibly committed to their absolute demand to receive nothing less than “kul falastin”, by any means necessary. When they see violence is more effective, they are violent, and when nonviolence is more effective, they are nonviolent, but they don’t actually want to share the land. Or at least, we don’t see them wanting to share the land.
We also had two summers of social justice protests these past two years, which got bogged down in the government labeling the protesters as peaceniks and doves. That doesn’t quite demonize the protesters, but it was enough to smear the protesters as partisan political activists for the left-wing pro-Palestinian parties that have, as I noted above, been almost entirely discredited in the realm of Occupation policy.
(Of course, as a socialist I would say that real left-wingers are socialists whether there’s an occupation or not, but that’s not how most of Israel thinks of it.)
So you tell us to mount a grassroots uprising against our democratically-elected government (I can’t deny that Bibi *was* successful in getting votes and forming a coalition)… for what? What are you going to do for us should we comply with your order, General Souss? Why should we do anything for or even *to* the Palestinians when the past decade has shown that there is never anything in it for us, and always much more Jewish blood to be lost on the soil?
By no means am I trying to “tell you Israelis what to do”. I am merely analyzing the facts. You call yourself a socialist, but you are only reiterating what PM Netanyahu is saying, that the Palestinians don’t want peace and are not willing to go for a two-state solution and you forget that it was your PM that recently mentioned to EU member states that the occupation of Palestinian territories was legitimate and that Israel should continue building settlements. When PA President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations to apply for statehood, does that not represent an attempt at a two state solution?
You write: “there is always much more Jewish blood to be lost on the soil”. This makes absolutely no sense. Since when is peace negotiated by counting casualties. What should the Palestinians say when the ratio of civilian victims in this conflict are 10 to 1 at least?
17 years after the assassination of Yitzak Rabin, you should never forget the climate of fascism that encouraged such actions. However, I strongly believe that the death of Rabin did not kill the dream of achieving peace one day. Israelis must remain inspired by the man. Israelis must increase their efforts and their determination for peace and reconciliation. You must rise up against the prevailing tide of racism and end occupation. Without that Palestinians and Israelis cannot hope for a better future and fear will always prevail.
לעולם לא לשכוח
And no comment on your sarcastic tone…
Please look at this site http://www.forumforpeace.com
Arafat had no intention from the start to get anything except to cause havoc. Here’s the evidence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0tmmd4VoVI&feature=relmfu
You say you are merely analyzing the data, but are you not being selective .It’s worth stating here the recent announcement by the PA what is to now follow after the US elections:
““As part of our efforts to give impetus to peace talks with Israel and promote good relations with the United States, the PA will ask the Palestinian Propaganda Ministry to approve a limited suspension on officially sanctioned glorification of terror for a period of ten months.”
“I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between the Palestinians and the Jewish state”,
A clear admission of institutionalised racism endemic among the Palestinian leadership and those who support them if ever there was one. (This is probably a path to treachery in the eyes Hamas, though it too declares its “hudnas” when it suits them.
And what do those figures and statistics really tell us about Israel, not as you say but the questions asked and the way the answers came to be taken in a way to suggest Israeli society , its leaders and so on are racist. Well er … not exactly. Gideon Levy, a very partial and biased critic has done his best, but here’s an article that points in another direction altogether and tells us more about Israel than about Levy’s version of Israel
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=55&x_article=2311
Please ignore the following included in my post, which comes from a piece of satyre that did not actually occur
Delete”.It’s worth stating here the recent announcement by the PA what is to now follow after the US elections:
““As part of our efforts to give impetus to peace talks with Israel and promote good relations with the United States, the PA will ask the Palestinian Propaganda Ministry to approve a limited suspension on officially sanctioned glorification of terror for a period of ten months.”
“I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between the Palestinians and the Jewish state”,
A clear admission of institutionalised racism endemic among the Palestinian leadership and those who support them if ever there was one. (This is probably a path to treachery in the eyes Hamas, though it too declares its “hudnas” when it suits them.
Thanks Nadim , GOOD MORNING PALESTIN , an historical day for us all . together , only together israeli and palestinian , israelis and arab we can , we should promote réconciliation and peace for the intrest of the region , the world the future generation , we will be lauching a big campain from february on , be on board ! you will find the presse release of our forum
Communiqué par Ofer Bronchtein
Rendez-vous avec l’histoire : il manque un Etat à l’Onu
Israël doit être le premier Etat à reconnaître la Palestine à l’Onu
Le 29 novembre est une date historique car c’est le 29 novembre 1947 que l’ONU décide du partage de la Palestine en deux états : l’un comme foyer national du peuple juif, l’autre, arabe palestinien.
65 ans après, l’Histoire est de nouveau au rendez-vous. Le 29 novembre 2012, La Palestine demande à l’Assemblée générale de l’Onu de l’élever au rang d’Etat non membre. La France, par la voix de son président, François Hollande et de son ministre des affaires étrangères Laurent Fabius, s’est exprimée: elle s’engage à reconnaître la Palestine.
Français et Israélien, détenteur d’un passeport palestinien, je souhaite qu’Israël soit le premier pays à reconnaître la Palestine à l’Onu.
Après la guerre qui vient une nouvelle fois d’ensanglanter la région, nous devons soutenir le camp des modérés représentés par le président de l’Autorité palestinienne, Mahmoud Abbas, qui souhaitent voir la Palestine reconnue à l’Onu Nous devons faire taire les extrémistes, de tous bords.
Nous devons choisir : Abbas d’un côté, ou le Hamas et la poursuite de la colonisation de l’autre.
La reconnaissance de la Palestine comme Etat non membre de l’Onu sera votée. Israël doit réagir non par le rejet, mais en demandant la reprise des pourparlers de paix, sur la base de tous les accords signés préalablement, et sur les paramètres édictés par le président américain Bill Clinton.
Pendant ces négociations, l’Autorité palestinienne s’abstiendra de poursuivre Israël devant la Cour pénale internationale de La Hague.
Mais Mahmoud Abbas a déjà prévenu : si Israël choisit de se « venger » après le vote de l’ONU ce jeudi 29 novembre, il démissionnera de son poste de président. Israël devra alors assumer l’entière responsabilité des territoires occupés, de leurs habitants et contrôler la vie des Palestiniens. Israéliens et Palestiniens doivent choisir la Paix. Tous deux doivent s’engager sur la longue route qui mène vers la réconciliation entre deux états internationalement reconnus y compris par les pays arabe. Ou bien, c’est la poursuite de l’occupation, des violences et de la haine.
If the Arabs would stop wanting to annihilate Israel and accept it as a legitimate state then perhaps the many Israelis would be less reactionary. If your neighbour keeps wanting to kill you – its a bit hard to be pleasant and accepting. When Islamists come into the 21st century from the 14th – there may be a chance of co-existence.
geo green, The Palestinians long ago acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. That’s all they need to do. Insisting that the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel as a Jewish State would only give a green light to “annexing” more and more Palestinian land until there’s none left- effectively legitimizing the ultimate goal of a “Greater Israel.”
Using the broad term, “the arabs” is no different than saying “the blacks” or “the Jews,” and has a racist connotation. Most arabs do not want to annihilate Israel. There are extremists on the fringes of every religion.
Very good piece…compliments…I think that final goal that you have suggested is possible only with the increase of international responsability of all States and organizations. It is essential to examine this better. Thank you.
And the responsability of international civil society in this field, too. It could contribute to change to point of view of majority of Israeli Jews, through a strong partecipation and information in Internet, social network and social meeting.
“Palestinians need to conduct without further delay an international campaign to convince public opinion that the two-state solution, which Israel continues to thwart (while paying it lip service), is a necessity in order to establish a durable peace in the region.”
For whatever reason, the author does not mention the heavy hand of the US in this never-ending conflict. We also pay the two-state solution lip service, but our actions say otherwise. Granted, it would take enormous political risk and courage, but we could stop all aid to Israel- every penny, until they withdrew from illegally occupied territories back to the 1967 borders. Unfortunately, we can’t even monitor the peace negotiations without hiring former AIPAC officials as advisors. Our international credibility regarding this matter disintegrated long ago. In more than one photograph, Kerry looks like a chastened schoolboy under the stern gaze of his headmaster, Israel’s Netanyahu.