MAHATMA GANDHI COMMUNITY FORUM

On The Ground Report From Palestine
[posted by Jeff Knaebel from http://www.freofstate.org]

Palestine People’s Visions for Peace

By Irfan Engineer [email 12 January 2008]

During our peace pilgrimage, we talked to various civil society actors about their vision for peaceful resolution of the Palestine Conflict. In this final piece, I would like to recall their voices.

One of the most challenging aspect of any peaceful resolution of Israel-Palestine conflict is solution to the refugee problem. During our meeting with representatives of BADIL Resource Centre in Bethlehem, their representative, Mohammed told us that there were approximately 7 million Palestinian Refugees and 4½ lakh internally displaced Palestinians (those who have been displaced from their homes during 1948 and 1967 Arab-Israel wars but are living in Palestine as UN refugees). Israel would like to forget the Refugees and IDPs altogether as they do not have right to return in their schemes. Knowing the Israeli sensitivity to the refugee problem, some Palestinian parties like Fatah do not want to rock the boat too much on the issue and would be satisfied with a token number of refugees being allowed to return to their homes, while others are “persuaded” to continue in the country where they have now “settled”, if possible, with a small compensation. Israeli Military operations continued to occupy Palestinian territories and cause displacement. In Gaza Strip in summer 2006, occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) and 5,100 persons were displaced. The wall and its associated regime in the occupied West Bank also forcibly displaced Palestinian communities. Thousands have been displaced from the Jordan Valley as a result of closure, home demolition and eviction orders.

Before we proceed, some facts for understanding the visions for peace would be in place. West Bank and Gaza, which were occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israel War constitute about 22% of the Palestinian land. The rest of the Palestinian land is under Israeli occupation since 1948 war and except a small minority of Arab population, the rest were massacred or fled to save their lives. From the 22% land that is now left for the inhabitation of the Palestinians, 8% land has been grabbed by the Israelis for settlements, construction of wall, eviction, construction of roads to connect the Jewish settlements and other ostensibly security related purpose.

Occupier Israel’s Vision for Peace:

Israel has realized that there is no possibility of getting rid of the remaining population of Palestinians now, when they could not get rid of them even after two wars and worst record of human right violations, and harassment of the Palestinians. Having grabbed all the necessary territories, built settlements and connected them through network of roads and other infrastructure, including grabbing water resources of the desert area, Israel is now ready for to let the Palestinians manage and govern in the remaining 14% land in exchange of security guarantees from the Palestinian government. The road network build by Israel is so well segregated that a Jews in the settlements will never have to see face of an Arab if doesn’t want to. The Arabs are not even wanted as cheap labour in Israel. There are plenty of other countries like Philippines to supply them cheap labour. The Israelis want to confine Palestinians in small ghettos interspersed throughout West Bank. The remaining 14% of the territory, seen as interspersed dots on the Israeli Map in the West Bank region could be connected with each through tunnels or separate road network. No right to return and no dismantling of the settlement and security guarantees.

Fatah’s vision for peace:

The original objective of Fatah was liberation of Palestine. However, that remained a dream as Palestinians realized that no one was holding their hands and US was supporting Israel with its entire might. Even the Arab countries had betrayed them and after Iraq war, even the pro0verbial last straw for the drowning person to hold on was lost. Therefore make a best attempt to bargain for maximum. Bargain for 22% land minus the settlements and a as a token a few refugees be allowed to return to their land under Israeli occupation. There were quite a few supporters in Ramallah for such a compromise on best possible terms now rather than continuing conflict with Israel. Ramallah being A category region in the Oslo agreement enjoys some autonomy and even though Israeli Soldiers can enter, it does not happen frequently. Ramallah is governed by Palestinian Authority. A resident of Ramallah whom I met in Amman proudly flashed his Palestinian Passport on which he could travel to any country that cared to grant visa. Residents of other regions have to obtain Israeli travel document permitting them to leave the country. Having made limited gains under the Oslo Agreement, Palestinians living in Ramallah and other A category regions want to consolidate their gains to the extend possible, tired as they are of the conflict. They want to get along in life knowing that they are weak party in the conflict and have lost all the hopes. They have their sympathy with the refugees but they feel helpless as well. The only contentious issue of course is that of East Jerusalem. Fatah wants East Jerusalem to be its capital. Israel wants entire Jerusalem to be its capital, including East Jerusalem. Israel as well as Fatah have more or less accepted, what is called as two state solution – Jewish state and Palestinian state. Israel wants liberty to be Jewish state, one of the most fundamentalist state masquerading as a democrary and has enacted law of return, giving right to every Jew in the world to instantly get citizenship of Jewish state of Israel. The Israeli State almost imposes Jewish religion and Hebrew culture on its citizen and discriminates against all other religions and cultures.

Hamas’ Vision:

The Hamas Representative we talked to was still holding on to their dream of liberating entire territory of Palestine and dismantling Israel. They know all odds are against them and they are weak fighting with small arms the most modern military backed by most powerful country in the world. However, he claimed that due to resistance led by Hamas, the atrocities came down. He was rattling out statistics to prove that number of Palestinian casualties for every Israeli soldier killed was much less compared to a few years ago. But the question is would that lead them anywhere near inflicting any harm to Israel? Hamas wants to establish Islamic State in which all citizens, including the Jew would enjoy freedom of religion. Why not Secular state then? Secular state would also mean, in their understanding immoral and irreligious state. The settlements would be subjected to Palestinian laws and the refugees would have the right to return to their land.

One local Fatah leader in Bethlehem told us that at the moment Israel was eager to push for resolution of conflict as it is in the best position to bargain now and impose their terms. Palestinians need not enter into any solution in any hurry. Palestinian state is in the Israeli interest as they would get it on their terms. His resolve was to fight for implementation of UN resolution 194 which calls for right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their land. He also felt that we should fight against any violation of Human rights by the Israeli state. That essentially meant fight for one secular democratic state where Jews and Arabs all would be equal and enjoy all democratic rights. Israel is terrified of such a solution – Arabs having democratic rights with right of return. Jews would be in a minority in such a state.

Jeff Halper, a leading intellectual working against house demolitions through maps explained various positions of interest groups. He also explained that Israeli State was far worst than the Apartheid state of South Africa, particularly in two respects – South Africa at least provided infrastructure that state should to the Bantustans inhabited by natives. Israel heavily taxes the Palestinians to provide subsidized infrastructure to Jewish settlements, including water, roads and security, while the same were denied to the Palestinians. The natives were at least citizens of Bantustans as it were and required permits to enter the areas inhabited by the Whites. Palestinians are not considered human at all. The second respect in which the situation of Palestinians was worst than that of the natives in South Africa was that they were needed at least as labourers. The Palestinians are not needed even as source of cheap labour to the Israelis. They were not given permits to visit areas under Israel even for employment. They were sort of eyesore which has to be kept out of sight and hence road networks for Jews. Jef Halper felt there were no takers for any other solution than the two state solution. We shared our experience of two state solution and the Indian partition that had caused large scale human tragedies on both sides of the dividing line and left the Muslims in India much weakened and at the mercy of the majority, though India was a secular state and the position of Muslims was much better. There are Arab citizens of Israel who are in minority and about whom no one is bothering.

Another fine intellectual, whose name is slipping out of my memory explained to us in detail through his power point projections of maps how Israel had continuously encroached on Palestinian territory reducing Palestinian state to a group of disconnected ghettos as if the nation was divided into hundreds of pieces. His solution – settlements out, two states and refugees to be resettled on a corridor granted by Israel to connect West Bank to Gaza Strip.

This was the range of visions for peace that we encountered in Palestine. Though Palestine seems to be weak, it is our responsibility to stand up for implementation of International law and UN resolutions and create a strong public opinion against violation of any human rights by the Israeli state. Apartheid regime in South Africa was dismantled not only on the strength of struggle within South Africa but also due to the important role played by the international community. As individuals we need to boycott Israeli goods and goods of any company doing business with the Israeli State. We need to pressurize through all the institutions on whom we may be commanding any influence to divest from Israeli economy, Israeli State and Israeli companies, including our religious institutions. The struggle against South African Apartheid regime was led by Church calling for divestment of church funds in South African companies and leading the international community in that regards. Finally the international community should lead the UN impose trade embargo on Israel till it obeys international law and UN resolutions. Today this may seem far fetched but in my humble opinion, this seems to be our role. Weak Palestinian side negotiating peace with Israel cannot resolve the conflict equitable and with the spirit of justice towards all. Let us all spread this word of boycott, divest and trade embargo to the best of our abilities. If Israel walks away with inequitable solution I must also blame myself for not doing enough.