If I would’ve thought about a possible solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict 10 years ago or before 2000, a two state solution based on prior to 1967 borders with the right to return based on UN resolutions would’ve possibly been my answer. Today, a solution for the conflict is very hard to vision. The facts that Israel has worked intensively on implementing the past decade destroyed almost any possibility to resolve the conflict through negotiations and based on previous agreements.
Almost 20 years of negotiations between the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli government did not lead us to become even near reaching a peace agreement. Unfortunately, Palestinian leaderships were willing to give up more and more of the Palestinian people’s rights in order to achieve a peace agreement and resolve the conflict. Today, the Palestinian people realized that the Israeli governments have no intention and never even had one before to reach any agreement or recognize the Palestinian people’s rights.
Negotiations between an occupier who has all the military and financial power and leadership under occupation with no power with the mediation of an unfair and bias third party will definitely result in failure and oppressing the occupied group’s rights.
When I look at the situation we are in today, I realize that negations will not lead us anywhere. Instead mass popular resistance against occupation and colonization and the apartheid policies of Israel is the best path to follow by the Palestinian people to gain their rights back. Nonviolence resistance similar to that approached in South Africa against the apartheid regime has been introduced and increasingly approached by the Palestinian people in the occupied land and around the world. This will pressure Israel and the Western governments that blindly support it to recognize that oppressed people must gain their rights back and no military power could stop these people from resisting.
Resistance against occupation and oppression is a right granted to each human being in the Declaration of Human Rights. One must remember when judging on any type of resistance that it is a result of the occupation. I personally may not agree with armed resistance against civilians or the use of force against any human being, but let’s look at the factors behind some peoples approach to use these methods and resolve these factors which will definitely end all kinds of violence.
A two state solution based on UN resolutions and international law may still have a chance to bring peace to the region, but the main issue here is that from the actions we witness today by Israel there is no intention to reach such an agreement. Looking towards the future, I personally feel that the two state solution will soon no longer be an option and Palestinians as well as Israeli who believe in peace and want to end this ongoing conflict should work together and approach a one state solution for everyone. Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians and Jews could live together under one secular democratic state where each person is granted right to vote and live as equal with one another. The reminder would be the right to return which is non-negotiable only the refugees have the right to choose their destinies and future.
This map is self explanatory and I would like to leave it to you decide on the future of this land should be!! Does this map bring any hope for peace?
very powerful Mazen. no one could have said it better!
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