The question seemed simple. A European official wanted to know if the peace was just around the corner, or far away.
On the surface of it, one can tick off a number of positive signals. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators recently exchanged letters outlying their various political positions as to the best way forward. Israel's current expanded coalition government is large enough to be able to take difficult decisions without the fear of any small faction blackmailing the government. Europe seems to be united in its single-minded push to ensure that the peace process moves forward without any more delay. The U.S. will most likely return to the issue after the November elections. The Arab Spring is moving forward and bringing more popularly supported leaders who are unlikely to be very friendly to Israel.
That seems to make the present political atmosphere a golden opportunity to make peace, not only with the Palestinians but also with the Arab world, whose peace offer has yet to be responded to by Israel.
Pessimists, however, do not see any genuine signal that Israel wants to make peace, except to go through the process. Israeli leaders, pessimists say, are only looking for the photo opportunity and the appearance of a process without any substance.
What is worrisome to them is the daily erosion of the potential of the two-state solution as Israeli settlement activities have not slowed down. They wonder whether Israel wants to accept an independent and viable state while its bulldozers continue to dig up Palestinian land with the aim of building exclusive Jewish colonies there.
Jordan, which has the longest boundaries with the occupied territories and is only one of two Arab countries that has signed a peace treaty with Israel, has in recent months stepped up its diplomacy vis-Ã -vis the peace process. King Abdullah has made an unprecedented visit to Ramallah to convince the Palestinian leader to give talks a chance, leading the Palestinian leadership to respond positively even while doubting the success of such mission due to Israeli intransigence.
Practically speaking, however, and without a dramatic change of the Israeli position, it looks like the reality is more bound to create conflict than the other way around. That is dangerous.
Politicians have been unable to resolve this long-standing conflict. Palestinians are pitted against rightwing Jewish settlers who act arrogantly in the West Bank, behaving as if they were in the Wild West.
Palestinians will be looking at ways to nonviolently obtain results that politicians have failed to produce. The recent successful resolution of the hunger strike that slightly improved the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners highlighted the potential, albeit small, of nonviolent protest to produce tangible results.
More encouraging has been the increasing visibility of international protests, that take the form of boycotts and calls for divestment from Israel. South Africa's recent decision not to accept any goods produced by settlers with the masking sign "made in Israel" has contributed to the feeling that international solidarity can produce results.
Naturally, the biggest results of nonviolent protests can be obtained in the occupied territories. Palestinians of all colors, including Fateh and Hamas leaders, are becoming more convinced of the potential of nonviolent popular actions. But while the leaders, including Abbas and Hamas head Khaled Mishaal have given lip service to nonviolent protests, they have done little to lead a protest movement.
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad participated in a number of protest activities, but few of the senior Fateh leaders made persistent contributions to nonviolent protests. Sure, some leaders make media appearances here and there, but there is yet to be any serious leadership in this regard.
Some nonviolent activists have proved effective, but so far, this cannot be considered a national movement. Disagreement still continues on whether Israeli and international peace activists should be part of such activities and there has been little success in containing some hot heads who insist on violating the purity of nonviolent protests by throwing stones, which inevitably induces violent Israeli repression.
At the political level, the failure of any move forward in the peace process has strengthened theone-state idea of many Palestinian intellectuals. The argument by such activists, who are still few, is that the one state solution can better address Palestinian aspirations at democracy in the entire area between the Mediterranean and the River Jordan, and address the right of return. Naturally, Israeli Zionists who want a Jewish state refuse the concept totally and consider its supporters to be so radical that they are not worthy of their response.
The fast-moving events in the Middle East, especially in Egypt and Syria, have so far distracted attention from Palestine to the Arab Spring and its repercussions. However, as one Arab politiciansaid recently, spring is a season that returns yearly. Failure to grab the current unique opportunities for peace will not mean that Palestinian yearning for freedom and independence will go away. It might be winter in Palestine now, but spring is surely around the corner.
Follow Daoud Kuttab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/daoudkuttab
are you arguing that mexico must be given to the Toltecs and Mayans
or that Iraq be returned to the Chaldians? The last hostile "apache"
or Yaqui south of the border was killed in the 1930s, that would mean returning
arizona to the native Americans[as Mexico is too late on the scene and ethnically
clensed it's natives] Of course then Spain and France have some claims on
Arizona as does China by nature of first occupancy.
As for Turkey they are Armenian holocaust deniers, and a late
Scithian tribe to the Caucasas.The mongols may have a claim there too.Oh well
'remember the Alamo".
When the Palestinian Authority stops treating suicide bombers as heroes perhaps there will be something to negotiate about. For example, the Israelis recently returned the bodies of 80+ terrorists (including suicide bombers that killed Americans) to the West Bank. They were received in a state ceremony and declared to be heroes. At the same time the so-called 'pro-peace' Palestinian organizations have been loudly and deliberately trying to sabotage and prevent all contact between Palestinians and Israelis, such as the recent threat by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate to expel any member that meets an Israeli counterpart.
One of the reasons the oft touted 'non-violent resistance' has not produced much is because the ultimate goals of most of its supporters in the West Bank is the same as that of terrorists - the destruction of Israel. The same is the goal of the boycott and divestment efforts as pointed out by such critics of Israel as Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein. The 'non-violent' tactics in the pursuit of a violent goal are not going to get much support outside the usual knee-jerk ignorant liberal circles.
If the Palestinians wanted a state they could have had one already. If they believe Israel's head on a spike as the definition of peace they shouldn't expect Israel to play along.
I agree
Federation of Jordan and W. Bank would be an excellent idea.
Palestinian Arabs in Jordan and W. Bank share close religious, cultural, political and familiar ties.
Only a few decades ago W. Bank residents were subjects of Jordan monarchy represented in Jordanian Parliament and never protested it.
And before that, Jordan territory has been part of Historical Palestine for centuries.
This really has a chance to work to everyone''s benefit. Perhaps Israel can pitch in some funds to make the idea work.
But then again this was never about rational solutions, but about revanchist mythology.
1 We did destroyed all the settlements in Gaza and could do it again - it only bricks after all.
2 Abbas has agreed in principal to have a 1 to 1 land swap leaving blocks of sttelments for Israeli territory.
3 Up until now BB has been building in the territories but reallyt very little and mainly in those blocks described above.
4. The fear is that we are very very much more developed than any of our neighbours. The ave wage in Israel is about 18000 dollars while Jordan would be about 1500 per annum - the Palestinians less than this. Why they dont see that we could pull them happily into the 1st world is beyond me.
meanwhile, "optimists" look at the signals of genuine palestinian interest in peace, like never negotiating, never making a peace offer or counter-offer, and walking away from the table every single time they've met with israeli officials, regardless of whether the government was right-wing or left-wing.
"the Palestinian leadership to respond positively even while doubting the success of such mission due to Israeli intransigence."
That intransigence being the stated position of israel for the past 5+ years of "negotiations without preconditions", cuz there's nothing more intransigent that endlessly and constantly asking for peace negotiations.
"behaving as if they were in the Wild West."
well let's see. How is the WB like the wild west?
guns and killing everywhere? check
No real law enforcement or justice system? check
no rights for women, gays or other minorities? check
no respect for other people's property, land, lives? check
sounds about right.
"Abbas and Hamas head Khaled Mishaal have given lip service to nonviolent protests, they have done little to lead a protest movement.
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad participated in a number of protest activities, but few of the senior Fateh leaders made persistent contributions to nonviolent protests."
I'll be sure to quote this back to you, next time you claim the palestinians want peace and a non-violent resolution.
Speaking of elections, Hamas will not hold elections, because they are afraid they will lose. Mr. Abas will not hold elections, because he has said that he will not run in the next elections. He does want, however, to remain in power.
Mr. Abbas sent Mr. Netanyahu a letter, which Mr. Fayyad refused to deliver, because there was nothing in that letter, but the same old demands, repeated verbatim. which are known to maintain a deadlock. Mr. Fayyad thought better of himself than to be used as an errandboy handing over useless letters, and bravo for him.
The *blogs* of Mr. Kuttab are becoming stranger and stranger, totally out of touch with reality. Well, soon, hopefully, US funding of the UNWRA will be decreased to reflect the May 24, 2012 measure, recognizing only the original 750000 Palestinian Refugees as per UNWRA estimates, and not the current 5 million descendants. That will cause a bit of a problem in the neighborhood and for Palestinians with either the Lebanese or Jordanian nationality.
Mr. Kuttab must tell his fellow Palestinians that he, and they, must do for themselves and can no longer order the world around to do their bidding. I see that coming!