A Real Two-State Solution
With President's Obama seminal speech in Cairo last Thursday, there has been renewed talk about Middle East peace and what we need to reach a future where, as the president said, "the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear."
As a strong opponent of the settlements going back decades, I agree with President Obama's argument to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel needs to stop construction. The Israeli prime minister has agreed to dismantle all of the "illegal outposts" on the West Bank, and he should follow through on this pledge.
However, for a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there needs to be a strong and credible Palestinian partner on the other side. At present this simply doesn't appear to be the case, irrespective of what Israel does on the settlement issue.
It is vital that any future Palestinian state on the West Bank be made economically viable. Billions of dollars in investments need to be made, for such things as electricity plants, sewage disposal units, other similar infrastructure developments, and jobs. In this area, the Arab world and the international community should be encouraged to take the lead. As President Obama rightly said in his Cairo speech, "progress in the daily lives of the Palestinian people must be a critical part of a road to peace."
Such economic progress is clearly necessary for progress on all the other important fronts.
Employment opportunities will provide political capital to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party in their ongoing battle with Hamas for Palestinian hearts and minds. Proper capacity building and governance, based on a solid economic foundation, will make the work of training the Palestinian Authority's security forces that much easier. And new schools and a vision for a better future are vital if Palestinian children are to embrace real co-existence with their Israeli peers.
For decades the plight of the Palestinian people has been exacerbated by internal corruption, a lack of effective investment, and the political cynicism of the Arab states, who often did not have the best interests of the Palestinians at heart. In this new era of candor, according to President Obama, "it is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true."
The present emphasis on Israeli settlements, while understandable, should not overlook Israel's track record on the issue. In the past, Israel has repeatedly taken down massive settlement projects in the cause for peace. Menachem Begin withdrew from the entire Sinai Peninsula in order to close an agreement with Egypt, and it was Ariel Sharon who was tasked with dismantling the Sinai settlements.
And as prime minister it was Sharon who, just four years ago, bravely and unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip. In return, Fatah subsequently lost political control of the Palestinian Authority legislature to Hamas in elections, and then lost complete control of Gaza after it was routed militarily. Hamas then used its new territorial base as a launching pad for thousands of rockets into Israel.
In this, Israel's legitimate security concerns cannot be discounted. The West Bank must not be allowed to turn into the next Gaza Strip, with rockets raining down on Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv.
It is worth remembering that, historically, Israel has always embraced every Arab hand that was extended forward in a true gesture of reconciliation and co-existence. Despite all the recent bloodshed, nearly 60 percent of all Israelis still support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Ultimately, freezing settlements in the West Bank will not reconcile Hamas with Israel's existence or remove it from Gaza; it might not do much to politically rehabilitate the weak Fatah movement; and it should not stop the Arab world from investing in the economic future of the Palestinians.
A lasting two-state solution requires two credible partners, and not just one side -- Israel -- taking superficial steps simply to placate world opinion.
Now is the time for the Arab world, in concert with moderate Palestinians, Israel, the U.S., and the rest of the international community, to come together to forge a real partnership for peace.
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I wish there were more gentile voices on this subject.
I mean -- at least full disclosure on the ethnicity and agenda of the author.
any takers?
I thought not.
Your article, sir, has one very big massive donut hole in discussing just /why/ there is such a big schism in Palestinian society. Here, let me help you with that:
"Vanity Fair has obtained confidential documents, since corroborated by sources in the U.S. and Palestine, which lay bare a covert initiative, approved by Bush and implemented by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams, to provoke a Palestinian civil war. The plan was for forces led by Dahlan, and armed with new weapons supplied at America’s behest, to give Fatah the muscle it needed to remove the democratically elected Hamas-led government from power."
http://www
I encourage everyone to read the article from the NYTimes today about the fate of the Jewish refugees after the founding of the State of Israel. http://www
Unlike the Palestinians, they have a life.
NY Times, Jerusalem Post, Avigdor Lieberman, AIPAC - all the same.
"Unlike the Palestinia
Helping Paelstinians help themselves, Peace, and a thriving infrastructure and jobs, a.o. is beneficial for Israelis. Putting money and aid into a deep black hole out of which comes *you do not exist*, *you have no right to exist* or *you need to be driven into the sea*, plus bullets and rockets raining out of that black hole is NOT a Benefit for Israel. Indeed, helping any of these terror groups around the world, and showing that it pays off, is a bad idea. For decades I have seen written and have heard from Israelis that it needed to be stopped or it would be *exported* as a means to gain power and money. No one listened, so now it is a worldwide corporate structure of terror. Blaming Israel is easy, be it irrational. Finding a workable solution is not so easy. Palestinians are ARABS. Many ARAB nations are very wealthy, or, at least the top structure is. They have obligations towards their ARAB brothers, the Palestinians, AND to the ARAB brothers and sisters under their respectie fiefdoms. They live like rich landowners in Europe did in the middle ages and before. Iran has not been attacked by anyone, and makes a a lot of noise, but people, apparently, can not get married as beying or renting an one bedroom apartment is even out of reach for two engineers who want to get married, if only they could.
I have recently moved my position on this issue more to the center. The situation is perpetuated by a couple of major lies on both sides of the green line.
The Israelis have convinced themselves of 2 things: 1) that they are benevolent occupiers and 2) that the Palestinians present and existential threat to Israel. Neither of these points are true. The Israelis have systematically repressed the Palestinians since 67 and the Palestinians present neither a military nor an economic threat to Israel.
The Palestinians have convinced themselves that 1) even if they negotiate a 2 state solution that they and their descendants will be able to return to their homes in Israel and 2) it is their right to elect leadership that opposes a 2 state solution (and the State of Israel) and continue to expect that the Israelis will recognize this government and continue to negotiate. These also are not true.
The 2 state solution was rejected by the Arab world in 48 and again leading into the 6 day war. The Israelis have traded land for peace with Egypt in a model that works. Peace can work but not until the leaders of the world begin to point out the lies to BOTH sides of the line no progress can be made. I believe that most Israelis and most Palestinians want to live in peace but no one can show them the way.
Don't know which side you moved from (doesn't matter) but you speak the truth. Peace is reason and compromise for the sake of life and security; but it requires giving up the fanatasy of "winning."
Presumably, Bronfman not only blogs for the HuffPost but occasionally reads the comments on it. If he does, he knows that AIPAC has completely lost control of the debate over Israel and the Palestinians. In the age of the Internet, the old attempts by AIPAC to control the debate have become futile. American opinion on Israel now closely mirrors that of Europe, and there's nothing AIPAC can do to put the genie looking for justice back in the bottle. No sane person denies the Holocaust, or fails to grieve it as one of the worst episodes in human history (though only one of the worst, given the disaster that human history has so often been--deaths in the Congo in the past decade rival the Holocaust, for example). But few objective people are in America or Europe are willing to give Israel some sort of free pass because of the Holocaust anymore. Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, especially in the settlements outrage, has to be addressed by all on its own merits, with an even-handed, Obamaesque, equal regard to Palestinian assaults on Israel. AIPAC did absolutely all it could to defeat Obama with Hillary first, and then McCain. To no avail. The New York Times is sinking like a stone. Reliable AIPAC voices like Tom Friedman's are being relatively silenced by the sheer cacophony of the Net. The times they have a changed. Thank God for Israel and the world.
Good post but shame about the last sentence.
Yes, you repeatedly make clear that you consider the existence of Israel an intolerable circumstance that you would like changed. We got it. Thanx for sharing. snark
Heheh
Don't get me wrong --- I know it's too much to expect. But . . .
I wish Mr. Bronfman and all allegedly smart people who take Israel's side of virtually every argument would spend some time reading ALL of these comments.
If they pay close attention to those they least want to hear, it might help them understand where their thinking is leading all of us.
Clue: I don't think it's a place any of us, or any of them, really wants to go.
No, the issue is settlements period.
There are no "legal" settlements in the Occupied Territories.
All are illegal.
All should be dismantled.
"Israel has repeatedly taken down massive settlement projects in the cause for peace. Menachem Begin withdrew from the entire Sinai Peninsula in order to close an agreement with Egypt"
The Sinai region had around 7,000 settlers within it, most of the territory was military. Not a hardship for Israel.
"Provide political capital to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party in their ongoing battle with Hamas for Palestinian hearts and minds"
Why ? The Palestinians have not voted for Fatah so why can we not respect their wishes. Fatah has done nothing for the Palestinians people but imprison and oppress them on behalf of Israel. Stifling political dissent so that President Mahmoud Abbas can keep power ( his authority ran out on Januray 9th 2009, He is currently a defacto dictator along with his Fatah party - with no mandate from the Palestinian people).
"The West Bank must not be allowed to turn into the next Gaza Strip, with rockets raining down on Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv."
Pulling out of the Gaza strip, cutting of water, electricity, keeping control of land access, building a wall around it, refusing medicine, and help through the border whenever Israel felt- Making a large open air prison is easier than have your army police within it, Gaza has become the equivalant of the Warsaw Ghettos of WW2 - so do not blame Gazan's for not being impressed and fighting any way they can.
So far no one responds to Mr. Bronfman's opinion that Palestinians should be provided aid, and that the Arab nations should participate in it. Just today I read that in Norway the opinion has been published that billions of aid should be given to the Palestinians. That appears to be an excellent idea. I am for it. What I am NOT for is Abu Mazen putting this aid into the PA's secret wealth accounts. It should be put into action. Such persons as Gewyne, above, conveniently forget, that IF one is independent and self sufficient, as Gaza is, and one declares that the very nation that should supply aid does not exist, all responsibilities of that non existing nation are negated. In addition, Gaza has a border with Egypt and was formerly part of Egypt. Any reason Egyptians can not open heir borders, provide water and electricity, food, aid, medicines? There are *Palestinians* such as Suha, who receive aid and support, even though they never live in PA territory. Same applies to Hamas *leadership*.
Your overview of islraeli treatment of palis is misleading at best, the border crossings wouldn't be closed if they werent under attack. Egypt has the ability to release the gazans but cant let extremists into its country either. So you think the pals are better off with hamas as their leadership, a de facto proxy for Iran.
You rather conveniently leave out Gaza's international border -- it's coast. Which Israel is occupying. And so therefore, Gaza is occupied by Israel.
Thank you HuffPo for allowing a pro-Israel blogger who actually criticizes the Palestinians! Why should Israel risk in the West Bank what happened in Gaza? Why do Palestinians get away with not using their aid money to better themselves, rather than fund jihad?
Can you explain to me what happened in Gaza.
To me the equivalant would be.
Why police the Bronx, lets build a 25 foot barrier around it, control all access, cut of water and electricity apart from a few hours a day stop, all food, and medicine delivery whenever we feel like it for however long we want - its cheaper than policing it after all.
The the world and US being outraged that people within the Bronx are angry and fight against their oppressor.
This is too ridiculous! Gaza is NOT an Israeli state within a Federation. It used to belong to Egypt, again. It is independent territory and it is receiving aid from a number of sources, a.o. Iran and Syria. The Hamas leadership appears to reside, indeed, in Syria. Just imagine that the U.S. must *police* Mexico and Canada, and provide electricity, water, medicines, food, whatever! What happened in Gaza is that they were agitating to be independent, just as the PA is now agitating that Judea/Samaria be given up. The argument Mr. Bronfman makes is for that the be possible, the PA should provide jobs, infrastructure, etc. to the Palestinians, AND no attacks coming from the area into Israel should be guaranteed. The same applies to Gaza. The PA borders on Jordan, just as Gaza borders on Egypt, both in addition to bordering Israel. What happened in Gaza, Gewyne, is that they were given thriving greenhouses, with offers to run them, or help run them, by those who had painstakenly built those businesses up for generations. They made a choice to destroy that source of income, to buy guns and ammunition with aid money, and even shoot the ammunition into the air in *celebration*. Guns and ammunition cost money.
The people in tenements in Lebanon and in Gaza originate from JORDAN and were expelled when they attempted a military coup. These Palestinians do exactly what the Muslim brotherhood started in Egypt, building organizations which attack nations from the inside out. Arafat was born in Egypt and started with the muslim brotherhood. Today such groups as Al Qaeda originated from that same Muslim Brotherhood. They are outlaws and renegades. The Bronx is part of the U.S. and Americans live there. No one in the Bronx is trying a military coup against the U.S. Government, nor is anyone in the Bronx carrying out or even plotting terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens, hospitals, busses with old women or children. Get a Grip!! Both Hamas and the PA have plenty of money. It is not being used to help the population, but it is put into private accounts. Aid that was given to the PA in the past went directly into untraceable private accounts of Arafat, who stated that HE was Palestine. If you go tow work, Gewynne, and you get a salary - Palestinians are on he dole and get *aid* - and you use that money to buy guns and ammunition and you shoot at people, or you shoot the guns off in the air, rather than paying the mortgage or buying food, YOU will get into trouble.
Palestinians arent fighting Jihad. Theyre fighting for an end to the illegal occupation and settlement of Palestine and for self-determination.
Theyre fighting for an end to theft of their natural resources by Israel.
Israelis will never settle on giving up their "Judea & Samara" nor will the Palestinians settle on less than 21% of land that once belonged entirely to them. Grand theft is not allowed in international law nor is partition the answer in this case.
So, it's endless war you advocate.
No, Israel advocates endless war by not returning what isn't theirs. You can't have peace without justice.
Palestinians hail from Gaza, formerly Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, recently Iraq, and yes, also Israel. The land was already *partitioned*, and, a.o. Jordan and Israel both belong to what was formerly the British Mandate and before that Palestine. Jordan is much larger than Israel, and out of that they now want to carve another 21% (?). And if and when that is done what will be the results for Palestinians? Same as it is in Gaza. That is no improvement, that is deterioration. And I am speaking of Palestinians here. Now, as for Israel, it will put all of Israel within reach of daily rocket attacks. The U.S. government has a mandate to keep Americans safe. The Israeli government has, similarly, a mandate to keep Israelis safe. Mr. Netanyahu is going to give a speech. It is expected that he proposes to make concessions to Palestinians in exchange for demilitarized zones and input of three other nations besides Israel, i.e. Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Israel is in violation of the original UN partition. It's really that simple.
It never belonged to the palkestinians it was ottoman empire that was partitioned after the first world war in the Balfour Dec. There has never been a palestine it is jordan, syria, and lebanon which were the territories given to the arabs as a reward for their help in defeating the turks.
"there needs to be a strong and credible Palestinian partner on the other side"
Substitute the word Israeli for Palestinian and you get to the depth of the problem here....
Lets hope these are the last sounds from the elephant graveyard
What was the point of this article? It is difficult to figure out, except that it says it isn't relevant whether Israel follows it obligations and ends settlement building. He says Israel needs a "partner for peace." That is a very old and tired song.
If the past is any guide, the best partners for peace in conflicts with intractable foes are the most combative on both sides of a disagreement, not the sell outs and toadies like Mr. Abbas. Ultimately, Likud will need to reconcile with Hamas, just as Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams proved the impossible could be done in Northern Ireland.
just like we should reconcile with al queda, Hamas wants state from the river to the sea and you are ok with that.
The true "two state" solution:
1) Russia
2) Poland
The truth is that until someone on either side does something dramatic (e.g. Sadat visits Israel), nothing will change. Let the Palestinian Authority vote to change their charter so that they recognize Israel. Let the Israelis stop the settlements on the West Bank and offer to sit down without any preconditions. It should not be up to President Obama to deliver change - it should be up to the Israelis and the Palestinians to take the first steps. Your comments are nothing more than plain and simple anti-semitism. By the way, I am a stronge supporter of Israel but recognize a two state solution is the only answer.
"Ultimately, freezing settlements in the West Bank will not reconcile Hamas with Israel's existence or remove it from Gaza; it might not do much to politically rehabilitate the weak Fatah movement; and it should not stop the Arab world from investing in the economic future of the Palestinia
You're right Mr. Bronfman, it won't. Even for a start to reconciliation it is going to take returning all the occupied territories and obeying UNSC Res. 242. When Israel begins obeying international law and joins the NPT then it can lecture others on how to behave. In the mean time it is more of a rogue state than a "credible partner". Why this cannot be seen by so called mainstream voices like yours is rather remarkable. This is why the US lacks credibility in the Middle East--every time Israel breaks international law we end up blocking the consequences. Every time an Arab state breaks international law we make sure we are part of the consequences. And we expect people to respect us? We regularly enable the worst bully in the Middle East.
242 doesn't call for return of "all" of the territories. The word "all" is not there. It also said that parties would have to agree to "secure boarders". Since the 1949 armistice boarders were breached by the Arabs, there will have to be adjustments for the safety of Israel.
The armistice borders have been totally breached by Israel since1967. Almost 500,000 illegal Israelis are living beyond these borders.
The Resolution says return of the territories. Exactly what territories is it talking about? The Palestinian territories i.e. all of them. It certainly does not say "some of the territories".
you must choose not to see the atrocities commited by your victimized palistinians.
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