The talk about building confidence measures and economic solution as the guidelines for the shape of the upcoming era of the Palestinian – Israeli issue stands to change nothing on the ground. The United States has made it clear that its scope of intervention in the peace process will not exceed efforts to maintain security, stability and to restore reasonable economic stability within the Palestinian controlled territory. However, the U.S Administration is unlikely to push the new Israeli government back to the negotiation table any time soon, especially when the latter made it abundantly clear that it sees no prospects to resume the negotiation or for the “Two State Solution” any time in the future. Both Israel and the U.S. pulled the election card and the freedom of speech excuse to justify their stance.
In any case, the facts on the ground remain unchanged; as the “Two State Solution” remains the one and only option on the table adopted by the Palestinians, the international community, the EU, the Quartet and even Israel and the United States, and practically all those involved in the peace process.
Israel is making all kinds of excuses to avoid getting into the real core issues of negotiation to end the occupation; or to address the real obstacles of peace; particularly their chronic addiction to build and expand settlements, which serve to dissect the occupied territory into the opposite of a viable state, which the Palestinians long for.
Since the beginning of this year, Israel maintained its regular warfare to combat any measures to restore the peace process on track; in fact, it showed all but a willingness to resume the peace process. Monitoring the Israeli activities on the ground indicate that Israel is, as ever violates the Palestinians rights:
- right to housing and property with 649 demolishing
- right to land with more than 120,000 Dunums confiscated,
- right to livelihood and cultivation with more than 6700 trees uprooted
- advancing plans for 10,800 housing units in the settlements,
- establishing 11 Israeli settlers’ outposts,
- laying grounds and advancing 35 industrial zones,
- establishing and developing 9 bypass roads of 13.4 km in length,
Map 1: Israeli Industrial Zones in the occupied West Bank
Moreover, the Israeli settler violence has added to inflame the mistrust between the two sides, which will remain the case as long as impunity, apathy and at best, “concern” remains the reaction of the international community toward the Israeli “State” patronage for the Israeli settler violence.
The “Two State Solution” remain the only acceptable outcome of the peace process for the Palestinians and the international community at large. The fact that the United States refuses to engage its role as a broker has pushed Israel to persist its defilements and abuses of the international law and resolution and the signed agreement.
The urge for a third or multi-parties intervention is crucial to stress that abiding by the signed agreements and the international law is the only way to end the conflict and realize the “Two State Solution”.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
