Palestinians try a different route on the roadmap for peace…

Mohammed Shtayyeh, from Fatah’s Central Committee, recently announced that the Palestinian Authority would seek a UN Security Council mandate to recognize full statehood for Palestine sometime next week. This could be a major turning point in a conflict that has remained unresolved for decades, and while it is already anticipated that the US will veto the proposal, I believe it could be a major game-changer in the Middle East.

By having official UN recognition of statehood, Palestine would have an alternative route to resolving its relationship with Israel. It is important, however, that the Palestinians also understand and accept the responsibilities that go with accession:

• ·    Israel’s right to exist will remain a cornerstone to the peace process;
• ·      Hamas will need to officially recognize its neighbor and bring its followers under control – the group hasn’t won the war against the Israelis, but now has an opportunity to win the peace. While currently is an unpalatable request to make to Hamas, it’s an imperative if progress is to be made;
• ·      Accept that all of Palestine’s objectives may not be met immediately, especially the return of East Jerusalem as its eventual capital;
• ·      Be prepared to be responsible for any attacks on Israel by their own people, and like any country, accept its neighbour’s right to retaliate, either diplomatically or, at worst, militarily. This would include the will to put Palestinians on trial within Palestine for crimes committed elsewhere;
• ·      It saying that, Palestine also needs to be recognized as having the right to defend itself against outside aggressors, albeit within internationally acceptable limits;
• ·      Work out how to effectively govern two geographically and (currently) politically separated areas, i.e. Gaza and the West Bank. It is doubtful that Israel will cede any of its territory to connect the two, at least not in the foreseeable future;
• ·      Figure out where the heck they will put the Palestinian diaspora if a large number of those living overseas decide to return. Israel has the same issues with its own population growth and there’s only so much land to go around, with neither side willing to give up any to their opposite number;
• ·      Seek a long-term, diplomatic solution to the question of possible compensation for land taken by the Israelis since the time of the establishment of the country in 1948.

Not surprisingly, Israel has also been vocal in its opposition to the Palestinian’s UN plans, which is understandable. By Palistine being formally recognized it could potentially wrest control of the Roadmap to Peace away from Netanyahu and the Knesset, meaning that they might be put under pressure to make more concessions – and at a significantly faster rate – than they would have done otherwise, if at all. Both the questions of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the future of East Jerusalem will be forefront of any negotiations and will ultimately need to be addressed.

I look forward to seeing what President Abbas has to say on Friday, when he is supposed to detail what the UN request will include.

The Palestinian/Israeli conflict is complex – read the last century’s history of the region to learn more – and there are no simple solutions. However, it’s time for a solution to be found and next week’s action by the Palestinian Authority at the UN might be a positive step.

I have a number of Palestinian friends (and other Arab colleagues across the Middle East) who would like to see a fair and just peace between Palestine and the Israelis, and who are very keen to see both sides working together towards a common future. I sincerely hope this becomes a reality – sooner rather than later.

Salaam/Shalom/Peace