Peace requires straight talk, and knowing the victim from the aggressor
Palestine-Regional, Analysis, 6/23/2003

The so-called Palestinian-Israeli peace sponsors, the Quartet -- composed of US, Europe, Russia and the UN, continue with their language that gives hints of the coming failure of this yet-another peace plan, with on one hand, their "Condemnation" of the Palestinians who kill Israelis, while expressing only "deep concern" over Israelis that kill Palestinians, and on the other hand their "lack of understanding" of why the Palestinians have the right to resist occupation, while expressing their "understanding" of why Israel as an occupier has the right to "defend itself."

These kinds of statements which have become the whole mark of the so-called peace sponsors as they try to describe events show lack of serious resolve, or understanding, or incapacity, to address the issues directly, and are clearly doing little more than providing the way out for the Israelis, to back out of arrangements as they have done in the past, when the political heat is on to do their part of the agreements on the substantive issues; substantive issues which do not constitute removing "uninhabited four-wall rooms" that are labeled as a settlement.

The Israelis will use that same excuse, down the line, as past pattern clearly shows, of internal domestic political pressure, when asked to implement the substantive parts of the peace plans, to extract further concessions from Palestinians, who will only be too vulnerable to the Israelis on the one hand, and the Palestinian opposition who will legitimately question the Palestinian Authority on the other hand, thus once again unraveling this yo-yo of peace plans that are too numerous to count, or name. The writing is already on the wall. The message is: You either kill the Palestinian resistance, or we will kill them for you, or we can kill them together. Good luck with having a democratic Palestinian consensus or government that will be built under those circumstances, or is this the kind of government that Israel wants anyway! Hopefully, the Palestinian Authority, helpless as it may be, is aware that this is a dead end that will lead it to nowhere except into a position that is as bad as the one it is in, if not worse, which is the heart of the problem.

If we are to get serious about peace, then this starts with straight talk. One of which is to know who is the aggressor, and who is the aggressed, and to say so publicly. Without this simple acknowledgment, it will indicate from the start the lack of political will to take on the needed steps that will lead to peace, and all the back channel politics and diplomacy will likely be doomed to failure before the reality of the dynamic we outlined above. If Sharon will not tell the Israelis that they are the aggressors and occupiers, or the Quartet will not do so, then who will? Because without the Israelis hearing this, they will not make peace! Why would they, if they perceive themselves to be the victim who is asked to relinquish "Israeli land and rights." That is the reality of Israeli domestic politics that needs to be addressed head on and be sobered up. You do that by straight talk -- if you want the Israelis to make peace. Or be ready to present to the Israelis the all-or-nothing proposition of the Arab plan of the Beirut Summit, since partial solutions will disintegrate as other plans have in the past. Or, be ready to "impose" international troops according to implement UN resolutions. You choose the option.

Previous Stories:
  Peace sponsors: we 'condemn' killing of Israelis, express 'deep concern' and 'understanding' for killing Palestinians   (6/23/2003)
  US continues appeasement and 'understanding' of Israel's inhuman practices; blames resistance and the oppressed   (6/21/2003)
  People, Democratic fronts for the liberation of Palestine reject truce; Hamas, Islamic Jihad study it   (6/20/2003)
  Israel denies Palestinian reports on possibility of releasing Barghouthi shortly   (6/18/2003)
  Thousands of Israeli settlers demonstrate in Jerusalem: dismantling settlements is a surrender to terrorism   (6/5/2003)
  Amnesty international: Israel commits war crimes against the Palestinians   (5/31/2003)
  Red Cross President urges Israel to abide by 4th Geneva Convention   (10/12/2002)
  International Red Cross: Geneva Conventions breached by Israeli transfer of Palestinians   (5/24/2002)
  Amnesty International: reprisals against persons and property are prohibited by 4th Geneva Convention   (5/11/2002)
  Amnesty International: reprisals against persons and property are prohibited by 4th Geneva Convention   (5/11/2002)
  Jenin ordeal more like earthquake   (4/29/2002)
  Washington Times: Jenin not even a graveyard   (4/29/2002)
  European MPs: Israel committed massacre in Jenin   (4/25/2002)
  Guardian report: Israel breached the Geneva conventions   (4/24/2002)
  Vadovin describes seens in Jenin as a humanitarian catastrophe   (4/22/2002)
  US continues obstruction of effective international law; multinational force concept made meaningless   (4/19/2002)
  Two UN envoys tell of 'horrific' devastation in Jenin camp   (4/19/2002)
  Amnesty urges immediate humanitarian assistance for Jenin   (4/18/2002)
  US continues to block effective use of international law to expell Israel from Palestinian areas   (4/12/2002)
  'Effective' UN resolution for immediate Israel withdrawal, honoring Geneva convention, or face sanctions   (4/10/2002)
  Geneva Conventions provisions violated in Palestine   (4/9/2002)
  World intellectuals condemn Israeli occupation   (3/26/2002)
  Demolition of Palestinian homes, an act of collective punishment, Amnesty International says   (1/15/2002)
  Israeli settlements are a violation to fourth Geneva agreements, Swiss ambassador says   (12/19/2001)
  Geneva Convention applies to Palestinian territories, top UN rights official says   (12/7/2001)
  US congress opposes Geneva conference   (7/14/1999)
  Israel intensifies efforts to prevent convening of Geneva conference   (7/12/1999)
  The US Congress and the declaration of an independent Palestinian state   (3/20/1999)
  Israel opposes UN Geneva Convention conference on its practices   (2/11/1999)

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