"The two state vision is dead"
Two states on the land occupied by Israel and Palestine has looked increasingly unlikely for a long time now. With the continued illegal confiscation of Palestinian territory for Zionist settlers this has been a deliberate strategy of the Israeli government. Even Bush has counselled Israel about making a peace settlement impossible, but this fell on deaf ears - no, I'm sure they weren't deaf but there was confidence that no action would be taken as a consequence.
When I visited Ramallah and Bethlehem in 2004 an aide of Arafat said to me that he didn't care what they called a single state as long as there was equality for all its people, Arab and Jew alike. One thing ordinary citizens are not getting is peace: far from it they are being subjected to increasing violence.
The Washington Post comments on the vision President Bush articulated on the White House lawn a year ago. The move out of Gaza was accomplished, but what followed with the democratic election of Hamas was obviously not in the script. Actions that followed, according to some observers, cutting off funds from Palestinians would be bound to play into the hands of extreme elements:
" 'The two-state vision is dead. It really is,' said Edward G. Abington Jr., a former State Department official who was once an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas." (Source Washinton Post 15/6/2007).
Palestinians are Christian as well as Muslim and any state needs to address diversity. A flyer handed to me in London at the demonstration in support of Palestinians (Haaretz refers to it as an anti-Israeli demonstration, while acknowledging many participants were themselves Jewish opposed to the Zionist apartheid regime.)
The severe provocation Palestinians are under from 40 years of aggressive occupation where shootings of unarmed civilians, including women and children, has predictably taken its toll. The problem with the state being by forward by Hamas is that it seek to be a religious state. What is needed is a secular state which recognises the great traditions which make up a common heritage from Abraham onwards. I can't help thinking of the comment made by a Palestinian, Jesus of Nazareth saying "give to Caesar what is Caesar's".
An eyewitness account (Guardian 15/6/2007)
This account illustrates those involved in a long patient struggle of non-violent resistance. Unfortunately its is those wielding weapons who carry the day with the media too, although there were some notable clips in videos of unarmed people physically challenged those with arms!
Posted by John Tyrrell at June 15, 2007 5:23 PM
