Unilateral Palestinian State?
Recently the Palestinian officials stated that the Palestinian leadership is considering the choice of a unilateral Palestinian state. Saab Erekat
stated that the last eighteen years of negotiations did not bring any result and that the Palestinian leadership is trying to get enough support for a Palestinian state declared from one side.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated tonight that any step from the Palestinian side without negotiations with Israel will result in serious decisions made from the Israeli side. Lieberman stated that he is completely against a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders because according to him such a move will only bring the conflict into the Israeli territories. President Peres stated that the Palestinian anger should not become their political agenda. Peres stated that such a Palestinian state will never be made.
The American leadership is not showing any kind of interaction since the last summit between Abu Mazen and Netanyahu in Washington. The last meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu ended without any new result.
In the meanwhile the Palestinian internal situation is changing dramatically since the last statement which Mahmoud Abbas made about the next elections. It seems to be impossible to hold the Palestinian elections in the beginning of the next year because of the disagreement between Fatah and Hamas. The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah is sending a clear message about the possibility of leaving the negotiations option and turning into other strategies. The public opinion in the Palestinian street reminds us of the period after Camp David negotiations and before the beginning of the second Intifada.
Israel continues to show no interest in continuing the negotiations with the Palestinians by continuing its settlements building in the West Bank and its policy against the Palestinians who are living in East Jerusalem. For the first time the Palestinian people and officials are talking about a well prepared and directed civil disobedience and uprising against Israel’s policy.
The Palestinian leadership has no choice except of acting seriously in order to save the Palestinian right and demand. The choice of declaring a Palestinian state from one side is important but not enough. Israel is enjoying its escape from the responsibility which the international law implies when a state occupies a foreign land. Since Oslo agreement Israel is dealing with the West Bank and Gaza as another state although it keeps on entering the territories, imprisoning Palestinians, and even uses the assassination policy as in Gaza before.
Declaring a Palestinian state will put Israel in a difficult situation especially if it gets enough support. However, it is important to remember that Israel will also act from one side and try to oblige the Palestinians not to continue forward. The benefit of such a declaration will also include a new kind of pressure not only on Israel but the whole world in order to reach a solution.
The Palestinians need to be wise enough in order to succeed in such a plan. In other words any kind of chaotic actions will cause damage to this plan and even turn the world against the Palestinians. If the choice of civil disobedience and non violent Intifada is chosen, it will support the Palestinian suggested plan of a Palestinian state from one side but any kind of use of violence will be like a gift for Israel in order to attack the Palestinians internationally and convince the world that they are terrorists.
Such an action is not easy since the West Bank is completely under Israel’s control. Beside this, such a move will change the whole situation in the area. However, any Israeli move against the West Bank can be simply faced by a civilian movement which will remind the world that the Palestinian case is not a humanitarian one but is definitely a case of freedom and rights.
In order to lead such a plan the Palestinian people need a courage and wise leadership. Beside this the Palestinians need to be united and must agree between each other, so are the Palestinian leaders and movements ready for such a plan which may return dignity and freedom for the Palestinian people?
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