Many Western countries tried to play a mediator role between the Israelis and the Palestinians in order to reach a peace agreement that would put an end to [singlepic id=272 w=320 h=240 float=right]the long conflict. Most of these mediators tried to search for tools that would bring both sides close to each other and reach an understanding regarding the matters that stayed until today as an obstacle in the way to achieve peace.
Through the nineties and until the road map agreement was signed, the mediators and especially the United States believed that the issue of trust affects on any possible improvement in the peace process between the two sides. Eventhough the West succeeded in advancing the abilities and power of the Palestinian authority such as in training new security forces that are able to rule the Palestinian territories, Israel does still not trust the Palestinians.

The Road map was supposed to bring both sides closer to the negotiations table but it failed Eventhough all of what it stated was applied in the field. Another belief was that creating good relations between the leaders from both sides would also affect on the negotiations process between them. This was tried in peace summits and also with negotiators from both sides. The result was that once critical matters such as Jerusalem, the Palestinian return right, borders and other matters are discussed, both sides compete to gain as much as possible and try to create a pressure on the other side to accept the minimum offered.

The liberal way that the West used in directing the negotiations process between Israel and the Palestinians failed. Normalization between the two peoples and even between Israel and other Arab countries that signed peace treaties with Israel also failed until today. The reason is that normalization and good relationships can be made only after solving the central problem between Israel and the Arabs.

If the Arabs are considered difficult regarding compromises for the sake of a peace agreement, then Israel is in a mess. Most of the Israeli Political and Economical leaders are retired army officers who served in the Israeli army and are obsessed with the idea of obtaining Israel’s security in any possible way. The effect of the Israeli state formation that was started since the 1948 is still affecting Israel’s Today Politicians. The fear of trusting Arabs is not because Arabs and Israelis do not know each other but it is because Israel was established by force, given 54% of the Palestinian lands in the beginning and today 74% of the Palestinian historical land. Not only that it was established by force, but until today no Israeli leader was ready to make a real compromise regarding Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories in order to reach a peace agreement with the Arabs.

The reason is that the idea of a “Peace agreement” is still not a convincing solution for the Israelis in their conflict with the Arabs. The military mind is employed even in the political work of the Israeli officials. Instead of spending time and money on trying to bring both sides together while the original problem is not solved, the mediators should think of becoming really involved in the peace process that is supposed to be made on the basis of what the International law and human rights demand from both sides. The easiest that can be made to escape from the responsibility is to say that only the Israelis and the Palestinians alone can achieve a real peace agreement and that any interference from a third state could destroy everything. The Israeli Palestinian conflict began because of a disagreement between the two sides. Like any other disagreement that is observed by a third side, there must be a decisive third opinion that obliges both sides to accept a solution.

Everyday there are people who suffer more and more because of the Israeli occupation. Many Palestinians have already died and lived a life of occupation, humiliation and an unachieved dream of living in a state of their own. The Israeli people is affected every day more and more by the thoughts of the fathers of Zionism who stated clearly that only the Jewish weapons would assure the continuity of the Jewish state as Menahim Begin mentions in his book “The Uprising”.

Its even better to shut down the negotiations process rather than using it to gain more time while the people are losing faith in it and in those who worked very hard to convince the people that peace is a choice that can bring a solution.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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