Piece By Peace Process – Negotiating a Path
Words by Maleena Pone. Images by Thaer Ganaim / Getty Images and Arij.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, US Special Envoy George Mitchell
In September the latest round of peace talks between Israel and Palestine resumed after a 20-month hiatus. Even before they could gain any momentum they collapsed again due to the Israelis’ inability to extend a moratorium on West Bank settlement construction. Palestinian leaders clearly stated that direct talks would not be possible unless Israel stopped the building of Jewish settlements on occupied land. A senior Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official stated, “The resumption of talks requires tangible steps, the first of them a freeze on settlements.”
US envoy George Mitchell, however, stated, “Peace in the region and an independent and viable state for the Palestinian people will be realistically achieved through direct negotiations.” Exactly how he understood that to happen is unclear given the fact that the two leaders haven’t been in the same room for over a month now.
Previous attempts at such a resolution have also failed for one reason or another, the most recent two efforts within the last decade alone. And so here we are again, three years later, a new President and another meeting, summoned by the US government.
The complexities of the peace talks do not lie simply within the glaringly obvious differences between the political agenda of both countries, but rather in the political situation of both leaders. The way the leaders are perceived and judged in their own countries is questionable, making public support relatively feeble, particularly on the Palestinian side.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas participates in any talks in a relatively weakened state; he is currently enduring deep opposition within his own party, and doesn’t even seem to have enough authority to hold illegal settlers on the Palestinian West Bank accountable to common law.
In addition to that, the opposition from PLO factions and outside groups is mounting. De-facto Palestinian government Hamas has not stopped at verbal expressions of disagreement; it was behind the 31st August shooting of four Jewish settlers near Hebron, as well as an attack near Ramallah the following day that injured two settlers. These attacks were clearly timed to disrupt the beginning of the talks and to weaken the position of the Palestinian delegation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is backed up by a hard line right-wing coalition government, which many feel is not interested in peace when it comes to Palestine. However, he met with the US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell in Caesarea last Wednesday and said, “We are committed and I am committed to trying to get to a peace agreement that will secure Israel’s security.” On the other hand, he did not stipulate at what cost, nor did he make any comments regarding the moratorium. He seemed more pre-occupied with the flotilla that was seeking to descend upon Gaza.
Essentially, a change in both political governments is required before any peace deal can be signed.
President Obama admits, “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and there are going to be those who are going to do everything they can to try and undermine these talks but we are going to remain stalwart”. The real question remains: how possible is it for either side to make any tangible changes to core issues like Jerusalem, refugees, borders and settlements in the West Bank.
Marhin Bishara, Senior political analyst for Al Jazeera succinctly frames the positions of both sides, “For 17 years this peace process has been the Paris Hilton of international diplomacy, lots of hanging out, lots of glitter, and very little substance. What Obama is trying to do is reinvent a decade of skepticism and failures and that’s going to take a lot of effort in order to change the psychological framework laid by previous encounters.”
West Bank settlements
Bishara also believes, that the Israeli coalition government is not ready for the minimum requirements of a deal. “The evidence would suggest that there are contentious issues arising over how far the Israelis are prepared to come in order to reach an agreement. Israel says the Palestinians have to meet them halfway, but Palestine believes the Israelis need to meet them 90% of the way. The Palestinians have already made a significant part of their compromise; they have recognized Israeli territory on 78% of historical Palestine and only need to come a percentage of the way further.”
Calling for an extended moratorium will test Israel’s intentions for peace and inevitably limit their long-term progression for building illegal settlements. However, no such action has been planned, in fact Ynet news has revealed that the Israeli prime minister approved plans for new housing units to be built in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem – a move that has furthered angered the Palestinians. There are already 500,000 Israelis in more than 120 settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Jewish settlements on occupied territory are illegal under international law but have been expanding in the West Bank for 30 years. Ultimately, for as long as the Israeli government imposes discriminatory restrictions on Palestinian residents, the tensions are bound to continue and peace is just a puzzle with pieces missing.
Mr. Abbas has said he would decide whether to quit the negotiations after consulting with Arab League foreign ministers in Libya over a week ago. However, in a statement after the meeting, they said that they would give the US another month to find a way to break the impasse.
