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Think about a scenario the place two individuals, lets name them Izzy and Phil, seize a maintain of a material and each declare that your complete material is theirs. They battle ferociously over it to the purpose of drawing knives on one another. There are three potential outcomes: a) One kills the opposite and takes your complete material; b) Realizing that there isn’t a finish to this battle they resolve to divide the material; or c) they sustain the battle till the material is shredded and they’re each lifeless.
This column thinks that the parable of Izzy and Phil describes the present Israel/Palestine battle. Each side have tried some model of end result a) and failed. Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are going away. They speak about end result b) however neither the federal government of Israel nor the Palestine Authority have a severe curiosity in peace on something just like the phrases that the opposite facet may probably settle for. End result c) is an actual risk. The Palestinians won’t have a state of their very own. Israel will now not be actually Jewish as a result of its West Financial institution coverage violates probably the most fundamental Jewish ethical teachings. Since Palestinians within the West Financial institution shouldn’t have the correct to vote on Israel’s insurance policies, Israel wouldn’t be a democracy both.
To complicate issues, Israel’s authorities is unstable. The fifth election in 4 years is scheduled for later this yr. The Palestine Authority within the West Financial institution hasn’t had an election in any respect in 16 years. The third participant on this tragic scenario is Hamas, which governs Gaza. That group brazenly seeks Israel’s annihilation, the no extra Israel answer. Hamas would possibly win and take management of the West Financial institution if the Palestine Authority ever does maintain an trustworthy election.
That mentioned, it’s potential to take steps now that would scale back mutual hatred and improve the possibilities for an enduring peace sooner or later. Meaning a State of Palestine and the State of Israel residing peacefully with one another. Right here as some issues that every facet can do unilaterally.
What Israel’s authorities can do: Loosen up its harsh rule over Palestinians. There must be probably the most minimal interference in every day life. No extra roadblocks to inhibit or forestall motion from one Palestinian group to a different. No extra arbitrary searches and arrests. No extra demolition of homes. No extra expropriation of water sources. The first position of Israel’s navy and police could be to stop assaults in opposition to Israel launched from the West Financial institution. A second objective could be to stop Jewish settlers from attacking Palestinians and vice versa. Most Palestinians in Israeli jails for “safety causes” may very well be launched except they’ve been accused of homicide or tried homicide.
Israel should additionally vigorously suppress the actions of extremist teams inside its personal boundaries that search to intimate Palestinians and/or seize complete management over the Temple Mount/ Haram Al Sharif in Jerusalem.
It will b a good suggestion to begin speaking to Jews residing within the West Financial institution settlements. If the settlers want to stay within the territory that ultimately turns into the State of Palestine, they are going to achieve this beneath Palestinian governance.
What the Palestinian Authority can do. Finish anti-Jewish faculty books. Saudi Arabia has already made vital progress on this space, so can Palestinians.
Get up to the truth that neither the Arab world nor the worldwide group extra broadly will create a Palestinian state. Violence and terrorism gained’t both. The PA should cease rejecting cheap peace presents that don’t meet its maximalist calls for. The Palestinians should reject the concept that “From the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea, Palestine can be free,” particularly no extra Israel. Palestinians should take away the so-called “proper of return” from their calls for. There have been about 500,000 Palestinian refugees in 1948. As we speak, greater than 4.3 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants are registered with the United Nations for humanitarian help. Israel won’t commit demographic suicide within the title of peace. Additionally, Israel can rightfully level out that about 500,000 Jews fled or had been expelled from Arab international locations as a consequence of the identical 1948 conflict. Palestinians ought to understand that 11 million Germans had been expelled from Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Poland on the finish of World Battle II and by no means had any proper of return.
There may be additionally one thing that every facet can do: explicitly acknowledge that the opposite facet has a professional declare to the land they each need.
The prophet Zechariah spoke about “prisoners of hope.” If Israel and the Palestinians comply with by on this column’s solutions there can be good foundation to hope for a brighter, peaceable life for everybody.
Richard Fein holds a grasp of arts diploma in political science and an MBA in economics. He could be reached at columnist@gazettenet.com.
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