While this editorial was being written, the focus of events shifted
from the Palestinian Territories to Lebanon, where an open war
between Israel and Hezbollah (an Islamist Shi'a militant
organization) was taking place on a very large scale comprising
attacks from the sky, land and sea.
Two similar, successive events had proceded the massive flareup
sparking fears of a regional war. The first was an attack by
Palestinian militants (Hamas) on an Israeli military post. Two
Israeli soldiers were killed and a third was wounded and abducted
to Gaza where Hamas demanded a prisoner exchange for his release.
Israel refused to negotiate and demanded an immediate unconditional
release of the kidnapped soldier. The Israeli army deployed tanks
and artillery around the Gaza Strip and military operations have
since been underway. The violence spread to the West Bank. Israel
targeted infrastructure as well as the population. Additionally,
Israel detained 64 Hamas political leaders including 38
parliamentarians and eight ministers, as hostages.
The second event took place a week later when Hezbollah attacked an
Israeli military patrol on the northern border with Lebanon killing
seven soldiers and abducting two soldiers. Israel rejected the
demand for a prisoner exchange and called for the immediate release
of the soldiers. Massive Israeli air attacks were taking place,
more than 300 Lebanese, 100 Palestinians and 20 Israelis had been
killed up to the time this issue went to print. Massive destruction
of airports, bridges, electricity plants, roads, public buildings
and property was taking place in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and
northern Israel. Palestinians were firing locally made Qassam
rockets at southern Israel causing almost no damage, apart from the
psychological effect. Hezbollah was shelling northern Israel and
threatened to shell the center. Hezbollah rockets caused much
damage and casualties, inviting a harsh Israeli response. This
confrontation could widen if for any reason Syria would become
involved.
Regardless, in this editorial we will focus on the topic of this
issue and concentrate on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated to a
degree that could develop into a catastrophe due to shortages in
food, medicine and fuel supplies.
The Palestinian attack against the Israeli military post came in
retaliation for the continuing assassinations by Israel of senior
Palestinian paramilitary fighters. This escalation, and with such
magnitude, comes less than a year after Israel's unilateral
disengagement from Gaza, which was carried out without any
coordination with the Fateh-led government at the time - prompting
Hamas to claim the move as a victory for its policy of armed
resistance against Israel. A situation has arisen whereby Israelis
and Palestinians remain locked in a cycle of attacks and
counter-attacks - including the shelling by Palestinians of locally
made missiles into southern Israeli villages and towns like
Sderot.
Israel's policy has been to deny the existence of a Palestinian
partner in negotiations. The aim is to justify its unilateral
setting of the borders with the occupied Palestinian territories.
The process has already led to further land grabs by Israel, to the
destruction of Palestinian fields and crops, and to the
fragmentation and cantonization of the West Bank, making any
territorial contiguity a virtual impossibility. Furthermore, Israel
continues to surround Arab East Jerusalem with a belt of Jewish
settlements, isolating the city from the rest of the Palestinian
territories and undermining any prospect for the future
establishment of a viable Palestinian state.
Unilateralism in essence means no negotiations and no partner. It
will not work. Israel must learn from its recent experience in Gaza
that unilateral steps cannot solve problems; they cannot bring
peace and, even less, security to the Israeli people. Today rockets
are being fired from Gaza into the south of Israel. Is there a
guarantee that rockets would not in the future be fired from the
West Bank, hitting at the very heart of Israel? In which case,
Israel will retaliate with vigor, exacerbating the situation and
leading to new lows in the relationship between the two
sides.
Palestinians and Israelis are emotionally very deeply involved in
this conflict. There is a lot of anger on both sides. But there is
also a large majority on both sides that is fed up with the
conflict and yearns to lead a normal life in peace and security.
The claim that the time is not ripe for the conclusion of a
permanent settlement and that the only possible course is an
interim agreement is totally unfounded. One of the main reasons for
the failure of the Oslo process was the postponement of
negotiations on final-settlement issues and their prolongation over
a long period of time. This enabled the enemies of Oslo on both
sides to undermine the process and to eventually bring it to a
halt.
Whatever happens, when the canons are silenced the parties have to
sit down and work out a comprehensive political settlement. A
courageous approach is now imperative. A clear, detailed plan for a
solution and a timetable and mechanism for its implementation have
to be set up. Faced with the possibility of a just and durable
peaceful solution, both Israelis and Palestinians will
unhesitatingly opt for this option over bloodshed and destruction.
And although the Palestinians have lost hope in ever attaining such
a solution, they are certainly prepared to back a negotiated
settlement and to marginalize all extremist elements among them
that call for the perpetuation of hostilities and armed
confrontations. All that is needed is hope and a light at the end
of the tunnel. Unilateralism cannot provide this; it is but a
recipe for more violence and devastation. Only through negotiations
can a just and lasting settlement be achieved.