If this international consensus in terms of declarations of intent constitutes progress in itself for the Palestinian cause, it is important that this translates, as the Palestinian Prime Minister underlines, into a concrete road map.
What we want is to build a two-state solution. Let’s talk about it !” The statement is from Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, made yesterday in Brussels, while foreign ministers from EU member countries were to meet separately with their Palestinian and Israeli counterparts. They were also due to discuss with the Egyptian, Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers, as well as with the secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul El Gheith, indicates AFP.
Joseph Borrell’s statement echoed the position reiterated by Benyamin Netanyahu expressing his categorical rejection of the very notion of Palestinian sovereignty. “What other solutions are they thinking of? Make all the Palestinians leave? Kill them ?” Mr. Borrell asked with a touch of irony in front of journalists, according to comments reported by AFP. For him, Israelis “are sowing the seeds of hatred for generations to come.”
Josep Borrell submitted a working document to the 27 member countries of the European Union in which he develops a “global approach” for the resolution of the conflict. He recommends, according to the French press agency, to prepare “right now” the conditions for lasting peace in the Middle East, and this involves precisely the establishment of a two-state solution.
She will point out that “those who don’t want to hear about it have so far offered no alternative.” The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, posted on the X network on Saturday: “The Palestinians have the right to sovereignty and to a state. France will remain faithful to its commitment to achieve this goal.”
Joe Biden: “This work must start now”
For his part, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said the day before yesterday, in an interview with Sky News, in response to Netanyahu’s comments denying the Palestinians the right to have an independent state: “It is disappointing to “hearing this from the Israeli Prime Minister.” In the opinion of Grant Shapps, “there is no other option than a two-state solution to resolve the conflict in the region”.
In a column published in the Washington Post on November 18, 2023, American President Joe Biden already ardently pleaded for the same option: “A two-state solution,” he wrote, “is the only way to guarantee long-term security.” of the Israeli and Palestinian people.” Such a process, warns the head of the White House, “will require commitments from the Israelis and the Palestinians, but also from the United States and our allies and partners”.
And to emphasize: “This work must start now.” Commenting on the American position, the spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abou Radina, declared this Sunday: “What is expected of the United States is the recognition of the State of Palestine and not just to evoke the solution of the two States.” A way of exposing American duplicity which, while claiming to be in favor of the creation of a Palestinian state, does nothing to stop the genocidal enterprise of its Zionist foe and takes no action to relaunch the peace process on healthy foundations.
Israel’s persistence in its crimes owes a lot, it should be noted, to American support at the level of the UN Security Council where the United States vetoed any draft resolution aimed at imposing a ceasefire in Gaza. “The Israeli government is not committed to establishing peace and stability.
He continues to deny the truth that peace cannot be achieved without the constitution of an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds-East as its capital on the 1967 borders,” asserts the spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. And he insisted: “The Palestinian people will never give up their legitimate rights, neither to Jerusalem and its sacred places, nor to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. And it doesn’t matter how long it takes!”
For his part, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh welcomed the “international consensus” around the principle of an independent Palestinian state, reports the Turkish Anadolu agency.
During the weekly meeting of the Palestinian government which he chaired yesterday in Ramallah, Mr. Shtayyeh declared: “We know that there is an international consensus on the creation of the State of Palestine.” “There is significant mobilization around the option of a two-state solution and we say that the world should not pay attention to the position of Benyamin Netanyahu and his government who reject this solution.”
“This must translate into concrete steps”
“The world must work to end the occupation, recognize the State of Palestine bilaterally and vote for Palestine as a member state of the United Nations,” continued Mohammad Shtayyeh.
If this international consensus at the level of declarations of intent is very good news in itself, it is important that this “translates into concrete steps which embody the State on the ground to put an end to the occupation”, insisted the Palestinian Prime Minister. “The world must consider imposing sanctions on Israel for its continued campaign of aggression and colonization enterprise, as well as its rejection of peace,” said Mr. Shtayyeh. “We must stop this killing machine and these relentless attacks against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
It stands to reason that the implementation of such an option, if it were to come to fruition, will require a lot of time and skill. The first difficulty is of course due to the intransigent position of the executioner Netanyahu. As Dominique de Villepin explained in a recent interview: “The two-state solution came out of Israeli political and diplomatic software.” (Interview given to Apolline de Malherbe on BFMTV on October 27, 2023).
And even if Israel agreed to discuss with the Palestinians as part of a renegotiated peace process, nothing says that Tel Aviv will keep its commitments. The Oslo Accords bear witness to this. One of the biggest pitfalls will be the dismantling of the colonies. But as Dominique de Villepin says, the departure of Israeli settlers from the West Bank is “the price of security for Israel.”
This is a crucial point if we want to guarantee a minimum of territorial continuity to the Palestinian State and put an end to this tattered geography inherited from the Oslo Accords. Joe Biden himself recognizes this in his column in the Washington Post: we must achieve “the unification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under a single governmental structure”, advocates the American president.
The operation will be extremely complicated. But just the fact of seeing so many Western leaders bringing the old Palestinian question up to date and advocating for an independent Palestinian state constitutes considerable political progress. We are finally putting politics back at the heart of the debate and that, in itself, is good news.
This article is originally published on elwatan-dz.com
