ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, Part Three

July 5, 2024

We previously covered the history of the land of Israel and Palestine.  See Parts One & Two.

The Cogport View is that Israel has an entitlement to its current land based on :

·         Original occupation since 1300 BC.

·         Continuous residence and practice of their faith.

·         An established race of people based on religion, social cohesion, and heredity.

·         A history of discrimination and anti-semitism against them in other countries.

The new creation of Israel in 1948 was enabled by the British who acquired control of the land after World War I.

Unfortunately, there was no meaningful plan for the Palestinians who shared occupation of Israel/Palestine at that time. 

In 1948, Israel began work to define its independence, and establish defense and security for its new country.   This did not leave much sympathy for Palestinians who objected to this state of affairs. 

The Palestinians ended up as odd man out. The Palestinians who occupy the old borders of Palestine have not thrived, lacking effective leadership, jobs, and investment in their communities.  It is no wonder that many have a belief in the destruction of Israel.

CURRENT SITUATION

Here is a map of Israel and surrounding Territories and Countries notated with populations.

The total population of Jews in Israel is 7.1 Million.

The total population of Palestinians in the region is  9.7 Million located as follows:

·         Israel:                      2.1 Million.

·         West Bank:           3.3 Million.

·         Gaza:                       2.2 Million.

·         Jordan:                    2.1 Million.

Palestinian governance is split:

West Bank – The Palestinian Authority (PA) with elected leader President Mahmoud Abbas, also leader of the Fatah Party.

Gaza- Hamas gained control from the PA in 2007 after a violent conflict with the Fatah Party.  Hamas has been lead by Ismail Haniyeh since 2017.  Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries.  Hamas supports the end of Israel’s existence.

The split leadership of the PA and Hamas does not work together and creates a contest for control of the two territories.  The people of Palestinian origin are not united with a focused leadership.  This blocks any avenue of negotiation for peace with Israel.

Many proposals have been made for a two-state peace solution creating an independent state of Palestine.  This is a complex situation involving the geography and security of the area. 

Israel opposes the two-state solution for defense and security reasons.  

However, many countries support the concept in different forms, including:

·         United States

·         EU

·         United Kingdom

·         Jordan

·         Saudi Arabia

·         Egypt

·         Russia

International leadership has not been able to convene any meaningful negotiations. 

The unwarranted attacks by Hamas on South Israel in October, 2023 resulted in 1200 Israeli deaths, and 180 remaining Israeli hostages.  This Act of War by Hamas demands Israeli response.  So far, Israel has limited its military action while negotiating for release of the hostages.

In the meantime, Israel has ordered evacuation of the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in Gaza.  A warning of intended military action to control the area.

No international leadership has risen to quell this scenario. 

The likely and needed outcome will be for Israel to take back control of Gaza and eliminate Hamas.  This will involve terrible losses to both sides, but appears sadly unavoidable.

WHAT NEXT

If Israel eliminates Hamas, here is a possible Scenario:

·         Negotiations to reinstate the Palestinian Authority and stabilize Gaza. 

After that, we need international leadership and conviction to create permanent peace in the region.  

At this point, no one is stepping up. 

In 2020, the Trump administration proposed a settlement outline called “Peace With Prosperity.”   It was a thoughtful approach for a solution including a Palestinian state and investment in the region to raise the standard of living.

To obtain Peace, several complex factors comes in to play:

·         Parties with open minds willing to compromise.

·         Recognition of the State of Israel.

·         A secure situation for Israel that includes controls on military for a new Palestine.

·         Possible land swaps to create a coherent border for a new Palestine.

·         International investment – money needed for infrastructure, housing and business.

·         The courage to overcome a thousand years of hate and conflict.

The biggest factor is where to find the International Leadership that will commit to this effort.

It takes a sponsor such as the U.S. to provide the lead (like Jimmy Carter with the Israel/Egypt Settlement in the Seventies).

Cogport envisions an established Round of Negotiations with dedicated Special Envoys that would include representatives from the following:

·         Israel

·         Palestinian Authority

·         Jordan

·         Saudi Arabia

·         United States

·         European Union

CONCLUSION

The situation is complicated with security, sovereignty, religious, and geographic issues.

It is not conscionable to let the conflict continue in this region.   

The main impediment now is lack of Leadership.  Let’s see if the World can find it.

David Hollaender

Cogport.com