A Circuit-Breaker between Israel and Palestine

Although the stronger drive towards some form of Greater Israel, with its associated problem of “settlements”, is a relatively recent development, in general, the problems between Israel and Palestine and their causes are well-known and reasonably well understood, and there is a reasonable idea of what needs to be done to resolve or overcome those issues [1, 2, 3, 4] and start the post-conflict healing process [5].

Taking a step away from politics, perhaps, my opinion is that the stumbling block comes down to emotion – in particular, understandable grief, fear and hate on both sides.

Resolving these emotions is a difficult enough process at the best of times [6, 7]: under the current circumstances, where the closeness and intermingling of people and land where events – some good, most bad - happen makes me think of a civil war, asymmetric conflict is building emotions at a significant rate and retaliations on retaliations is creating a destructive and self-perpetuating cycle, overcoming them is even harder.

As Ehud Barak said:

“If I were a Palestinian at the right age, I would have joined one of the terrorist organizations at a certain stage.”

I am going to suggest that at least some of the pressure for finding a solution, or even a way to move towards a solution, be taken off the people who are most involved, most suffering, and thus possibly finding it hardest to break the cycle (although there have been groups of people who have made a difference in seemingly intractable conflicts – notably, perhaps, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina [8], and the Peace People in Northern Ireland [9, 10, 11, 12, 13 {which is a useful critique of what is required for long term, sustainable peace –more than just walls}, and there are groups working for that in Israel and Palestine [14], [15], [16]).

First, some history:

·         I argue that, amongst the many influences and factors (including the history of Jewish aspirations and activism and varying considerations by the UK), possibly the key reason the modern nation of Israel was created [17, 18, 19] could be considered to be as a result of failure [20] by many other nations in the world to prevent or stop the Holocaust [21] – not because of the influence that had on the thinking of Jewish people or the political representatives involved in this issue at the UN [22, 23, 24, 25] or the reparations Israel received [26, 27, 28], but because of the influence it had on “the rest of the world”, people in those nations outside Israel and Palestine who felt horror at the terrible events of the Holocaust;

·         thus, it could be argued responsibility for a just and equitable foundation of Israel lies with “the rest of the world”;

·         furthermore, when someone suffers a wrong, one form of justice is compensation, which also applies to abuses of human rights. This principle is discussed in Geoffrey Robertson’s book “Crimes Against Humanity: the Struggle for Global Justice” (for instance, pp. 119 – 123; Penguin Books, 2000, ISBN 0 1 025029 8, first pub. Allen Lane, 1999; p.362).

My proposal is that “the rest of the world” takes on responsibility for ensuring the second part of the partition plan from 1947 - that relating to Palestine - is fulfilled, including provision of some form of compensation for the loss of land that was required to enable the unquestionably necessary foundation of a nation of Israel, which had the provision of a place of sanctuary for Jewish people as an inherent part of its raison d’être.

To give another perspective on this, consider the following (lengthy) quotation from Christopher Hitchens [29]:

“Suppose that a man leaps out of a burning building—as my dear friend and colleague Jeff Goldberg sat and said to my face over a table at La Tomate in Washington not two years ago—and lands on a bystander in the street below. Now, make the burning building be Europe, and the luckless man underneath be the Palestinian Arabs. Is this a historical injustice? Has the man below been made a victim, with infinite cause of complaint and indefinite justification for violent retaliation? My own reply would be a provisional 'no,' but only on these conditions. The man leaping from the burning building must still make such restitution as he can to the man who broke his fall, and must not pretend that he never even landed on him. And he must base his case on the singularity and uniqueness of the original leap. It can't, in other words, be 'leap, leap, leap' for four generations and more. The people underneath cannot be expected to tolerate leaping on this scale and of this duration, if you catch my drift. In Palestine, tread softly, for you tread on their dreams. And do not tell the Palestinians that they were never fallen upon and bruised in the first place. Do not shame yourself with the cheap lie that they were told by their leaders to run away. Also, stop saying that nobody knew how to cultivate oranges in Jaffa until the Jews showed them how. 'Making the desert bloom'—one of Yvonne's stock phrases—makes desert dwellers out of people who were the agricultural superiors of the Crusaders.”

I would argue that the responsibility for ensuring both the person jumping out of the window, and the person who was landed upon, are both well and properly cared for, lies with the person(s) responsible for setting the fire and allowing it to spread unchecked. Germany has already paid a substantial quantity of reparations to Israel, as discussed above, but there is a responsibility that others have not yet, perhaps, come to terms with, and, despite the quantity of international aid that Palestinians are receiving [30, 31], which is still less than that given to Israel [32], I would suggest that there is reason for rethinking such aid to being a form of compensation, and that it be formulated towards establishing Palestine as a healthy, capable and self-sufficient state - perhaps take an approach akin to that used for the Marshall Plan [33], and aim to develop Palestine until it has a healthy enough economy to be attractive to trading partners – which will require a change of economic activity.

Others have looked at using the influence of third parties [34] (and there was, of course, the Oslo Accords [35], which I personally consider the closest the region has come to peace), but not, as far as I am aware, from the point of view of this idea.

As I see it, implementing this suggestion would involve:

·         a genuine international commitment to responsibility for security, including a substantial military and police presence in Palestine, until Palestinian security forces are both capable and motivated enough to assume responsibility themselves;

·         relabelling aid as “compensation”;

·         extending the “compensation” to include building a vibrant and capable state with a healthy economy for Palestine (some aid already aims to do this [36], but I question whether the amount is adequate);

·         defer the resolution of other problems until this is accomplished.

It would obviously be difficult to do this:

·         no nation would be willing to stand up and say “we accept a share of responsibility for what happened and led to the creation of Israel, and this is what we can do now to help” - particularly so for nations not directly involved in the region;

·         there is going to have to be extensive and forthright negotiation around security and lifting the blockade – and Israel would have to accept that any attacks on international investment in Palestine would not be well received, and may actually trigger responses Israel does not like, just as the international players involved (and Palestine) need to understand the vital necessity of enforcing security. One particular issue which would need to be resolved is the location and return of missing Israeli soldiers (as an example of the ongoing significance of this issue, see http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38486573);

·         what nation - or group of nations - is likely to make the military commitment necessary to actually achieve the required level of security initially? With regard to individual nations, I can only think of the USA and France, but the USA is about to become more isolationist and/or pro-Israel, and France tends to not get involved where it hasn’t had an historical role (although hosting the recent conference on peace was a promising initiative - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-paris-cummunique-idUSKBN14Z0RT): could this be a role for the European Union?;

·         for the economy to be viable, it is likely that a shift away from agriculture will be needed, and aid needs to be significantly increased to move the economy to an internationally competitive, knowledge- and/or industry-based model;

·         considerable institutional capability building would be required, together with investment in mental health services to start dealing with the trauma of the last seven decades;

·         I would expect this to take at least two decades.

On the other hand:

·         Israel and Palestine would not have to reach an agreement for advancement to happen;

·         a pause in conflict, and the restoration of normality would allow for some of the emotion to be reduced before the next negotiations on peace [5];

·         Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza has, perhaps, been more successful than typically considered [37];

·         the continuation of the current approach, based on the imposition of more force, has been described as “futile” [38];

·         the sight of a healthy economy free of the high expenditure on defence that Israel currently has to spend (although that has reduced from around 17% in the early 90s to just under 6% now [39]) would be an attractive inducement for peace, and a market that would be some sort of reward for whatever nation(s) were far-sighted enough to take on such a long and difficult role.

Is this proposal likely to be accepted by anyone? No, but maybe proposing it will get someone thinking of something that will be accepted and work.

Notes:

[1] for instance http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36682062

[2] "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations", by Jim Zanotti
(URL https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33476.pdf)

[3] “Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", Jim Zanotti
(URL https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R44245.pdf)

[4] "Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution", Jim Zanotti
(URL https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R40092.pdf)

[5] "After The Violence: Three Things We Know About the Effects of War Trauma and What We Can Do About It", by Thomas Zeitzoff
(URL https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2016/02/01/after-the-violence-three-things-we-know-about-the-effects-of-war-trauma-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/)

[6] "Terrorism, Spoilers, and the Barriers to Resolving Civil Wars", by Joe Young
(URL https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2016/03/07/terrorism-spoilers-and-the-barriers-to-resolving-civil-wars/)

[7] "Civil Society and Trajectories of Violence: A Summary of Emerging Research" by Pauline Moore and Cassy Dorff for the "Denver Dialogues"
(URL https://politicalviolenceataglance.org/2016/04/12/civil-society-and-trajectories-of-violence-a-summary-of-emerging-research/)

[8] “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo&oldid=748689849)

[9] “Peace People”, Encyclopaedia Britannica
(URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peace-People)

[10] The Nobel Peace Prize 1976
(URL http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1976/)

[11] website – history page
(URL http://www.peacepeople.com/?page_id=8)

[12] “The Good Friday Agreement”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Good_Friday_Agreement&oldid=760177782)

[13] “Peace in Northern Ireland: A model of success?”, by Mike Allison
(URL http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/08/201281292223454712.html)

[14] “Rays of Hope in Gaza: 13 Israeli and Palestinian Groups Building Peace”, Yes Magazine
URL http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/13-peacebuilders-in-gaza

[15] “Interfaith Efforts to Foster Peace in the Middle East”, Cheyenne Interfaith Council
(URL http://www.interfaithcheyenne.org/links/interfaith-efforts-to-foster-peace-in-the-middle-east)

[16] “Peace Groups in Palestine and Israel”,
(URL http://www.mepn.org/peace-groups-palestine-israel/)

[17] “Creation of Israel, 1948”, (US) Office of the Historian
(URL https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel)

[18] “United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Nations_Partition_Plan_for_Palestine&oldid=758126488)

[19] “Aftermath of the Holocaust”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aftermath_of_the_Holocaust&oldid=757903434)

[20] “Responsibility for the Holocaust”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Responsibility_for_the_Holocaust&oldid=760452980)

[21] “the Holocaust”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Holocaust&oldid=759883375)

[22] "The Holocaust: Factor in the Birth of Israel?" by Evyatar Friesel (Shoah Resource Center, The International School for Holocaust Studies)
(URL http://www.yadvashem.org/odot_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20-%203575.pdf)

[23] "Did the Holocaust Play a Role in the Establishment of the State of Israel?" by Tomer Kleinman
(URL http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/holocaust/Research/Proseminar/tomerkleinman.htm)

[24] “United Nations Special Committee on Palestine”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Nations_Special_Committee_on_Palestine&oldid=750246003)

[25] URL https://www.reference.com/history/did-holocaust-affect-formation-jewish-homeland-be38e12cbc60474c

[26] URL http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/reparations.html

[27] "Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany", Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reparations_Agreement_between_Israel_and_West_Germany&oldid=759253838)

[28] amounting to US$60 billion over half a century, according to “Crimes Against Humanity: the Struggle for Global Justice”, Geoffrey Robertson (Penguin Books, 2000, ISBN 0 1 025029 8, first pub. Allen Lane, 1999; p.362)

[29] “Hitch-22: A Memoir”, Christopher Hitchens
(URLs http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3956.Christopher_Hitchens and http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/8987023)

[30] “U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians”, Jim Zanotti (URL https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS22967.pdf), which includes the following:

“… the Palestinians, who are among the world’s largest per capita recipients of international foreign aid.” ($400 million per year)

“Successive Administrations have requested aid for the Palestinians in apparent support of (1) promoting the prevention or mitigation of terrorism against Israel; (2) fostering stability, prosperity, and self-governance in the West Bank that may aid Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic prospects; and (3) meeting humanitarian needs. The long-term utility of U.S. aid in encouraging regional stability and Palestinian economic and political self-sufficiency might depend to some extent on progress toward a political solution that addresses Palestinian national aspirations and Israeli security demands”

[31] “International aid to Palestinians”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_aid_to_Palestinians&oldid=757838959)

[32] “Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance”, by Clyde R. Mark https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/IB85066.pdf, which includes the following:

“Israel is not economically self-sufficient, and relies on foreign assistance and borrowing to maintain its economy. Since 1985, the United States has provided $3 billion in grants annually to Israel.” cf. the ~$0.4 billion to Palestine)

“In addition to U.S. assistance, it is estimated that Israel receives about $1 billion annually through philanthropy, an equal amount through short- and long- term commercial loans, and around $1 billion in Israel Bonds proceeds.”

[33] “Marshall Plan”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marshall_Plan&oldid=759137273)

[34] “Gaza Crisis: U.S. Should Press Egypt to Rein in _____”, by James Phillips
(URL http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/11/gaza-crisis-us-should-press-egypt-to-rein-in-_____) 

[35] “Oslo Accords”, Wikipedia
(URL https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oslo_Accords&oldid=754181589)

[36] "The Middle East Partnership Initiative: An Overview", by Jeremy M. Sharp
(URL htps://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS21457.pdf)

[37] "Israel’s Gaza Withdrawal 10 Years Later: More Successful Than You Think", by Daniel Byman
(URL https://warontherocks.com/2015/08/israels-gaza-withdrawal-more-successful-than-you-think/)

[38] "Israel and Gaza: Force is Futile", by Claire Yorke
(URL https://warontherocks.com/2014/07/israel-and-gaza-force-is-futile/)

[39] See URL http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=IL