Should the US Stop Enabling Israel?
I maintain that regardless of the political, strategic,
demographic, and regional vicissitudes, the two-state option remains
the only viably sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict; the one-state solution is simply a non-starter. I also
maintain that successive Israeli governments,
irrespective of their
political leanings, perpetuated the occupation. They created what is
effectively an apartheid state in the West Bank by applying different
laws, different roads to travel, and a different security apparatus, all
designed to suppress the Palestinians.
The Israeli public is wrapped up with the illusion that the
status quo can be maintained for another 50 years, or even
indefinitely. The public has become complacent to the point where the
conflict with the Palestinians is no longer an issue that warrants any
special attention.
Right-wing Israeli governments in particular have portrayed
the Palestinians as the perpetual enemy committed to the destruction of
the country, and there is not much that can be done other than to keep
them at bay by force.
Netanyahu changes his narrative to suit the political
moment, but he cannot change the facts on the ground. The harsh policies
Israel is applying to the occupied territories designed to force the
Palestinians to give up in despair and leave has failed. In the process,
Israel precipitated the rise of a new generation of Palestinian
extremists who not only outnumber those who have left by far, but,
unlike their elders, are determined to resist the occupation at all
costs.
All the talks about the creation of a confederation between
the Palestinians, Jordan, and potentially Israel will go absolutely
nowhere. The Palestinians must have their own state first, and join such
a confederation as an equal and independent partner if and when they
desire.
More than any other administration, Trump’s has enabled
Netanyahu to act as he pleases against the Palestinians in Gaza and the
West Bank with impunity. Trump is providing Netanyahu with the political
support that allows him to maintain his addiction to the occupation.
Given that only the US can persuade, pressure, or coerce
Israel to agree to a two-state solution, the US must bear the moral
responsibility to act to save Israel from the slippery slope that
endangers its very survival while pushing the Palestinians to a point of
no return. A wake-up call is overdue for both Israel and the US.
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Dr. Alon Ben-Meir
is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global
Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation
and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com Web: www.alonben-meir.com
The original source of this article is Global Research
Copyright © Prof. Alon Ben-Meir, Global Research, 2018
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