“Mr. Chairman”, Read the letter signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin sent to Yasser Arafat. “In response to your letter of 9 to open negotiations with the PLO in the Middle East peace process.”
The exchange of letters of thanks, followed by an awkward handshake on the White House lawn, ended years of mutual denial efforts by Israelis and Palestinians. The Declaration of Principles that President Clinton signed and adhered to that same day has since failed, partly because of this the murder of Rabin by an Israeli extremist named Yigal Amir.
Now, nearly 30 years later, another Israeli extremist denies what is being said about the Palestinian people while occupying a top position in the Israeli government. In addition to expressing his hatred and hate speech, this extremist can also get involved politically due to his special status in the government that oversees what is happening in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the “wiping out” of the Palestinian town of Hawara, has now stated that the Palestinians have no rights because “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people.” He called Palestinians an invention. “Is there a Palestinian history or culture? There is no,” he said.
His speech was delivered in France on Sunday while standing on a podium a map in the colors of the Israeli flag, showing Israel with extensive borders that include the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, and parts of Lebanon and Syria.
The Palestinians do not have to defend themselves and repeat their history on their land. Countries in the region are also not allowed to defend their sovereign country. There is much to be said for the silence of the Israeli government and other nations about Smotrich’s comments. France’s silence is particularly concerning given that it is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
If Smotrich’s vile statement and expansive map are not representative of the current Netanyahu coalition government, then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should remove Smotrich from his top position. But in reality, many of Smotrich’s sentiments reflect the government’s own agenda.
Finally, the government agreement which enabled Netanyahu to win a slim majority in the Israeli Knesset makes it clear that the Palestinian Territories – the West Bank and home to nearly 3 million Palestinians – are part of the God-given land of Israel and that Israel will in due course will annex. is correct.
By denying the existence of the Palestinian people and even hints of Israeli expansion in the region, it extinguishes hopes of a promising two-state solution. While the world has recognized Israel since its founding in 1948, it has indicated that it will recognize Palestine. Many European parliaments have asked their executives to recognize Palestine, but with the exception of Sweden, this has not happened.
Palestinians at the United Nations called for recognition by the Security Council Palestine as an occupying state, but Washington rejected the idea. A Gallup poll this week shows that 49% of Democrats support the Palestinians, while only 38% support Israel. public opinions, in Israel and abroad moves as the Netanyahu government has far-right views and policies.
The US, along with Jordan and Egypt, have been working hard in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh to ease tensions ahead of the holy month of Ramadan this week, but Israeli leaders appear set to add fuel to the fire. of the conflict. What is needed now is not another futile attempt at de-escalation, or even lip service to a two-state solution. What we need is a political horizon.
Without hope, it is difficult to convince ordinary Palestinians that peace will come. The Israeli occupation, along with the unruly and illegal Jewish settlers should not be allowed to further oppress the Palestinians. Without hope, there is no prospect of long-term stability or peace. Allowing Smotrich to deny the existence of the Palestinian people is tantamount to further violence. The only way forward is to start a real political process now.
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist and former professor of journalism at Princeton University. @daoudkuttab
Source: LA Times
Roger Stone is an author and opinion journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He is known for his controversial and thought-provoking views on a variety of topics, and has a talent for engaging readers with his writing.
