POWERFUL ISRAEL NEEDS A PARADIGM CHANGE

The recent spate of Palestinian terrorist stabbings and responses by the Israeli security forces are threatening to spiral out of control and anger on both sides has reached fever pitch.  One has to know there just has to be a change in the paradigm of violence begetting violence when an angry Israeli mob lynches an innocent Eritrean migrant wrongly believing that he was a terrorist attacker. One or the other side has to show leadership to change this life long bloody narrative. It is not going to be Abbas, who hasn’t even condemned the Palestinian violence, or Hamas who incited the current terror by screeching that Israel were about to take over the Muslim religious sites . So that leaves only Bibi and the Israelis.

It is also really time that everyone took a deep breath and reassesses where Israel stands in the Middle East today. The reason for this is that Bibi frames every untoward event in the uncertainty of the sixties and before as if the only circumstance preventing Israel’s annihilation is some magical and heroic action such as Sharon shrewdly maneuvering himself behind the Egyptian lines as he did in the Yom Kippur war. Also the rhetoric is from the standpoint of a hapless victim surrounded by a sea of giants armed to the teeth. Nothing could be further from the truth - nuclear Israel is arguably the number one nation in the Middle East from every point of view and it is about time the behavior of its leaders reflected that position.

 ISRAEL TODAY  

Two realities have emerged in this modern day Israel. On the one hand the state’s progress is a miracle where in sixty  - five years it has absorbed over 5 million people from many cultures, mostly refugees and integrated them into an economically thriving Middle Eastern democracy. This has been achieved while weathering a non stop secession of wars and terrorist barrages since 1948 and finally emerging as a military and economic powerhouse in 2015. On the other hand the conflict lingers on with the Palestinians on its borders and even more significantly with its 2,000,000 Arab citizens, mostly Palestinians, who in spite of being citizens of Israel with parliamentary representation, believe they are second class citizens in the land of their birth. 

Both these phenomena have been brought into sharp focus by two recent separate developments - the current ongoing upheaval in the Middle East which has resulted in a realignment of the Middle East nation states and two wars and by the senseless murders and attacks of Israelis starting at the Al - Asque mosque.

There is also an intensifying of involvement in the well being of Israel from the diaspora jews as anti semitism is once again on the march. Many see the daily barrage of criticism of the Jewish State as another manifestation of this anti semitism and to a large extent Israel is indeed subjected to a double standard. This diaspora constituency finds it difficult to criticize the current Israeli regime lest it be interpreted as opposition to the very existence of Israel itself.

ISRAEL  NOW THE POWERHOUSE OF THE MIDDLE EAST

On the face of it Israel, in addition to its own economic and military prowess, has never been in a more powerful political and military position in the region. The stalemate of a unified Arab and Muslim world in the Middle East has been cracked open like Humpty Dumpty’s head. Long held together by a common hatred of the Jewish Homeland they have finally splintered into three factions: The Iranian Shia with Iraq and Syria as allies with their terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas in tow; The ISIS fundamentalist Sunni and thirdly the Sunni Gulf States, Egypt and Jordan. Added to the Muslim breakdown are two internecine wars between fundamentalist ISIS versus the Assad's Syria, the Shia coalition and Gulf State Sunni and the four year civil war where Assad’s Syria is wracked in a struggle against rebel forces, ISIS and the Sunni Gulf States.

This fracturing of the Muslim world has resulted in the Gulf States, Egypt and Jordan allying with Israel and Egypt’s call to the Arab world to make peace with Israel. While Iran daily calls for the annihilation of Israel it is ironically weaker as a result of its deal to cut back on its nuclear production. As it painstakingly disassembles its nuclear capability it is more than aware that one false move and a ton of munitions will fall upon its head. And they will be watched like hawks. Russia’s intervention on behalf of Iran’s ally Assad, cynically too, is good news for Israel as that places America on the opposite side. Then there is the promise that whoever replaces Obama is set to abandon his isolationist stance and if election rhetoric is anything to go there will be more open material support for Israel’s position. 

As far as the Palestinian territories are concerned they are eunuch like. Abbas is operating in a power vacuum making threats that are either irrelevant or that he can’t carry out and Hamas, while quietly digging more tunnels, can only expect to be flattened again should it rear its head. It is also slowly sinking in that for the moment a two state solution is impossible. Abbas has not the power to negotiate and Hamas are not interested. To ask Israel to unilaterally hand over the West Bank, after Sharon did just that to Gaza and along came Hamas, shows the all round bias and frustration that has resulted in this decades long standoff

The upshot of all of this that there is no longer the belief that just giving independence to the Palestinians would result in stabilising the war torn Middle East. No more can it be argued if only intransigent Israel would deliver that the Middle East would live happily ever after and we all could sleep more soundly. 

The world must surely believe now that the Israel has an inherent right to conquered land in terms of international law. That it is fanciful to say at the very least that territory won in unprovoked wars that ended eons ago must be unilaterally returned and that the victors must give back residence to those on the opposing side that fled from the country. Europe and even America would be in chaos if the same principles were applied.

 However with regard to indigenous Palestinian peoples there is plenty that might be done and Israel have never been in a more dominant position to make a move to help alleviate the current impasse. 

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE STATUS QUO - CHANGE THE PARADIGM

However to the everyday citizen in Israel the latter’s new found economic, political and military status is scant comfort when the streets of Israel are no longer safe and an uprising of Palestinian citizens is on the cards. While the terrorist - like attacks should be condemned in the strongest terms, rather than justified, they have evoked an outpouring of grievances from Palestinians within Israel and from the occupied territories. They have also been seen as the last straw by the majority of Israelis who in the same breath cry for a peaceful life for their children but ironically support answers that will ensure that the Palestinian question will remain a festering sore forever.

There is an urgency to defuse the conflict for many many reasons: Rightly or wrongly in this mobile world where skills and money circulate the planet with very little restriction more and more of Israel’s elite are thinking of packing up and going. Secondly, the jewish ethos, as Alan Dershowitz so eloquently writes is one of laws, contracts and covenants. The founders of Israel and as subsequently negotiated at Oslo and ratified by an Israeli majority opted for a two state solution and had as ultimate goal peace with the Palestinians. Now there is little doubt that this has been thwarted in the past mainly by Arab nations or terrorists but from a position of power it is time to make some gestures to those not causing chaos. There are over two million non jews in Israel, nearly all of whom are not terrorists and who are firmly integrated into the economy. Israel cannot risk forcing them to butt out because of the financial and political consequences. Finally, an effort needs to be made to redress Palestinian grievances because it is right and in accordance with a value system that the Israelis proudly affirm and a religion that proclaims again and again to empathize with the stranger, “Because you too were strangers in Egypt”.

 Whatever is being done now is not working. Tough Bibi cow towing to his extremists is just not cutting it. So there is a choice either carry on as per usual and allow more and more anger to smolder with its accompanying violence or try something new. No one is going to give Gaza and the West bank nation status but make an effort to create an infrastructure that rewards those who actually don’t want this violence. Create a life for Palestinians as far as possible so they may vent their spleens on the real architects of their hopelessness. And for heavens sake stop building and expanding settlements. 

The emphasis should be on the rights and the dignity of individual Palestinians both within and without Israel proper. Israel should make an effort to make the Israeli Palestinians real Israelis instead of patronisingly and even abusingly tolerating them. They are a minority in Israel that are not fully achieving. Therefore create the opportunities for them to fulfill their potential. If necessary introduce affirmative action. As for the Palestinians in the territories give those that demonstrate that just want peace and happiness work permits and dignity. Of course there is a risk but as is apparent there is even a bigger risk by not doing so. These are just suggestions but the idea should be worked on. Just like the Israelis are still around sixty five years later so are these Palestinians.

Change the paradigm or assuredly the violence will never stop. If one tries there is always hope. Of course Abbas and Hamas et al will reject all these moves but they are not aimed at them.

MORE OF THE SAME

To date the debate from the leadership on both sides of the divide has been sterile and inflammatory. Abbas sticking to his narrative that any Israeli response to violence is, by definition, a disproportionate response, outdid himself when he claimed that Israelis executed a 13 year old after he had attempted murder. He also maintained that Israel was attacking Muslim Holy sites and added fuel to the fire by talking of “filthy jewish feet” in Muslim holy places. The Palestinian child was alive and being cared for in a hospital and no holy sites have been violated. Abbas one has no control over. He answers to a different constituency. Not so Bibi.

As for the gratuitous offers from all and sundry to run the holy places for Israel that is really not going to fly. 

Netanyahu never fails to disappoint. His interventions have not exactly been designed to calm things down.He harks back to the past including a ludicrous statement that the Palestinians persuaded Hitler to exterminate the jews. He maintained provocatively that this low intensity Intifada is not going anywhere. He spouts out loud prior to Kerry’s arrival - “No concessions to Abbas”. He is not going to reward terrorism. Who is asking him to?  Reward those who are not involved in terrorism. Do something positive. Everyone knows that Israel has been a victim of aggression and that these murderous attacks are unconscionable. Move on to create a climate where they are totally unacceptable. It won't be easy with all the mistrust but try. If acting now in midst of crisis is uncomfortable let him state his intention to do so when the violence ends.  Deprive the apologists the rationalization of “What can you expect? It is as a result of hopelessness, They have nothing to lose”. It is in this area of propaganda that Israel is outmaneuvered.

Netanyahu needs to get his story straight. On the one hand he rightly and proudly points to the fact that there are 17 Arab Knesset members but now has used the occasion to attack them all as a result of the highly seditious remarks of a Knesset Member Haneen Zoabi. Nor has he curbed repeated charges by some of his cabinet who accuse all the Arab Knesset Members of being terrorists and have ordered them to hand back their citizenships.

Netanyahu can play the current unrest down with his usual bombast or play it up, depending on the audience but his response is to stamp it out by braggado and more repressive action and legislation. This will do nought to ameliorate the fears of all those Israelis and Palestinians scouring behind locked doors and peering into the empty eerie streets now and thereafter.

ANATOMY OF THE CURRENT CRISIS

Jay H. Ell marvels at how nonchalantly the world reacted towards the cold blooded murders that precipitated this escalating violence. This being inflamed by unprecedented obscene internet outpourings including videos on how to stab a jew. There were however incidents that were forerunners to this current flareup that gave credibility to the propagandists’ infamy that Israel were going to take over the Muslim holy sites. Under the existing agreement only Arabs are allowed to pray at the Al - Asque compound. (To get some empathy going, the Mosque means to the locals what the Western Wall signifies to the Israelis - a religious and a cultural shrine). Prior to the stabbings there were large demonstrations by religious right wing Israelis, at Al- Asque, which lasted several days, demanding the right to pray there as well. The protestors were under the protection of Israeli security forces. The subsequent reassurances by the Israeli authorities that the status quo would still remain were lukewarm.

Here in lies the source of much of the problem from the Israeli side. It is the far right, backed by Netanyahu, that have grabbed the agenda whether it be by increasing settlements or by inflammatory rhetoric that has hobbled any possibility of creating innovative solutions. 

AT THE END OF THE DAY

As argued Israel is now in the position to make some moves firstly to meet the needs of its own Palestinian citizenry, (they have an endless list of grievances as to how they are being discriminated against), and start offering some rights to those Palestinians who see the futility in this no win struggle. Unhappily this will meet with opposition from the Israeli right but do they want to see their children die year after year in a battle that never resolves? What is their end game? The Israeli right also need to be taken on. They do not have a monopoly on Israel’s future. Hopefully some positive moves might evoke leadership from those Palestinians that see cooperation as the answer. This would be a slow process but Israel are in the driving seat at the moment as the undisputed power in the region and are in a position to dictate the shots. What have they got to lose? 

Make a start Bibi or how do you ultimately see this playing out - an ongoing conflict where you again and again show them who is the boss as Israel bleeds blood and treasure and the Palestinian dead are proclaimed as martyrs? 

Or even better do the statesmanlike thing Bibi and call it quits.