.jpg)
In the tumultuous confusion of the on-going Syrian and refugees crisis and the so-called Islamic State (IS) movement in the Middle Eastern countries and its supposed stirring tails elsewhere in the world, the Middle East’s prime and crucial Palestinian issue seems has become a submersion story. Though, of late, the world media has directed its attention a bit away from the owes and sufferings of the Palestinian people, to concentrate its attention to the problem of taming terrorism around the world, the terrorist state of Israel is not worried and not sitting silent or idle – under the safe western umbrella it’s fine. Trumps victory to boost US-Israel ties!
A senior Israeli Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett on November 14, 2016 said the election of Donald Trump has helped create an opportunity for Israel to abandon its stated commitment
to the establishment of a Palestinian state
Prof Sarwar Md Saifullah Khaled
In the tumultuous confusion of the on-going Syrian and refugees crisis and the so-called Islamic State (IS) movement in the Middle Eastern countries and its supposed stirring tails elsewhere in the world, the Middle Easts prime and crucial Palestinian issue seems has become a submersion story. Though, of late, the world media has directed its attention a bit away from the owes and sufferings of the Palestinian people, to concentrate its attention to the problem of taming terrorism around the world, the terrorist state of Israel is not worried and not sitting silent or idle under the safe western umbrella its fine.
Terrorist Israel is continuing hammering on the head of the innocent and unfortunate Palestinian people and is busy in finding ways and means to deprive the Palestinians as much as it can of their genuine rights of existence and a free and safe land of their own. Moreover, the victory of the Republican Donald Trump in the recently concluded United States (US) presidential election is seen by Israel as opportunities to further cower the Palestinian people by its authority and dodge the Palestinian people who are fighting for their genuine rights of a free country for long.
A senior Israeli Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett on November 14, 2016 said the election of Donald Trump has helped create an opportunity for Israel to abandon its stated commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The remarks by Bennett reflect sentiment in the nationalist Israeli right wing that Trumps election could usher in a new era of relations with the United States. While the two countries are close allies, relations were sometimes tense between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of their vastly different world views. Bennett last week welcomed Trumps election, predicting that the special relationship with the US would grow stronger and noting that the Republican campaign platform had no mention of a Palestinian state. At the same time he declared that The era of a Palestinian state is over.
Speaking to foreign reporters on November 14, 2016, Bennett was more cautious, citing an order by Netanyahu for his Cabinet not to talk about the election in public. But he made it clear that he will push his own government to rethink its commitment to Palestinian independence. Bennett said that The combination of the changes in the United States, in Europe and the region provide Israel with a unique opportunity to reset and rethink everything. Its no secret that I think that the notion of setting up a Palestine in the heart of Israel is a profound mistake. I believe that we have to bring alternative new ideas instead of the Palestinian state approach.
Though Bennett said he did not know whether Trump would support that view, he said it is critical that Israel now clearly define its own vision. He said that My expectation is not from anyone abroad. After many years, the Israeli government has to decide what we want. Bennetts comments were also an indicator of the pressure Netanyahu could soon face to abandon his commitment to the two-state solution favoured by Obama and the international community. For two decades, the international community has been pushing for a negotiated peace deal that would include the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.
The thinking was that Israels continued occupation of millions of Palestinians would create a demographic time bomb in which Arabs would eventually outnumber Jews, threatening Israels status as a democracy with a Jewish majority. After opposing Palestinian independence for most of his career, Netanyahu reluctantly endorsed the idea shortly after Obama took office in 2009. But critics, including Obama, have said that continued Israeli settlement on occupied territories have undercut this goal, and the Obama administration has at times questioned Netanyahus commitment to seeking peace.
Bennett leads the Jewish Home party, a coalition partner that is affiliated with the West Bank settler movement. He is one of the most influential voices in Israeli politics, and both his party and most members of Netanyahus Likud oppose Palestinian statehood on either religious or security grounds. Bennett has instead called for annexing parts of the West Bank and granting the Palestinians in other parts expanded autonomy, with new roads, office parks and economic opportunities, with Israel retaining overall security control. Israeli hard-liners welcomed Trumps election last week, noting the strong support for Israel in his campaign platform and the many pro-Israel officials who advised him during his campaign. Their spirits were further boosted after a Trump adviser, Jason Greenblatt, told an Israeli radio station that his boss does not think the West Bank settlements are an obstacle to peace.
Following Greenblatts comments, Cabinet Minister Ofir Akunis, a close Netanyahu associate, called for a renewed wave of settlement construction. But such sentiments may have been premature. Trumps unpredictability has raised concerns that he might change his attitudes once in office. For instance, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he would like to help broker a solution to the conflict for humanitys sake. In an interview with Israel Today, a free daily owned by Republican super-donor Sheldon Adelson, Trump said he believed his administration can play a significant role in helping the Middle East parties reach an agreement.
Netanyahu, however, told his Cabinet on November 13, 2016 that he would soon be meeting Trump. He ordered his Cabinet and lawmakers to avoid speaking to the media about the election while the incoming US administration formulates its policies. All sensible people and powers around the globe hope that the Trump administration will not give vent to his hatred for Muslims in depriving the Palestinian people who has been driven forcefully away from their motherland more than seven decades back in 1948 in realising their genuine rights of a free Palestine state only because they are Muslims.
The writer is a retired Professorof Economics
