|
independent palestinian statehood is discussed: turkey’s viewpoint |
|
|
Wednesday, 18 November 2009The two-state solution to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has recently been called into question after the rumors that Palestinian Authority is preparing to announce an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank. As the Middle East peace process could not be kindled by the Obama Administration, first the Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas had announced that he would not seek re-election in the upcoming Palestinian elections. Abbas’ move was interpreted as a “rebuff” by many to urge the U.S. take more concrete steps towards restarting the peace process and harsher stance on Israel. Palestinians have now been claimed to be preparing to announce a Palestinian state in the West Bank unilaterally, which has spurred controversies as to the Palestinian intentions and the two-state solution the UN adopted as the ultimate solution envisaged for the end of the conflict.
Regarding the declaration of independent Palestinian state, Mahmoud Abbas is reported to have expressed the difficulty the PA found itself in after the peace talks stalled. He is reported to have also said that "what is the solution for us? To remain suspended like this, not in peace? That is why I took this step." The creation of an independent Palestinian state, which Hamas rejects and thinks is impossible without resisting the Israeli occupation has been associated with Salam Fayyad, the PM of the Palestinian Authority. Fayyad had presented his vision for the creation of a Palestinian State by the year 2011 before. Concerning the recent talks about the declaration of a Palestinian state he expressed the need to build state institutions in the West Bank. He said that "they're talking about unilateralism, to which we reply yes, building state institutions is our responsibility and we embrace it." The former leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat had also declared a Palestinian State from Algiers in 1989, which did not come into fruition as intended.
Even before the heated controversies about the Palestinian state started on the Israeli side, Shaul Mofaz, a former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff and a Member of Knesset representing the second seat on the Kadima Party list, had announced his proposal the immediate establishment of an independent disarmed Palestinian state in the West Bank and in Gaza. In the meantime, final status issues would be negotiated in his plan. Mofaz’ plan envisaged a permanent Palestinian state with temporary borders and simultaneous negotiations on principal and most contentious issues such as borders, right of return, and Jerusalem.
Reactions from Inside and Outside
At the same time, Israeli coalition government has been divided over the response to be given if a Palestinian state is declared. While the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu talked about “one-sided steps”, which would be to annex more land in the occupied West Bank, the centre-left Labor Party in coalition government rejected this response as an option, threatening to withdraw from the government if that happens. The Labor Party minister Ben-Eliezer said that the only proper way is to bring the sides to the negotiating table again.
The Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat said today on the other hand that the Palestinians are not looking for declaration of independent Palestinian but rather "they are seeking in consultation with the Europeans, the Russians, the UN, the African group, the Latin group, the Asian group, others, and the Americans, to see the possibility of having the Security Council pass a resolution to recognize the two state solution on the '67 border." Such a resolution, Erekat said, would be in line with the Security Council Resolution 1515, which confirmed the major principles of the roadmap announced by the Quartet (the UN, Russia, the U.S. and the EU) and “reaffirmed its vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders.
The rival Palestinian faction, Hamas demanded that if a Palestinian state will be declared this should be done after the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land ends and such an option would require the Oslo to be annulled and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) to be reorganized and rebuilt. Hamas announced that the establishment of the Palestinian state should not be “an option used by the Palestinian authority (PA) to fill the political vacuum caused by the failure of the peace process.”
The rumors about the declaration of Palestinian statehood elicited responses from the major actors in the international community as well. Swedish foreign minister Carl Blidt, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, that the time is not ripe yet for an independent Palestinian statehood. He said before a EU foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday that "I don't think we are there yet. I would hope that we will be in a position to recognize a Palestinian state, but there has to be one first. I think that is somewhat premature." U.S. State Department expressed the need to bring two sides into the negotiation table before such a unilateral move and the U.S. vision for “a contiguous and viable Palestine through negotiations between the parties.” Turkey has long been a proponent of tw0-state solution to the conflict. Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu had said in his speech to the UN Security Council as a temporary member of the Council that Turkey will contribute towards the efforts to help “Israel and Palestine coexist side by side within secure, peaceful and recognized borders as two democratic countries.” He reasserted the two-state solution-based Turkish position on solving the conflict at the Arab League Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Cairo in September. |
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LATEST NEWS
FROM MIDDLE EAST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MOST VISITED NEWS (DAILY) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
