In this article, I intended to focus on the importance of supporting and defending the Palestinian cause; but then I did not go with this intent because I am sure that millions of Palestinian people in Palestine or in the diaspora are able to defend themselves, and that the Palestinian leadership is keen to defend its cause, and that the justice of the Palestinian cause will one day impose itself before the international community. The international community that can no longer remember anything – except for in some rare situations – about the fact that there is a Palestinian land that is still under Israeli occupation, and even if it remembers, it only issues statements that are of no use.
Therefore, I found it better to try to focus in this article on trying to foresee the future, and what the Palestinians are required to do? How can they move during the next stage? What are the necessary mechanisms for this move? Is there a possibility that these moves will produce positive results or will they be useless?
First of all, I must be fair to emphasize that the Palestinian cause was – and will remain – the central Arab issue, regardless of the size of the other issues raised in the region, which differ in their nature and complexities from the Palestinian cause that has been close to six decades since the 1967 war. Other Arab issues did not have their people exposed to occupation, settlement, annexation and Judaization, and they do not have the problems of Jerusalem, security, borders, water, prisoners and settlements. Consequently, whatever the conflicts in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and others, they are destined for a political solution that looms on the horizon even if its timing is delayed or not satisfactory to all involved parties in these conflicts.
let me start with an important point related to the Palestinian position towards the American declaration regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations during the coming period between the sisterly United Arab Emirates and Israel, and here I would like to point out five main points.
The first point is that if the Palestinian position is entitled to object to any move by any country that is not in its interest; however, it is not logical for the reaction to be violent, as what happened against the UAE. If the Palestinian leadership reviews its position, it will find that words such as “treason” and “aggression” should not have a place in such a situation. I am sure that the Palestinian leadership has enough civility, wisdom and courage to address this situation that must be addressed.
The second point is that every country has the right to take decisions that achieve its interests both internally and externally, and no one disputes that. I do not doubt for a moment that the UAE has its visions, convictions and goals, and made its decision based on accurate calculations.
The third point is that the Palestinians should study the results of their reaction to this agreement. Was it in their interest or was it not? What are the real gains they achieved as a result of their attack on the Emirates?
The fourth point is that the Palestinian position must be keen to win on its side all Arab and Islamic countries and most countries of the world, as this majority will have a role in maintaining the required momentum for the Palestinian cause.
The fifth point is that the two largest countries that support the Palestinian position and strongly oppose the unilateral Israeli measures are Egypt and Jordan, which have established diplomatic relations with Israel for decades. Moreover, these two countries have never stopped moving in all international forums to emphasize that the solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict is an element of stability for the region through the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of 67, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The question that I would like to ask my dear Palestinian brothers is “what will their position be if other Arab countries start establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, which is something we should expect?” Will the Palestinians consider this and the resulting decisions as a betrayal, and the Palestinian cause loses the Arab support it needs – regardless of its size and impact – now and in the future? In my opinion, the next Palestinian reaction must be different from the reaction to the UAE-Israel agreement.
It is necessary for the Palestinians – and the Arab countries of course – to realize that Israel has not and will not concede to annexing the Jordan Valley, which it has been realistically annexing for some time on the ground without a formal declaration. I have no doubt that the formal annexation will come at a later stage, if it is confronted not solely by Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, or the UAE, but by an influential and integrated Palestinian-Arab international effort. We must bear in mind that the annexation is part of the American peace plan known as the “deal of the century”, whose implementation actually began with the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and then the start of the process of expanding the base of Israeli-Arab relations.
It is not necessary to talk here about the lessons learned from the past, and I mean the political agreements that were made in previous stages (such as: the Camp David Accords or the Oslo Accords), what were the positive and negative points that they included, and how they represented at that time an important variable that has not been invested properly. However, I am convinced that these agreements did not meet all Palestinian aspirations. Rather, they were – in my opinion – a new variable that came in circumstances that do not recur frequently, and it was a step that must be followed by many steps, but in the end, they were not completed and their files were closed the way they were.
So, what are Palestinians required to do in the near future? I think that I must start with the necessity to end the Palestinian division, and to resume Egyptian efforts in this regard, provided that the parties have the will and conviction that if the division is not ended in light of the current unprecedented Palestinian, Israeli, Arab and international conditions, when will that be? The cornerstone of ending the division is for Hamas to announce its full readiness to give up control of the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority to return to the Strip, and agreement on a political agenda that includes the foundations of joint national action and the issue of elections in its three parts; but without that there can be no serious discussion about the future reconciliation. In this case, the Palestinians will only blame themselves if they are not interested in solving a Palestinian-Palestinian issue that is still in their hands.
At the same time, with the conviction that the Palestinian cause is a collective Arab responsibility, the Palestinian Authority must start a broad political movement at the regional and international levels during which it presents its positions, and requests the support of these countries for a political solution based on the principle of the two-state solution. This means – in the end – that the Palestinian leadership is primarily responsible for creating this momentum in as soon as possible, so that this would be the beginning of an Arab and international momentum based on this Palestinian move.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians must initiate what I call the peace attack inside the Israeli society by conducting a serious and continuous dialogue with the Israeli peace forces, which still see Netanyahu’s policy as a wrong policy that will not bring security to Israel and strongly opposes the annexation policy. In parallel with this effort, it is important for the Palestinian Authority to find the appropriate tools to communicate with the current US administration at the level it deems important, appropriate and influential. I believe that this effort should not wait for the results of the US elections.
In the end, I must pose a necessary question “what is the political project that the Palestinian Authority will present to the international community as a realistic vision to establish a just peace with Israel that achieves security and stability for both the Palestinian and Israeli states?” Will this project be the Arab peace initiative that is no longer acceptable to the Israelis and the Americans because we have not succeeded in marketing it? Or will we have another political project or vision that convinces the world that the Palestinians are a reliable partner for establishing final peace for the Palestinian cause?
Consequently, I see the importance for the Palestinians – in coordination with Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – to crystallize an integrated political vision for a political solution accepted by the international community to be a catalyst in promoting this vision. Moreover, we should not be satisfied with telling the world that we have an Arab peace initiative on the table for nearly twenty years; nor should we be very happy with the statements of international support for the cause as long as it will not change the reality on the ground.
I still see that the biggest mistake that has been committed – whatever the justifications are – is to leave the political arena empty for both the United States and Israel to control the Palestinian cause, direct it as they see, and put forward projects for a solution that ignores the just and rightful Palestinian position, despite the fact that this position is the most important figure in the solution equation.
In brief, I call on the Palestinian Authority to exert a double effort so that it becomes strongly present in the political system for a solution during the coming period, and to present what I call the “Palestinian deal of the century”, which must include a comprehensive, integrated and detailed vision for the solution with maps and statistics (similar to the American “deal of the century”). With such a vision, the Palestinians can invade the international community, and assure the world that the they are steadfast people who are present on the map despite the will of those who do not see that, have legitimate rights to establish their independent state that they will not give up, have a realistic political vision for a solution, and are ready from now on to resume negotiations with Israel on grounds to be agreed upon by all parties. In case such a vision does not become a reality, there will be no discussion of the possibility of the region enjoying stability and security.
