Palestine and peace

On the same day that Bahrain signed an agreement at the White House, on recognizing Israel, there was violence in the region itself. Israel fired 10 missiles into Palestinian. The violence was accompanied by protests from Palestinians over the agreements being reached by some Arab nations under pressure from Washington, over recognizing Israel. It is dubious if this would be possible. What is important that we do not forget just how much the Palestinians have suffered over the seven decades since they were evicted from their own land and their own homes. For these reasons, it is crucial that a fair deal be reached over the matter. The violence that exists between the countries and the wars fought in the region have simply exposed just what Israel is capable of as a state.

The fact is that the international community has to act to put an end to the dispute. But this cannot happen by signing accords which have been worked out by Washington, in cooperation with Israel. It is vital that Palestinians gain the rights for which they have fought for so many years. Tens of thousands of them have been forced to leave their homeland and others continue to battle one of the strongest militaries in the world. In the occupied West Bank they are being driven away from homes they have lived in for decades. In Gaza, they are denied food, power and other basic services because of Israel’s illegal blockage. Within Israel itself they are treated like second-class citizens and increasingly segregated away from the Jewish population. They cannot pray in their mosques without fear of attack and any response to Israeli provocation is met with brutal force. The rest of the world needs to wake up to the fact that Israel has colonised territory and established an apartheid state.

To do so, an international panel should be put to work. For so many years, the world has failed in recognizing the suffering of the Palestinians and giving them back some control over their own lives. These people should not have to wait any longer, nor should they be forced to resort to violence, which results only in harsh retaliation from Israel and its strong military forces. Instead, the UN and other world nations, interested in peace must fight to ensure peace in the Middle East and work out a formula that can guarantee it for all the people living there.