 |
| The UN Vote; Photo from Al-Quds Newspaper website. |
Less than an
hour ago, Palestine, was recognized by the UN General Assembly as a state. Even
if the Palestinians still have a far way to reach statehood, tonight confirmed the
urgency in establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza strip. The
President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, must be congratulated for his strategy
of taking practical steps, which has led his people to this day.
The Israeli
government has worked hard during the last few days to downplay the significance
of tonight’s vote. However, their recent actions just show us how out of touch
with reality they have become. Now that the vote is over, Prime Minister
Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, cannot escape the fact
that the vote for Palestine was a major defeat for a government that did everything
possible to grab more land, while stalling the peace process. However, more
importantly, the vote for Palestine marks something much more significant, showing the Israelis that the dream of a Greater Israel, was only that –a dream.
 |
| Palestinians Celebrating Photo from Al-Quds Newspaper Website |
Yes, tonight
marks the start of the decolonization of Palestine; not of historical
Palestine, but of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Tonight, Israelis need to ask
their politicians why for the last 45 years, they have clung onto the idea that
Israel could legitimately rule over a mass population, stripped of civil and
political rights. Or, ask themselves, why have they opted to ignore the injustices, and turned their backs, perhaps in sheer exhaustion of the conflict.
I wish I could
be optimistic; however, I also fear the future. The work ahead of us will be
painful on both sides. Violence can erupt at a moment’s notice, spiraling out
of control. Therefore, each side will have to work to do its utmost to work for reconciliation in their own camps, preparing the way for a comprehensive peace agreement. Let us not forget, that it
was 65 years ago tonight that Palestine was thrown into a bloody civil war
between Arab and Jew, costing each side one percent of their population, and
leading to a refugee problem which continues until today.
Lastly, to the
skeptics, among them Palestinians (and a minority of Jews), who support a one-state solution, believing
the two peoples should live under one flag, with the principles of a liberal democracy
of “one person one vote.” I say the following: let us work towards the two-state
solution, and if peace prevails, together we can think of creative solutions,
such as two-states no borders, a confederacy, or, yes, a one state solution. In the end, it will be the people on both sides who decide.
For now, I will
take this opportunity, to congratulate Palestine, and the Palestinians. As I watched the UN Vote from my home in Istanbul, I took the time to remember all the demonstrations for Palestine we took part it in,
Israelis and Palestinians together, remembering the tears we shed, both from
happiness and sadness. Now, a once distant thought of
a free Palestine, alongside Israel, seems closer than ever.
===================================
FOLLOW ME on TWITTER @istanbultelaviv for more on whats happening in Turkey and Israel/Palestine, the uprising in Syria, and the Middle East at large.
No comments:
Post a Comment