The vital importance of not missing historical chances is analyzed in this article by Dr. David Bennett.
It has been correctly said of the political leadership of the Palestinian people that they never missed a chance to miss a chance. The correctness of this observation can be illustrated by analyzing the leadership patterns and decisions of the Palestinian people’s two principal leaders, the Grand Mufti of Palestine, Amin al-Husseini, who died in 1974, and Yaser Arafat (1929 to 2004). Had these two leaders accepted post-World War I Jewish settlement in the territory (then a British held Mandate from the League of Nations) or supported a two-state solution in which there would have been a respective Jewish Palestinian state and an Arab Palestinian state then the position of the Palestinian people would be infinitely better than it is today.
The position of the Jewish people in what became the State of Israel after May 1948 also would have been tremendously strengthened by the co-establishment of an Arab Palestinian state because this would have helped facilitate acceptance of the Jewish nation in the Arab world. It would therefore be a mistake on the part of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu if he was now to move his country away from arriving at a two-state solution.
Indeed, it would be a tragedy if the Iranian instigated attacks undertaken by Hamas on October 7th, 2023, ultimately have their intended impact of diverting Arab nations under the Abraham Accords away from recognizing Israel. Ironically at this juncture the Netanyahu government may be moving away from a two-state solution when there may be widespread hostility among the population of the Gaza Strip toward Hamas for using them as human shields in the conflict that followed the October 7th, 2023, terror attacks.
Therefore, even if Gaza is temporarily divided into two zones of military occupation, an Israeli one and a multi-national zone, the overwhelming majority of Gaza residents would probably accept these occupation arrangements, so long as a political settlement was quickly reached. For this political solution as envisaged by the Trump Administration to be arrived at, the Gaza Strip is to eventually rejoin, administratively and politically with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the West Bank. However, in the interim, it is proposed that the Gaza Strip will be governed by an internationally supervised technocratic administration, It has been suggested that the British statesman Tony Blair would be an ideal candidate to lead such an interim administration until democratic elections in the Gaza Strip could be held. Subsequent reunification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank should be contingent upon there also being elections for the Palestinian Authority (PA) so that a future Palestinian State could be truly democratic. The international negotiating process (which would hopefully include Arab nations) by which the Gaza Strip is returned to the PA could be part of a broader Israeli Palestinian negotiating process that would enable a two-state solution to be finally concluded.
Palestine Recognition: Horse and Cart
Until there is finalization of such a negotiating process the de jure international recognition of a Palestinian state should be withheld. Centre-left governments in Australia and Britian have therefore made a mistake by recently moving to formally recognize a Palestinian state. This is because recognition of a Palestinian state should be conditional upon such a future nation recognizing Isreal’s right to exist and also agreeing to secure border arrangements so that there can be no repeat of the measures such as the October 7th, 2023, terrorist attacks and anti-Israeli hostilities in general.
To help prevent such terrorist outrages from ever re-occurring Hamas should be ejected from the Gaza Strip by Israel or by an international military force that should include a significant contribution by middle eastern military nations. The establishment of a two-nation solution would depend upon the success of such an operation.
Crucial to the successful finalization of such a process would be the involvement of the United States. Under the leadership of the Trump Administration there has been tangible progress toward peace in the Middle East. Military action such as the recent American aerial bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities advanced the Middle East peace process. This has been because the acute danger of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons has been eliminated and Hamas was induced to agree to a cease-fire and to release the remaining Israeli hostages.
If the Trump Administration’s dual approach in undertaking military action followed by diplomatic maneuvering is to continue to succeed, then the negotiating process must continue to be focused upon reaching a two-state solution vis a vis Isreal and Palestine. Therefore, it would be a grave mistake on the Netanyahu government’s part if it were to fall into Tehran’s strategically set trap of Isreal responding to the October 7th 2023terror attacks by re-occupying the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Scourge of Antisemitism
Furthermore, an abandonment by Isreal of a pursuit of the two-state solution would, alas further generate antisemitism around the world. The antisemitic demonstrations which have occurred since the October 7th, 2023, terror attacks, have spanned Europe, the United States and Australia. As an Australian organization, Social Action Australia (SAA) is appalled and disturbed by the antisemitic demonstrations which have occurred in this nation.
Alarmingly, antisemitism is also on the rise in the United States, which is Isreal’s main backer. This rising antisemitism has been manifested by anti-Israel demonstrations which have spread across America in the wake of the October 7th, 2023, terror attacks. Particularly concerning is that antisemitic elements – which are avowedly ‘anti-Zionist’ – are currently infiltrating the Democratic Party via far-left organizations, such as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Already there are DSA congressmen and congresswomen, which is a possible indication that the mainstream of the Democratic Party may eventually transition to an anti-Israel position. For it should not be forgotten it was a Democratic Party Administration that originally committed the Unites States to militarily support South Vietnam in the 1960s and, it was the Democrats in the US Congress, who eventually and fatally undercut American support for that nation in the 1970s as part of that party moving to the far-left.
The lesson for Isreal is that this historical pattern (which was manifested by the Biden Administration’s shameful abandonment of Afghanistan in August 2021) of the United States betraying its allies could re-occur should the Democratic Party continue to move leftward. From Israel’s perspective the negotiation of a two-state solution would therefore vitally help in bringing Arab nations onside should American abandonment of Israel eventually occur.
Even during the Obama Administration (2009 to 2017) there were dangerous signs of American Israeli estrangement. Had it not been for the political intervention of the then House Speaker, the Democrat Nancy Pelosi, there might have been a rapture in relations between Washington and Jerusalem.
Why the United States Must Help Save Ukraine
It was also due to Speaker Pelosi’s leadership intervention that the United States did not abandon Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of that nation in February 2022. Then president of the United States, Joe Biden was prepared to abandon Ukraine to Russian conquest and would have done so had it not been for the Pelosi intervention. Whether Donald Trump’s administration will be recognized as one of the worst or the best in US history will in part depend on whether the United States vitally assists in helping to facilitate a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and if America is able to assist in helping to rescue Ukraine from the Russian invasion.
For if the United States does not help save Ukraine, mainland communist China will have a green light to invade the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. A Chinse communist conquest of this island would fatally undercut the American position in the Asia-Pacific region and in world affairs overall.
It is therefore of concern that the Trump Administration’s recently imposed oil sanctions against the Russian Federation seem ineffective because they will take too long to become effective so that Russia now appears to be on the brink of conquering Ukraine. Unfortunately, Russia has all but conquered eastern Ukraine as Kyiv alas cannot retake this part of the nation. Furthermore, because the European nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will not defensively deploy troops to western Ukraine a consequent Russian takeover of Ukraine now seems inevitable.
However, the Trump Administration can still save Ukraine by an expeditious approval to supply Tomahawk missiles and related munitions and operational systems to that nation. Such an action would send an unequivocal message to Moscow of the commitment of the West to support Ukraine and to not allow it to be consumed by the Russian state.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin knows that the dispatch by the United States of Tomahawk missiles can significantly tip the balance in Ukraine. Consequently, the Russian dictator is upping the ante by warning of Armageddon should the United States provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. The United States can still however, restrain Ukraine from using those missiles even if they possess them, on the condition that Moscow agrees to attend an international conference to end the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Such an international conference could be American mediated and if the territorial concessions to Russia are sufficient, then Moscow might end its war of aggression against Ukraine. Kyiv might have to concede substantial territory to Russia, but this could be off-set by European NATO troops being defensively deployed to western Ukraine as a guarantee that a negotiated political settlement to the Russo-Ukrainian War would be effective.
Why Chances must not be Missed
The world therefore needs American diplomatic and political leadership if conflicts such as the Israel/Palestine dispute and the Russ-Ukrainian War are to end. The resolution of these two conflicts could, in turn could help prevent a Chinese communist invasion of the ROC on Taiwan thereby helping to prevent the possible outbreak of a catastrophic global conflict.