The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Requires A Two-State Solution

Conflict resolution and conflict management is a double edge sword. It is a win-win solution between parties and not win-lose scenario vice-versa. An entrenched position of both Israel and Palestine is not the solution but there is a way out if Palestine can revert to the Oslo Accord signed by Yasser Arafat on behalf of the Palestinian people. The peace pact in 1993 signifies end of the conflict because Palestine accepted to recognize the existence of Israel but that, Israel should grant them the liberty to govern themselves devoid of violence and extremism whiles both states agrees to peaceful co-existence between both states. Further, Israel ceases to use its military might against the Palestinian people in their quest to defend its existence and right of occupation.

Therefore, The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of a kind that requires global attention calling for a two state solution. No well discerning mind is happy with the plight of the Palestinian people to the extent of hunger, deaths and starvation of Palestinians including women and children. But for those who don’t understand the root cause of the conflict, its etymology, its historical antecedent and geo political landscape of right of occupation by Israel and Palestine, civilians caught up in this struggle are victims of circumstance as Israel is seen as “Devil’s Advocate” in its quest to defend its citizens from extremism and existential threats of terrorism as a sovereign state, has used excessive military might against the Palestinian people.

HISTORICAL ANTECEDENT
This conflict could be traced as far back as 1948 when the Jews returned from exile to occupy their homeland after years in exile after the fall of Jerusalem to the Roman Empire in the wake of the persecutions of Jews around 70ce. Historical antecedent traces that The Fall of Jerusalem scattered the Jews around the world when they looked helpless until 1948 when they returned home which was then occupied by the Palestinian people who according to historiography, migrated from Jordan and Egypt to settle in Israel after the Jews fled Jerusalem after the fall. Since, Israel has been recognized as a Sovereign state by the United Nations and Palestine as non sovereign state subservient to Israel in terms of Sovereignty. Thus, what it means is that the UN does not recognize Palestine as a Sovereign state. UN recognizes Palestine as an Observer state at the UN General Assembly. So in context, with this Sovereign power, Israel is to oversee the Social and Economic administration of the Palestine people whiles Palestine oversee the political administration of its people. This has been the struggle and genesis of the conflict because the Palestinian people rejects this sovereign authority of Israel calling for complete extermination of the Jewish State from occupation which according to them, the Jews never own that territory which they occupied for over1000 years. This they call “Anti-Zionism”

So for over 1000yrs the Palestinian people had occupied Jewish settlements predominantly in Gaza and West bank until the Jews returned in 1948 to take back their land yet for a peaceful co-existence between the two states, Israel surrendered to Gaza and other cities the Palestinians occupy today to advance this peaceful co existence between the two states. The Palestinian Liberation Organization started this armed struggle to exterminate Israel and expelled them since 1964. The PLO in Arabic means“Munazzamat at-Tahir al Filastiniyyah”. It is an Organization founded in 1964 with the sole purpose of “Palestine Liberation” from Israel through armed struggle which much of its target is aimed at Israel civilians.It was founded in Ramallah, West Bank. The Ideology of the PLO is Palestinian Nationalism which was a derivative from the Palestine National Covenant. The Covenant is Anti-Zionist dedicated to the restoration of the Palestinian Homeland. At the heart of the PLO Ideology is the belief that Israel has unjustifiably expelled Palestinians from Palestine and established a Jewish State under the pretext of having historical ties with Palestine. The PLO demanded that Palestine refugees be allowed to return to their homes and this was expressed in the National Covenant. The PLO was considered by the US and Israel as a terrorist organization until the Madrid Conference in 1991.The PLO and its dominant faction, the Fattah Inclinations are more often contrasted to that of the pro-religious entrenched factions like the Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The Fattah holds on Secular Beliefs whiles the Hamas and PIJ holds onto Extremism

In 1993, the PLO under the leadership of Yasser Arafat recognized Israel right to exist and in a peace accord, accepted the UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and rejected violence and any act of terrorism. In response, Israel officially recognized the PLO as the official representative of the Palestine people. However, the PLO has employed violence in the years since 1993 particularly during the 2000-2005 Second Intifada. The first Intifada was in 1987 which broke out in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and lasted till the Madrid Conference in 1991 which led to the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993. During these periods and until date, the PLO with its militant allies such as the Hamas, PIJ, Fattah, Popular Front, Democratic Front have launched series of rockets attacks and suicide bombings on Israel killing dozens and hundreds of civilians and security forces to demonstrate their displeasure and protest over Israel occupation.

Israel over the period has also retaliated in equal measure and sometimes had to use excessive force to defend itself against the attacks from the Palestine PLO and Hamas which results in fatal killings of Palestine civilians. The armed struggle continues with Hamas the De facto government of Gaza in recent time and has since continued with the armed struggle by launching rocket attacks and suicide bombings on Israel. On October, 2018, the Palestinian Central Council suspended the recognition of Israel and halted security and economic coordination with Israel. Since 2011, several attempts have been made by Palestine to coerce the UN to grant them a State recognition but to no avail.

Hamas which took over the liberation struggle is an Islamic Resistance Movement. It is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamist fundamentalist organization. It has a social service wing called Dawah and military wing called the ad-Din al-Quassam Brigades. It has been the De Facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip since its takeover of that area since 2007. During this period, it fought several wars with Israel. It is regarded either in whole or in part as a terrorist organization by several countries and international organizations. Most notable of them are the Israel, US, and the European Union.

The Hamas Charter in 1988 affirmed that it was formed to liberate Palestine including modern day Israel from Israel occupation and to establish an Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip. The group had stated that it may accept 10years truce if Israel withdraw from Gaza and West Bank and allow Palestinian refugees from 1948 including their descendants to return to Israel although clarifying that this does not mean recognition of Israel or the end of the conflict. The militant wing of Hamas objected to the truce offer. Analysts have said that it seems it is clear that Hamas knows that many of its condition of the truce could not be met. The Hamas has launched attacks against Israel civilians and soldiers often describing their actions as retaliatory in particular the upper echelon of their leadership. Their tactics have included suicide bombings and since 2001, it’s been rocket attacks. Hamas rocket arsenals though mainly consisting of short range homemade Quassam rockets also include long range weapons that have reached Israel cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa. The attacks on civilians have been condemned as crime against humanity and war crime by human right groups such as Human Right Watch. A 2017 Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion polls in the Palestinian territories reveals that Hamas violence and Rhetoric against Israel are unpopular and that majority of Palestinians would rather accept a two-state solution based on the 1967 boarders.

The Al Quassam Brigade decree is on three principles that their mission is to evoke the spirit of Jihad among Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. Secondly, to defend Palestine and their land against Zionist occupation and thirdly to liberate Palestine and their land that was usurped by Zionist occupation forces and settlers. Their operations was meant to be restricted only inside Palestine devoid of targeting civilians but rather engage the Israel forces inside Palestine territory with the right of self-defence against armed settlers. They are also meant to respect the enemy’s humanity by refraining from mutilation, defacement or excessive killings and as well avoid targeting westerners. But In practice, the Brigade defied the context in which they are to operate by extending targets to Israel civilians for 7years

Since US moved its Embassy to Jerusalem, it has instigated another conflict in recent time since 2017 with Hamas launching series of rocket attacks against Israel civilians and Israel retaliating in equal measure or in excess which has led to several deaths of Israel and Palestinian civilians and rebel fighters and wounding thousands of people. Many researchers, human rights activist and experts have reiterated that, the continuous existence of Hamas and their militant nature has hampered the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. The recent war was instigated by Hamas whose forces on 7^th October. 2023 crossed into Israel and slaughtered over 1000 Israeli citizens and captured hundreds as hostages without any provocation. Israel as a Sovereign state waged a crusade against Hamas in their quest to defend its citizens and territorial integrity. This has led to civilian casualties, famine, hunger and deaths of Palestinian people as Hamas has refused to release the Israel hostages either dead or alive. Palestine is winning the media battle but not the war they started. The irony is that when will this war end? Because according to Israel the release of the hostages and destroying Hamas military might is non-negotiable. This means that the war with Hamas and Palestine will not end until Hamas is completely destroyed and the hostages released.

RESOLUTION
To wit, this conflict between Israel and Hamas cannot be settled through media engagement. It requires practical two-state solution which sort to deal with the entrenched positions both parties have taken. Mediation is needed to end this conflict once and for all. The entrenched position by Hamas in its charter that they will never lay down arms against Israel until the Jewish state is exterminated and expelled from Israel is too harsh because Israel will never surrender to this position of Hamas and would continue to defend its territorial integrity against existential threats that Hamas poses against the sovereignty of Israel. So, whiles it is impossible to exterminate the Jews and expel them from Israel, it is imperative that the state of Palestine accepts their fate with Israel in live and live at peace with them. What could solve the struggle is for Palestine to return to the 1993 Oslo Accord which was signed under the leadership Yasser Arafat on behalf of the Palestinian people and accept the UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 to reject violence and any act of terrorism whiles recognizing Israel as the official representative of the Palestine people at the UN General Assembly for peaceful co-existence. Nothing short of this could end the conflict which could remain existential. Truce comes with a price but in the end it settles peace. These two- state solution enumerated above could resolve the conflict.

Article by Michael Richmond Smart-Abbey Ph.D. [Security Analyst and Counter Terrorism Expert]

Reference
“Terrorism, A Threat To Global Peace and Security by Dr. Michael Richmond Smart-Abbey, Copyright 2021

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