On May 13, the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the Middle East Institute co-hosted a talk by Palestinian legislator Dr. Hanan Ashrawi on the prospects of the proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The room was filled to capacity with long-time supporters of Ashrawi, who is one of the most respected Palestinian politicians and peace activists. Ashrawi delivered a cautionary talk, saying the window for a two-state solution could close in as little as four months if Israel does not stop settlement expansion. Her main talking point was that Israel must be held accountable for perpetuating the occupation, in contravention of international law. She called for the international community to insist upon enforcement of the Fourth Geneva Convention and to raise the cost of occupation through sanctions and boycotts.
Obama’s First Year: Nice Words, No Action
Ashrawi praised Obama’s Cairo speech calling for a new relationship with the Muslim world and assigning a higher priority to achieving peace and restoring Palestinian rights and dignity. However, one year after the speech, all Obama has to show for this fine talk is the appointment of an envoy and the slow start of proximity talks. She placed the onus directly on the obstructionist policies of the Netanyahu government. In her view, the Israeli government has effectively distracted the Administration with technical issues while proceeding with its plans to establish facts on the ground. The US seems helpless in face of Israeli violations and unilateral acts. She asserted Israel wants the Obama Administration to repeat the mistakes of the past, engaging in a peace process for process’s sake which lacks credibility and undermines the legitimacy of those who advocate a negotiated settlement. Ashrawi belittled the “unprecedented freeze”, asking what about it is unprecedented, “The fact that there is no freeze?” Building continues apace in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Palestinian Demands
Ashrawi observed the parties are rapidly reaching the point where it will be impossible to “unscramble the egg” and create a Palestinian state because of unrelenting Israeli land confiscation, ethnic cleansing, home demolitions and settlement expansion. “We can no longer talk about two states as a viable option if Israel doesn’t stop now.”
Ashrawi called upon the US and the international community to ensure that Israeli violations stop as a signal of goodwill and commitment to the two-state solution. She urged international actors to give full support to Palestinian nation-building efforts, as they empower Palestinians and prepare for the end of the occupation. The political process, whether proximity talks or direct talks, must focus on removing the occupation. In her view, the parties need a framework with timetables. Talks must be substantive and credible, making an impact on the ground. Ashrawi does not expect much to emerge from the proximity talks unless the US brings Israel into compliance on settlements and gets it to agree to discuss all final status issues, with clear objectives and a clear timeline. Perhaps then, creative ideas can be proposed. She opined the US needs to lead, with the Quartet and the Arab Peace Initiative informing its efforts; perhaps best form for this leadership would be a US peace plan.
Ashrawi defended the Palestinian right to resist occupation and expose its coercive practices. Resistance should be non-violent and raise the cost of occupation through civil disobedience, boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS). If governments will not act, people can through the Global BDS movement. Israel is protesting that the boycott is incitement, a charge Ashrawi rejects. She noted that when Palestinians elected leaders which were objectionable to international norms, they were held accountable. Israel must pay the cost for its illegal occupation.
The Palestinians are seeking legal and judicial accountability through international organizations in their campaign to end the occupation. The Israelis may complain, but Ashrawi asserted all doors of non-violent opposition should be open to Palestinians. The UN has confirmed that the Israeli occupation is illegal based on the Fourth Geneva Convention. In the past, the US has provided diplomatic cover to Israel at the UN to halt enforcement efforts. She judged this has created a culture of impunity which empowers Israel to defy international law. Israeli settlements are illegal and the erosion of the US position from “’illegal’ to ‘an obstacle to peace’, to ‘a complicating factor’ to ‘ill–timed’ to ‘not helpful’” must be reversed in order to get back on track to end the occupation. The Palestinians have used the United for Peace Act at the UN, enabling them to bypass the UN Security Council and take their grievances to the General Assembly. Ashrawi stated they are prepared to use it again, but called upon the US to stop using its veto to protect Israel in the Security Council.
Ashrawi warned that if the window for a two-state solution closes, generations of Palestinians will be condemned to repression and violence. In her view, the one-state solution is not an ideal which will produce Palestinian freedom. Rather, it is a de facto solution which will preserve and advance the occupation, enabling more territorial transfer, ethnic cleansing and destruction of Palestinian life.
Final Comment
Many in the audience were activists in interfaith groups and the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. The goals of the BDS Movement are to raise awareness among consumers about the consequences of buying Israeli goods and services; pressure supermarkets and shops into removing goods with barcode 729 – denoting Israeli origin – from their shelves; encourage companies which make use of Israeli technology and components to find alternatives and join the boycott; focus the attention of the world on the Israeli occupation; and foster an environment in which it is unacceptable to promote Israeli policies. The BDS Movement also is mobilizing academic and athletic boycotts.
Ashrawi has long supported the BDS Movement, which is finally gaining some steam in the US, particularly on campuses through various student movements. UC-Berkeley’s Student Senate passed a divestment bill in April. CODEPINK has launched a “Stolen Beauty” campaign against Ahava beauty products. Human rights groups are backing a boycott of Motorola communications products. Also targeted is Delta Galil Industries, Israel’s largest textile manufacturer, which provides clothing and underwear for popular brands as Gap, J. Crew, J.C. Penny, Calvin Klein, Playtex and Victoria’s Secret.
The European Union (EU) is enforcing “Truth in Labeling”, a ruling which denies favorable import taxes under the EU-Israel Association Agreement of 2000 for products made in the Occupied Territories. These products cannot bear the label “Made in Israel”. The Palestinian Authority unsuccessfully opposed Israel’s entry into the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the basis that it legitimized the occupation. The OECD reached a technical agreement with Israel to exclude settler activities in Israel’s statistics as a way of defusing member objections.
Israeli Assault on Gaza By Numbers in 30 Days
Date posted: August 09, 2014
By Safa Agency
