Recognize Palestine-Renounce violence-Abide by agreements

More and more International Institutions and nations, from the UN, to the EU, to South Africa, are beginning to weigh in on the humanitarian and economic crisis caused by the Israeli occupation. Today, according to the BBC, the World Bank has weighed in on the economic and humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza. All the organizations and nations have clearly shown that restricting movement in the West Bank has nothing to do with Israel and it's security and that violence against Palestinians is at an all time high. At a time when Israel is experiencing its lowest death and injury rates as a result of attacks by Palestinian militants, the Israeli government continues to ratchet up the offensive by killing, injuring, abducting, blocking transport and extra-judicially assassinating Palestinians. Israel has even refused an American initiative to put timelines on those items agreed upon by both the Palestinians and the Israelis as part of the road map to peace. Since Israel has no intention of abiding by their previous agreements, they continue to stall and thwart any progress towards a solution, whether it be the roadmap to peace, the Arab peace initiative or the American timeline.

A closer look at the recognition of the Palestinian authority, in which Hamas is in control of the majority of the cabinet and seats in Parliament, hinge on 3 things, recognize Israel, renounce violence and abide by existing agreements. However, there seems to be a huge disconnect between applying these criteria to BOTH Israel and the Palestinians. Lets see how this plays out.

Recognize Israel

Where is Israel? Palestinian cabinet minister Mustafa Barghouti asked this question last week and I never really figured it out. Where is Israel? No, seriously. If we take a close look at this, the internationally recognized border for Israel is the 1948 borders laid out by the UN and Britain. However, a closer look at that UN resolution stipulates that in order for it to take effect, the Israelis must allow the indigenous people (Palestinians) to keep their land, and be absorbed as citizens into the new state. Israel did not comply with this part of the agreement, so do the '48 borders apply? Or are they allowed to pick and choose which parts of international agreements they are to abide by.

Most people recognize Israel today at the 1967 green line. However, Israel is not within the 1967 borders and are occupying the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Gaza at their convenience. Once again, Israel does not recognize the 1967 borders as their borders and David Ben Gurion said that Israel need to set its sites for a broader Israel from "the Nile to the Euphrates." Does this mean that Israel is now from the middle of Egypt, through Jordan and part of Iraq. Quite frankly, I dont know where Israel is. Israelis dont know where Israel is. If you talk to 5 different Israelis they will give you different answers for what is Israel. Eretz Israel, Eretz Israel to the Jordan River, Eretz Israel to the Euphrates, from the Nile to the Euphrates, 1948 borders, 1967 borders. AAAAAAHHHHHHHH WHERE IS ISRAEL!!!!! I will be glad to recognize Israel as soon as I recognize where Atlantis is. It is a nice concept, but we need some concrete map coordinates.

Recognize Palestine

Israel has never recognized the existance of a Palestinian state. Israel still considers Gaza, the Golan Heights and the West Bank as part of an Israeli state that is being occupied by Palestinians. Even though several prime ministers have paid lip service to a two state solution, and have even agreed to it in previous agreements, the government of Israel or the United States has never issued an official statement recognizing the right of the Palestinians to exist in Palestine and the existance of a Palestinian state.

Renounce violence
Israel has used, and continues to use, violence to support land theft, extra-judicial assassinations, home demolition, abductions, and just regular beatings of Palestinians and internationals in Palestine, in particularly in Hebron, and other areas occupied by soldiers defending settlers. Settlers have committed such acts of violence against Palestinians that there are international programs, such as the Tul Rumeida project which places internationals between settlers, their violence, and Palestinian children trying to get to school. In addition, several groups (including Israeli activists and peace groups who are constantly under death threats) provide safety for Palestinians who need to work their fields and are under constant threat from settlers and the army who backs up their violent acts. Approximately 7,000 settlers backed by 2,000 Israeli army troops control 150,000 Palestinians in Hebron. 7,000 people control 85% of the land and water resources and 150,000 Palestinians are given 15% of their own resources. This apartheid system is allowed to flourish as a result of the tanks, bulldozers and guns that back the army that provide the violence that controls the Palestinians and given credence by the lack of courage and backbone by the "Western World".

Abide by existing agreements(see where is Israel above.)

As part of the roadmap to peace, Israel has agreed to return to the 67 borders, however, Ohlmert in a speech last week, in response to the American initiative, stated that Israel will never leave all the settlements in the West Bank, as reported in Haaretz. In addition, the roadmap calls on Israel to provide contiguous access between the West Bank and Gaza, which they agreed to, but they still refuse to do. It also calls on Israel to stop settlement expansion in the West Bank, which they agreed to, and I was personally witness to the cranes building new buildings and bulldozers clearing more land. The increase in settlers and settlement activity continues to climb, as we continue to turn a blind eye. It calls for the opening of borders to Palestinians and internationals who wish to enter the Palestinian territories governed by International peace keepers, the Rafah border is typically closed 50% of the time according to PCHR (Palestinian Commision on Human Rights). The Israelis agreed to removal of the majority of West Bank checkpoint and roadblocks, which as we know still exists. On and on and on. Every committment that Israel has made as part of the roadmap to peace, they have not abided by, but yet, do we withhold money to Israel, no, we give more money to Israel than we give to the entire continent of Africa. Think about it. While Israeli fatcats are getting rich on American tax dollars, 2.5 million people in Darfur have become refugees and are starving. (0f course, conservative estimates put Palestinian refugees at over 6 million, making them the largest refugee population in the world).

Israel, in conjuction with its allies in the US, have launched a very successful smear campaign against the Palestinians, and made it look as though the Israelis are the victim. This charade is supported by those politicians who are bought and paid for by the Israeli lobby as well as the Zionist controlled media. Just as the American government was successful at lying to the American public about what was really happening in Afghanistan and Iraq, the average Israeli is immune to the fact that the only news he sees from the West Bank, is censored by the military. At least, we have some honest media outlets in the West that when the truth was out, even the main stream media, (except for the idiots at FOX) recognize that they will lose all credibility if they dont start reporting what everybody already knows. At some point in time, the truth about Israel will become so obvious, that their own news will start to look like the cheap propaganda films put out by the US during WWII.

As a pure matter of fact, Israeli military forces backed by the worlds only hyper-power, is killing, maiming, injuring, assassinating and abducting hundreds of Palesitnians monthly, while Palestinian militants fire rockets at fields and blow up blades of grass.

Israel and the United States has lost all moral authority on these demands and should at this point, either come to terms with the reality, or they, like George W Bush and his invasion of Iraq, come up with some new lies to justify their actions.

(as a side note) I will say at this point, I dont understand the Palestinian militants that fire rockets at Sderot. If they were hitting legitimate military targets, then I would say it is a good idea, but they are trying to kill Israeli civilians. Of course, you could argue that since every Israeli serves in the military and are part of the reserve that all Israelis are legitimate targets. I say to that, the Israeli children that may die as a result of those rocket attacks are no different than Palestinian children who die at the end of an Israeli tank, artillery shell or rifle, no difference. A little secret about rockets. Rockets do not have a guidance system, missiles do. Palestinian rockets are not guaranteed to hit anything, Israeli missiles and artillery are targeted and when they want to kill Palestinians, they can. PALESTINIAN ROCKET LAUNCHES THAT MOW DOWN THE GRASS IN SOME FIELD IN SDEROT, ONLY KILLS PALESTINIAN CHILDREN, THINK ABOUT IT!!! Those individuals who fire rockets are not concerned about independence, the lives of their families, the fate of Palestine, they are simply using it as a method to gain prestige amongst the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people should begin to shun and rebuke those individuals who are using the cause to their own personal benefit. Firing rockets is not resistance, unless you hit a legitimate target, otherwise, it is an act of cowardice under the guise of Jihad, when in reality, had they used the time, effort and money invested in the equipment, time and transport, to help those less fortunate, they would really make a difference.