Israel Speaks
In September 2011 the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict will
once again reach one of its peaks.
The Palestinians claim they have lost their hope for progress in the
negotiations with Israel. They are now planning to ask the United Nations
General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state.
What will happen next, is a big question, because this move can cause
big changes in the area.
Ben Dror Yemini is the leading journalist in Ma'ariv, the second
largest daily newspaper in Israel.
Let us see what has happened during the last decade when the
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians began to develop.
We know what happened in the Camp David negotiations.
The Palestinians rejected the offers.
From the Israeli perspective Ehud Olmert's offer at Camp David
was revolutionary, because it included dividing Jerusalem.
Even this offer was not enough for the Palestinians.
Then there was Clinton's offer.
It included the 1967 borders with certain modifications, -
dividing Jerusalem and the principle of two states for two peoples.
When we speak about two states, the Palestinians agree with it.
Clinton's offer about the two states for two peoples meant
two different states for the Jewish and Palestinian nations.
Just the two state solution made Israel a Palestinian state, -
because it included the right of return for the Palestinian refugees.
More negotiations followed in Taba, but they all failed
mainly due to the Palestinians' refusal.
The latest proposal to the Palestinians was given by former Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert in the year 2008. He pro- posed a large-scale Israeli withdrawal
from the West Bank and great amounts of money to help them
establish a state.
Our knowledge of what happened is not based only on Israeli sources.
Mahmoud Abbas gave an interview to the Washington Post newspaper
and said he was not ready to give up on the Palestinian refugees'
right of return. He himself admitted that the offer was very good, -
but said he wanted to get as wide a right of return as possible
which would have meant the end of the state of Israel.
In Europe they don't understand what the right of return would mean.
Think about it, if 12 million people of German origin would be returned
to Czech or Poland or return the situation in Yugoslavia to
what it used to be earlier.
The right of return of the Palestinian refugees would mean the end of Israel.
The situation in the Middle East would not be fixed, but would turn chaotic.
No Israeli will agree to that, not even the peace activists, -
except for a few fanatics.
Sensible people from both sides, as well as in Europe and America, -
understand that the solution is two states for two peoples
according to ethnic population; meaning two national states.
When the Palestinians accept this, an agreement can be reached.
Netanyahu has advanced a lot. I am not among his supporters, -
but I must admit that he has come a long way.
Although representing the Right, he has still spoken of the two states
and recently even about the 1967 borders with a few modifications.
For him it's a great breakthrough.
Although Prime Minister Benyamin Ne- tanyahu has declared his willingness
to recognize the Palestinian state, no progress has been made in the
peace process.
Alan Baker is a former Foreign Ministry legal advisor.
Since 1975 he took part in the nego- tiations with Israel's Arab neighbours
and was one of the main legal negotiators with the Palestinians
on the Oslo agreements. He is now the director of the Institute for
Contemporary Affairs in the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
The UN General Assembly will almost surely accept the Palestinian demand
for a state. However, in order to give the resolution legal meaning
the Palestinians will have to get the agreement of the Security Council.
In international forums they have an automatic majority.
It leads to the undermining of international resolutions.
The UN Human Rights Council condemns Israel due to the Gaza operation.
A little after that tens of thousands of civilians died in Sri Lanka
and the same council praised and blessed this state.
It's clear that something stinks here.
What is the reaction of the inter- national community to the recent events
in Syria where the number of dead greatly exceeds the Gaza operation
and it's about oppressing people who want freedom and not
a reaction to rocket attacks as it is in Israel.
Where is the international reaction?
Many Israelis don't take the international community seriously
because a majority of dark countries dictates to Israel
how to act.
Israel is ready to cooperate with a moderate, turstworthy and democratic
international community, but it is not that.
In the heart of the problem are the Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
They are Israelis who live in what will possibly become the Palestinian state.
Psagot is the closest settlement to the Palestinian Authority capital
Ramallah. Some Palestinian houses are within 20 metres away
from its security fence. According to the Israeli law, entrance to
Ramallah is forbidden for Israelis due to security reasons.
Erez Ben David lives in Psagot. He is a lawyer and one of its spokesmen.
I am a 35-year-old father of three.
This is 1,5 year-old Harel.
My other son is 5,5 and my daughter 7,5 years old.
We are a small family compared to families with 6, 7 or 8 children.
Thank God we have a lot of children.
According to its name, Psagot (peaks) is on the peak of a mountain.
You can see Jerusalem, El Bira and Ramallah from here.
This is a big, religious settlement with 300 families.
In recent years we have begun growing and producing
high-quality wine, today already about 100 000 bottles per year.
We have excellent grapes here, because we are on a high place
and there are more rains and the land is fit for wine.
Because of its closeness to Ramallah, the residents of Psagot are the first
to feel the changes in the region.
Until the Oslo accord, around 15 years ago, -
The residents of Psagot drove through the center of Ramallah
and some tell of going shopping in Ramallah.
Back then it felt natural to move here freely.
PLO's coming to the area made the situation difficult
and the possibility of peace drifted farther away.
When terror increased we had the need to defend ourselves.
Interaction between the neighbours ended.
Our homes were fired at daily from El Bira and Ramallah.
It was a difficult experience which continued every night.
We protected the houses with sand bags, but the bullets went through.
They didn't differentiate between soldiers and civilians, but wanted
to kill as many Jews as possible.
Thank God no one was injured and the settlement only expanded.
Dozens of families moved here and the residents' feeling that our
presence here is justified only intensified.
The settlers in the West Bank have to use much more security means
than the other Israelis.
We have a preparedness group consis- ting of the area's civilian residents.
We prepare for different scenarios, such as the infiltration of terrorists
to the settlement and masskilling of the people, which happened
recently in a settlement where terrorists stabbed
5 members of the same family.
We are surrounded by a fence, we have an alarm system, guards and
a security chief and all in all our security is stricter than normal.
We trust in the army forces deployed in the area
and in the preparedness of the residents, and God's help.
It's unbelievable to think who here lives inside the fence and who doesn't.
We have a fence, but the Arabs don't.
Who has to use security measures against whom?
The Arabs don't need security, because the Jews don't attack.
This tells something about the justification.
The settlements have a fence, which is not comfortable.
We would like to live without fences and in peace with our neighbours
but the reality is different.
Many Israeli journalists share the view that the September vote
in the UN might trigger a new wave of terrorism, -
mainly against the Jewish settlers.
September is more a concept of the media than of everyday life.
I believe this applies to the resi- dents of Psagot as well as Ramallah.
It doesn't affect our daily lives so much.
The school year begins in September and we are opening new premises, -
because the amount of children increases.
When we are preparing for something expected, it might not happen.
We need to be more concerned about the unexpected events.
I believe the government is doing its best in handling these things.
Our army is preparing for different scenarios caused by this situation.
We trust in them and continue living our lives normally.
There is a saying in Hebrew: "The prophecy is given to the fools."
We don't know what will happen.
The Palestinian economy is in good shape right now.
There is growth and bloom.
They can lose everything, but it wouldn't be the first time.
Intifada usually starts in the middle of economical bloom.
The intifada of 1987 was not due to economical difficulties.
In the end of the year 2000 the reason was not great lack or recession, -
but many other reasons.
The same applies now. The bloom of the Palestinian economy does not
mean that a new intifada could not start.
There is talk about several possible Palestinian reactions.
Maybe there will be victory marches or something else.
I cannot say, but everything will be taken into consideration, -
because we are very close.
The residents of our settlement know how to prepare, as does the army.
We hope it would not happen, but if necessary we will know how to act.
I would recommend to the Palesti- nians to practice restraint, because
we do know how to respond.
I'm very optimistic, because I trust in God.
We are fulfilling the vision of the prophets.
On that basis I understand why I am here.
We are living a plan which is the basis of why we are in this world.
Even though we have ups and downs, in my eyes the road is very clear.
If not now, then in a year or 10 years our future, -
with the help of God, will be good.
I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them
in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
Jeremiah 32:41
Translation: Sonja Mattayev