Well, today is the 40th anniversary of the day the 1967 war started– the war that brought under sraeli military occupation vast swathes of Arab land. Some of that land, namely, the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza, and the Syrian territory of Golan, remains today under Israeli occupation, and the residents of those territories have been ruled by a foreign military force for all these years…
Running any long-lasting military occupation is also a burden on the occupying country.
Today, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a fairly good statement about the anniversary:
- As the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war reminds us, statehood for Palestinians, security for Israelis and peace in the region cannot be achieved by force. An end to the occupation and a political solution to the conflict is the only way forward — for Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese and the wider region. This will only be achieved through negotiations to bring about an end to the occupation, on the basis of the principle of land for peace, as envisaged in Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).
Meanwhile, in Palestine, Israeli tanks rolled into Gaza yesterday:
- Soldiers took over two buildings and military bulldozers ripped up roads during the incursion around the town of Rafah, about two kilometres (just over a mile) inside Palestinian territory, witnesses said.
“Armoured and infantry forces are searching the area for terrorist infrastructure. Several Palestinians have been detained for questioning,” an army spokesman told AFP.
…Israel has vowed no let-up in its operations against militants since it resumed air strikes against Gaza on May 16 following a sharp increase in rocket fire from the densely populated territory.
The air raids have killed 16 civilians and 37 militants, mostly from Hamas, but have failed to completely halt the rockets.
More than 285 have been fired into Israel since May 15, the army said, killing two civilians, wounding more than 20 and sending hundreds fleeing from the southern town of Sderot that has borne the brunt of the fire.
In Lebanon, the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Helweh, in the south of the country, became transformed into the second major battleground between the Lebanese army and Islamic militants who had found it possible to burrow into the camps after the recognizable political organizations in the camps– Fateh, Hamas, the PLO– lost control of portions of them.
Violence sows violence. Rule by military occupation is an oppressive form of administrative and structural violence and must be brought to a speedy end, wherever it is found. Four-plus years in Iraq… 40 years in Palestine… It is more than enough!
It is time for Mr. Ban Ki-moon to do something bold, visionary, and serious about bringing all the relevant parties to an authoritative Middle East peace conference at which the speedy and complete end of both these military occupations can be negotiated.
The inescapable fact of the deep political linkage between the situations in Iraq and Palestine was clearly recognized by the authors of the Iraq Study Group (Baker-Hamilton) report. They urged the speedy re-activation of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy as an essential aid to de-escalating the tensions in Iraq. Since the ISG report came out last December, Pres. Bush has taken several actions that indicate he is “backing into” (or at least, towards) implementing several of its recommendations– though he reviled it at the time. But the one recommendation he truly does not seem to be heading toward at all is the one regarding the need for speedy and effective Palestinian-Israeli diplomacy…
In May, instead of welcoming and seeking to build on the Saudis’ achievement in wining a ‘National Unity Government’ agreement between the two major Palestinian organizations, the Bushites started working very actively and belligerently behind the scenes to try to torpedo the agreement.
It is tragic, too, that though the tide of opinion in the US Congress has finally started to turn toward a speedy and complete US withdrawal from Iraq, and therefore the ending of the US’s occupation of the country, there has been no similar groundswell of political forces in favor of ending Israel’s parallel occupation of Palestine…
Rule by foreign military occupation: An extremely un-democratic and anti-humanitarian form of rule, wherever it is found. End it.
fyi – interesting FT map of the occupation:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/728a69d4-12b1-11dc-a475-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=fc3334c0-2f7a-11da-8b51-00000e2511c8,print=yes.html
if “the Occupation” were really the problem, why wasn’t there peace between 1949 and 1967?
Why “wasn’t there peace” from 1949-1966? Maybe because the protracted peace talks after the 1948 war only resulted in armistice agreements between Israel and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan by July, but no formal peace agreement was ever reached. I will wait to be told that was through the exclusive failure of only one side in those talks. And then that because this failure was “all their fault” what happened next, the “premptive” 1967 war, was “therefore” all the arabs’ fault too.
So, anyway with no peace settlement; from 1949 to 1956 there was an armed truce between Israel and the Arabs, enforced in part by UN forces, which was punctuated by raids and reprisals. So like always, failed talks, reprisals, and then war. Same old same old.
Roland, the Israelis’ habit of blatant provocation and unprovoked attacks from 1949-1966 is quite well documented.
Also, the lame standard-issue argument (yaaawwwwwwn!) presented pro forma by Truesdell also ignores logic, fact, and reason. The fact that the overriding problem since 1967 has been the occupation does not mean that there were no real problems that made peace impossible prior to 1967. It also does not mean that some of those problems do not exist today.
if “the Occupation” were really the problem, why wasn’t there peace between 1949 and 1967?
And if it was the solution to the problem, then why are the Israelians still at war with their neighbours ?
All sides were at fault for the lack of peace before 1967. The problem on the Israeli side was that their majority Jewish state could have only come into existence through an act of ethnic cleansing. And before someone says the Palestinians should have accepted the UN partition, I’d point out that it gave the majority of the land to a minority and even the Jewish portion was nearly half Arab. I’m for the two state solution now, but it’s not accurate to pretend that the Palestinians had no legitimate grievances before 1967. What the Israelis did in 1967 was a half-hearted extension of what they did in 1948. The difference was they didn’t drive out most of the population in 67–if they had followed the same pattern as in 48, they’d have committed some massacres and forced most of the West Bank and Gaza residents out and then annexed the land.
The problem on the Arab side has been the nature of the reaction–extreme rhetoric and terrorist attacks and rotten leadership. Not that Arab terrorism has been worse than Israeli terror, but it’s wrong no matter who does it. As for leaders, instead of a Gandhi the Palestinians had the Mufti.
The fact that the overriding problem since 1967 has been the occupation does not mean that there were no real problems that made peace impossible prior to 1967. It also does not mean that some of those problems do not exist today.
So Israel would have to end the occupation and then the “real problems” alluded to would present still other hurdles for Israel to overcome?
That is a very tempting offer.
Donald,
What was the Palestinian and Arab League objective in 1948? And what exactly did the Arab militias and regular armies do in the Jewish areas that they managed to conquer?
I agree that it’s not one sided. But that means that there are grievances – often quite justified – on both sides.
And how many years for the Palestinians in Lebanon without rights or citizenship? Since 1948 for some of them? Isn’t that a shameful crime that is brewing a pestilent rats nest and always has? Now there are 100 fighters of Fatah al Islam wreaking havoc in a 40.000 person camp, and the Palestinians say it is not Palstinians and they are the victims. 100 people can control 40.000? That ratio is more ridiculuos than the Rumsfeld ratio in Iraq. Come on, Lebanon can absorb foreigners like Helena and COle, let them integrate, marry, have Lebanese progeny like Tarek Ibn Helena, but cannot absorb a few percent of the Palestinians in 60 years. That is racism and injustice.
JES:
what exactly did the Arab militias and regular armies do in the Jewish areas that they managed to conquer?
what exactly did the Zionist Gangs groups and Hagannah militias do in the Arabs areas that they managed to conquer?
An open letter to a “chosen” people.
I agree Doris, refugee camps in Lebanon are no place for palestinians, maybe they need their own country say like Israelis have. Heck it wouldn’t even need to be a pure religious state. Just an ordinary everyday country would be fine. Or if displacement is such a fine thing could some Israelis just move to a refugee camp in Lebanon to free up some space? I’m not sure of the welcome ATM.
I was also intrigued by your “hints” Doris that Fatah al Islam is really not a bunch of separate non-palestinian extremists but the whole palestinian camp. Then you suggested they should be intergrated. The trick with sarcasm, which I’m guessing was your intent, is to target the other parties position but not your own as well.
I sometimes wonder reading your posts if you are in fact trying to make the Israelis look bad Steve Colbert style. If so, as he does you need to mimic their position rather than just coming totally out of left field all the time. I have no doubt there is racism in Lebanon. Look at the infamous treatment of imported domestics. How will that solve Israel’s problem? By distraction? Is the idea to make people think the arabs are “the bad guys” so the Israelis must be “the good guys”. Even most Fox News informed Americans now know the ME isn’t a Marvel comic. In some large part thanks to recent Israel “strategy” in Lebanon.
Trusedell, of course there are signifcant issues to overcome to achieve peace. Come now, we also know saying they “should have” all happened only in one epoch in a series of wars and/or are all caused by one party is disingenuous, blatantly illogical(as Shirin succinctly pointed out) and won’t solve them. JES quite reasonably agreed there has been fault on both sides. Isn’t it also obvious both sides need peace, and so must talk from a “stunde nul” starting point about any viable long term solution, discarding their armfuls of old maps and using any templates- binational unitarian, distinct sovereign states, whatever. To see what accord can be reached. Israel is more than able to cut off the head of the palesinian nation, but will only by virtue of 1967 be locked in a perpetual embrace with it’s headless body. Not a good long term prospect. I personally believe Israeli and Arab leadership are too incompetent, unhinged and venal to restore the ME It would require a heroic and near saintly diplomatic effort to achieve lasting peace out of this staus quo. But do feel free to prove me wrong. Especially if you have children.
Doris that Fatah al Islam is really not a bunch of separate non-palestinian extremists
Fatah-al-Islam ( in reality ) is a creation of the “Welch Club”. This club is named for its godfather David Welch – the current assistant to the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He is the “point man” for the Bush administration and is guided by Eliot Abrams. Key Lebanese members of the Welch Club ( aka: the “Club” ) include:
The Illusion of Return
Roland,
Palestinians in Lebanon should be Lebanese without prejudice for their other aspirations just like Palestinians in the US are Americans. We are OK with double citizenship, other self-appointed liberals are anal about only one citizenship. Now, what is your excuse for 50 years in Lebanon with no rights. Be honest, the reason is that Palestinians are moslems and Lebanon had a fragile Christian balance of power. Shame on your arab hospitality, with brothers like those who needs enemies.
Now it turns that Lebanese and Palestinians are bitching about the size of the American aid. Beggars, have some dignity! Why don’t they tap teh Saudis like Nasrallah said last summer. “We have rich friends to help us rebuild”. Where are they? Other than the corrupt Prince Bandar in bed with the Britons for billions of arms sales. No wonder the UK has the ugly bias in its foreign policy and coverage, it was all about money after all. Shame on poor Albion. And where is Wahabi purity and justice with Bandar? DOn’t they chop thieves hands there?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6728773.stm
A Saudi prince who negotiated a £40bn arms deal between Britain and Saudi Arabia received secret payments for over a decade, a BBC probe has found.
The UK’s biggest arms dealer, BAE Systems, paid hundreds of millions of pounds to the ex-Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.
The payments were made with the full knowledge of the Ministry of Defence.
Doris-
1. My thesis-and it’s neither unique nor much of a stretch, is that for a bright, peaceful and secure future, Palestinians need some form of sovereign country just like Israelis do
2. I dont know about this “double citizenship” you claim conseravtive Israel “is OK with”, but I do know it is not achieving (1). The poor Iraqi’s may have dual citizenship. I hear American immigrants also may, but only if the “renounce all other governments.” I doubt whatever you are alluding to is any panacea or particular proof of progressiveness. Does Israel recongise marriage between occupied terroritory and Israeli Palestinians? Can a Palestinian stand for Knesset without first publicly renouncing the Intifada? To whom does the right of return apply to? Just a few questions there, all rhetorical.
3.YES, again YES there is evidence of racism in Lebanon. Your suggested cause may even be more rational than the reality. I’m afraid don’t know what their excuses might be. People always make their excuses for racism, in my experience. I again draw your attention to the fact that this does not change item (1) above
4.When you say “Shame on your arab hospitality” I will presume you are suddenly addressing the Lebanese. I was suprised to find after just checking via google that there are a number of Lebanese Rolands, but it so happens that this Roland is not one of them.
5. I finally note your issues with what you coined Lebanese and Palestinian “beggars” who have been “bitching” This sensitivity frankly surprised me having now had the opportunity to read many of your posts.
A Saudi prince received secret payments
I thought you are smarter than that Doris!
You know when these companies give commissions they already include that with the price they quoted, so the money they paid is really from Saudi money not from the company money.
This bring us the biggest theft of the history in Iraq, Paul Bremer III in ONE YEAR in Iraq, these $9.0 Billions vanished without trace no one knows, adding to that many billions of dollars US founds in Iraq with Saddam and his Sons also some billions in Iraqi Central bank.
Don’t forget the looting of priceless Iraq Museum
Or the last four years of Iraqi oil.
Does Israel recongise marriage between occupied terroritory and Israeli Palestinians? Can a Palestinian stand for Knesset without first publicly renouncing the Intifada? To whom does the right of return apply to? Just a few questions there, all rhetorical.
Israel does recognize marriages between Palestinians from the territories and Israel Arab citizens. Israel currently prohibits granting of automatic residency to the non-Israli spouse, in these circumstances. (I believe the statute is temporary.) I suggest that you see the immigration policies for other, Western states in this regard. I know that the US has very stringent criteria and screening processes regarding non-US spouses of US citizens.
An Israeli Arab can run for the Knesset without denouncing the Intifada. In fact there are quite a few sitting members of Knesset in this category. Dual citizenship is one thing. I believe that there is a lot said here and elsewhere of dual loyalties, which is quite a different matter. A member of the Knesset has to take an oath of loyalty. Let me just say that if an American Jew, who committed himself to abiding by the security requirements of his job and loyalty to the US, did on behalf of Israel just a portion of what former MK Azmi Bishara is accused of doing on behalf of Hizballah, he would likely be sent to prison for life, and the US ambassador to Israel would probably state that he was lucky not have been put to death. The prsion sentence would be well deserved, in my opion, although I am against capital punishment in most cases.
The Law of Return applies to Jews, although not according to the halakhic or religious definition, but rather on a national basis. I suggest that you trouble yourself to understand the difference and then compare this with immigration and citizenship policies and laws in countries such as Ireland, Germany and Greece.
Dutch former UN observer describes how he witnessed how Israel provoked their Arab neighbors in the run up to the Six-Day War. (part 1)
Dutch former UN observer describes how he witnessed how Israel provoked their Arab neighbors in the run up to the Six-Day War. (part 2)
Few foresaw any major risk of renewed armed conflict between Arabs and Israelis early in 1967. True, tension had risen after Israel began diverting the Jordan river in 1964 and Syria countered with its own diversion plan, backed in principle by Lebanon and Jordan. But its support was only verbal and Israeli bombing forced Syria to cease its construction work.
1967: a war of miscalculation and misjudgment
By Henry Laurens
JES,
The Law of Return applies to Jews
JES, can you tell us how this man have the right to Return under the law?
I was raised as a non-practicing Lutheran by my adopted parents and I converted to Judaism at age 16.
can you tell us how this man have the right to Return under the law?
By the same right that many American citizens not born in the US or to US citizens, for example, had the “right” to immigrate to the US and gain citizenship.
I believe that states have the right to define their own immigration and citizenship policies. Again, look at many members of the EU, and the laws and policies that they have regarded based on descent and other criteria. For that matter, take a look at the draft Palestinian constitution.
Immigration , or more specificly, a shrill tirade about the purported unfairness of lebanese citizenship rules was (one can read above) Doris’s distraction from the Israeli Palestinian problem. On the other hand JES, you have now stated your belief that States, (such as the state of Lebanon presumably), are entitled to their own immigration rules. I dont know a lot about the immigration policies of ME nations, but sure I’m happy to learn more as you suggest. I imagine however immigration rules are only a peripheral issue to achieving a sustainable peace.
I imagine however immigration rules are only a peripheral issue to achieving a sustainable peace.
I would tend to agree.
I think that you asked three “rhetorical” questions about Israel. But the “rhetoric”, I believe, misrepresented fact (or at least these questions could have been asked rhetorically about a number of other states over whose policies in this regard one rarely hears complaints).
I would also tend to agree with you that “for a bright, peaceful and secure future, Palestinians need some form of sovereign country just like Israelis do“. (My emphases.)
Irrespective of whether or not Doris’ post was “shrill” or a “tirade”, there is an important point there. Lebanon’s official position has always been, openly, that they refuse to grant citizenship to Palestinian refugees because doing so would upset, what they normally refer to as the “delicate (ecumenical) balance” of the country – or the Lebanese character of Lebanon. BTW, King Abdullah II, not long ago, made a similar remark concerning Jordan’s ability to absorb additional Palestinians (and we all know that His Majesty is 100% inigene!)
You might want to start by looking at the Greek Citizenship Act here:
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/entreelibre/Laurette/country/greecetxt.html
Article 5, Section 1 is particularly interesting in comparison to Israel’s “Law of Return”. (Just FYI part of “Greek ethnical descent” is, I believe, having been baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church.) Last time I checked, Greece was a member in very good standing in the EU.
Sorry, in reference to HM Abdullah II, I meant “indigene”.
Yes indeed, JES, I don’t think one should deny nations their sovereignty. In simple terms, one can say nations are self-identifying. Meaning that both Israel and Palestine should be sovereign nations, either separate or under some unitarian yoke.
But even if every arab leader and nation could be shown universally failing to treat palestinian refugees reasonably, that does not reslove the issue of Palestinian nationhood. It would just further demonstrate the size of the problem.
As you asked I’ve had a quick look at Greece’s Immigration policy with special reference to their definition of ethnicity in Article 5, Section 1 of the Greek Citizenship Act. This it turns out is not simply a matter of being in the greek orthodox church. There is in fact an attempted “hierachy of greekness.” as it is repeatedly described.
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:LJxmXnnsVboJ:www.lse.ac.uk/collections/hellenicObservatory/pdf/2ndSymposium_papers_pdf/Georgios_Karyotis_paper.pdf+The+hierarchy+of+Greekness&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=nz&client=firefox-a
“”According to the State Council, in order for a foreigner to be characterised as a co-ethnic he or she should ‘have Greek national consciousness’, which refers to some underlying nifying features related to “common descent, language, religion, national traditions and extensive knowledge of the historical events of the nation.”,
These criteria, Triandafyllidou and Veikou argue, construct a ‘hierarchy of Greekness’ and reinforce the ethnic-cultural-religious definition of the Greek nation.
They confirm and replicate the political perception that immigrants are a threat to Greek identity and subsequently only foreigners of a common descent, religion and culture are welcomed to settle in Greece indefinitely. Such measures also reflect the efforts of the state to protect the national identity of Greece against the reality of globalisation and international migration. As
Charalambos Tsardanidis pointed out: “Greece made an incredibly successful, organised effort to create a homogenous state and society, either in the battlefield or in the classroom, which should have been a model for all Balkan countries. Nowadays, because of migratory pressures, multiculturalism can no longer be avoided and as a result Greece is experiencing a cultural shock.”
So thats where the greeks are at and why in regards to immgration policy. I am not sure their policy represents best practice. Unless there is some point to exploring this tangent further, perhaps we should return to what we have found we agree is a more pressing matter in the ME?
Doris, more corruptions and thieving Iraq’s money, so they are worse than Saudis
So here he sits in his little Baghdad office, 48 years old, fifty days into his thirteenth trip to Iraq, his life whittled down to five desks and a view of the Tigris. He’s now issued 67 reports and assessed seventy projects, conducted 236 criminal investigations and arrested five people, recovered $13 million in stolen money and saved nearly $1.4 billion. At the end of September, the U. S. finished putting the last $1.8 billion in reconstruction money under contract and his job will finally start to phase out and he can go back to Washington to learn his fate. Until then, he’s determined to watch the last dollar fly. “I’m doing what the president expects me to do, which is carry out my mission with diligence and integrity.”
Accidental Empire by Gershom Gorenberg Its a good read to see what Israel got after 1967 war?
The Six-Day War of 1967 left Israel with a dilemma: what to do with the land it had taken in the process of winning a conflict that also involved Egypt, Syria and Jordan. A new book, The Accidental Empire, looks at what came next.
Today there are 2500 Israeli orders issued to control every aspects of the Palestinian’s life in the occupied land, there are 50,000 settlers on the WestBank, there are 500 road blocked also there are 72 manned checkpoint on the West Bank
Sorry miss typed the number
450,000 settlers on the west bank
John Perkins, Part 1 The first of a three part speech given to the Veterans For Peace National Convention, Seattle, WA in August 2006. … all » Author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, in this part John discusses, from a hit mans perspective, the reasons and background to why we are at war in the Middle East.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3968544393356669182&pr=goog-sl
Salah, what an engrossing link, although I’d have to say plutocracy isn’t really new! By the way I see the murderous oil industry union busting you linked to earlier is hitting new highs. I see there are links at Truthout.org today.
Anyway as far thinking abou the ME goes, here is another inspiring link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyJJQbFago&feature=dir