Sunday, December 23, 2007

Vigil and alert against deceit

Dec.23, 2007

Vigil and alert against deceit

ANY real movement towards serious peace negotiations between Israel and Palestinians hinges on the Jewish state freezing settlement activities in the occupied territories, which include Arab East Jerusalem despite the Israeli "annexation" of the area after seizing it in the 1967 war.
Israel could continiue to argue that expansion of the Har Homa settlement in the Jebel Abu Ghneim area of occupied Arab East Jerusalem does not come under the purview of the internationally backed "road-map" for peace. However, that argument does not do away with the fact that its "annexation" of the eastern half of the city has no legality under international law. And the very foundation for the Annapolis process launched under US auspices is international law.
The international community has never recognised the annexation and there is no legitimate ground for Israel to claim any right to any part of the occupied territories.
Israel is also trying a deceptive tactic by announcing plans for a new settlement in the Qalandia area of occupied Arab East Jerusalem and then saying that it was abandoning the proposal. Obviously, it is implicitly suggesting that the Palestinians should accept its expansion of the Jebel Abu Ghneim settlement in return for its move not to build the so-called Atarot settlement in Qalandia.
The US seems to be endorsing the Israeli grand plan. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the dropping of the Qalandia plan a "good step" in the context of the newly revived peace talks. She made no reference to the Jebel Abu Ghneim plan. Was it an oversight or deliberate sidestepping of an issue?
In simple and straight terms, Israel has no right or legitimacy to build or expand settlement anywhere in the occupied West Bank, whether in Arab East Jerusalem or anywhere else. But that is not seen as an issue for Israel, which believes that its physical control of the West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem, gives it the upper hand to dictate terms to the Palestinians and, by extension, to the world community at large.
What is happening in the Jebel Abu Ghneim-Qalandia equation highlights the difficulties that the Palestinians face in negotiating a fair, just and honourable peace with Israel, which is known to have some of the most cunning negotiating brains.
The Palestinians need to remain ever alert against all forms of deceptive Israeli tactics and they stand in need for consistent and strong international support at all levels and in all forms. Any let-up on any front would immediately be exploited by Israel to their disadvantage.