by Joy Hellers
On November 26, the IIP and the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR) jointly organized a public discussion with politicians and peace activists from Israel and Palestine. The objective of this event was to share visions for peace and discuss the feasibility of the two-state solution to this conflict.
The panel consisted of four speakers, namely. Zeidan Atashi, an Israeli Druze, former diplomat and member of the Knesset, peace activist and one of the founders of the Druze Follow-Up Committee; Mossi Raz a former Knesset member from the Meeretz party, peace activist and the director of the non-profit organization Ir Shalem; Eti Livni, former Knesset member, who is currently an activist for the movement Women Wage Peace; Shaddad Attili, the advisor ranking minister at the Palestine Liberation Organization´s Negotiations Affairs Department and former Minister for Water. The discussion was moderated by Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is a long-lasting dispute between two peoples claiming the same land. Even though peace agreements and technical solutions to their realization have already been developed, currently, there is no official peace process in place. Both sides claim that there is no partner for peace on the other side. This attitude hinders the start of a true peace process, while the actual presence of possible partners is simply ignored. However, there are still voices for peace, who strive to reach a multitude of different actors and to encourage people to participate actively in this process.
One of the main topics discussed during this public event was the feasibility of the two-state solution. For many, it still seems to be the only option how to come to terms with the claims over the land, religion and nationality. In 1947, Palestinians and Arabs did not accept the UN resolution on the “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine”, which would have created two different states. Today however, the Israeli government de facto refuses. this concept. Especially the long duration of the conflict leads to a general loss of faith in the two-state solution. Many politicians and scholars now also speak about other options, such as one-state, ‘two-state/one homeland’ solution or even dissolution of Palestine. The latter would mean that Gaza will become a part of Egypt, while the West Bank will become a part of Jordan. However, such a scenario would not resolve the conflict. It will merely be transferred to the neighboring countries.
The preservation of the status quo is no option for the Palestinians either, because it means the continuation of the Israeli occupation, the extension of the Israeli settlements and the absence of equal human rights for everybody. Even though many of the older generation do not believe in the one-state solution, the youth does not see the division of the land as an absolute necessity to achieve peace. Young people surely support the idea of equal treatment and exercise of human rights by Palestinians, Israelis and Jews, but unlike the older generation they can imagine attaining this vision in the same state.
For Zeidan Atashi, however, it seems impossible that the two peoples with different religions, languages and culture could live in the same state and share the same nation. Lebanon and Cyprus, that went through bloody civil wars and until today are not fully reconciled, serve as an example of that. An argument favoring the two-state solution is the demographic issue. A common state would see its population comprised of Jews and Arabs in approximate same numbers This demographic constellation would contradict the initial idea of Israel as a state for Jews. While the two-state solution is not ideal either, it is more feasible. It would better guarantee freedom, security and human rights for everybody – which is the only way to end the long-lasting conflict.
Another obstacle for peace is mutual refusal of Israeli and Palestinians to recognize about the other side´s suffering and security concerns. Especially schools and media, which should act as forums of intercultural exchange, concentrate only on one narrative and in doing so, they ignore the legitimate claims of the other part of the population in the region. As an example, it is important to mention that no media platform in Israel covers the distress of the Palestinian population and therefore many Israelis are not aware of the precarious situation of Palestinians. The relationship between Israelis and Palestinians is therefore marked by mutual unawareness.
Most Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem do not interact with each other on an everyday basis. Everyday contact between Israelis and Palestinians is therefore unusual and rare. Nevertheless, Eti Livni highlights the presence of an active civil society in Israel. Many civil actors and different movements are trying to diffuse the idea of peace to finally bring an end to the long-lasting suffering. One example of this bottom-up approach is the women´s movement Women Wage Peace, which was launched five years ago after the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, where many soldiers and civilians died. Despite these numerous deaths and injuries, no change originating from the political parties occurred. Therefore, a great number of women gathered and formed a new organization, which calls for negotiations to end the ongoing battles between Israel and Palestine. This grassroot organization currently counts over 50.000 women from different backgrounds, who demand a form of dialogue and solutions.
Israel is more powerful, especially in military terms, but it is often criticized for using its power in a wrong way, expanding its settlements in the Palestinian territory instead of pushing towards a solution. The Palestinian approach to the conflict is not the most constructive either, significantly due to the internal political situation. Palestine has been unable to run elections since 2006 and has therefore not seen political changes for 13 years. The absence of elections is mainly because Israel is not allowing Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem and because Hamas have formed a government in Gaza without elections. Furthermore, Palestinian politics are currently suffering from an internal division. Israel is using this division to proclaim that they do not have a partner to talk about a possible peace process. The missing peace process is therefore not only characterized by the five core issues - namely natural resources, borders, settlements, refugees and the status of Jerusalem - but also internal disagreements and ideological differences among the ruling elites.
During the Question & Answer session several issues were addressed, such as the so-called Kushner Plan or “Ultimate Peace Deal”, the relevance of the recognition of Palestine, the point of no return for the two-state solution, and the support of the European community for civil society in the region.
During the last two years Jared Kushner, President Trump’s advisor and son-in-law, developed an economic plan for the Middle East in order to fight the political conflict with economic success. Neither Palestine, nor Israel were part of the discussions concerning the draft of this document and especially the Palestinians boycotted the plan from the beginning. Any agreement or decision, where the relevant parties are not part of the negotiations, can only be regarded as imposed and forced on. The core of the problem in this conflict are the people living in this region and this problem can therefore not be solved by the use of one outside solution. Economy does not necessarily bring peace, but peace causes economic upturn. Hence, the solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine cannot be found in an economic deal, but it needs a real political solution.
The two-state solution has been an option for peace for several decades, but can we reach a point of no return? The continuation of Israel’s settlement policy, the lack of water for Palestinians, the role of Jerusalem, the question of the borders, could result in a situation where the implementation of the two-state solution becomes impossible. The panelists suggested, however, that it will always be possible, although modifications and sacrifices on both sides are necessary.
The conflict between Palestine and Israel has been going on for more than 70 years and no solution seems in sight. However, the civil society and peace-seeking individuals are fighting for an end of this conflict. These actors should be supported by the international community, in order to spread their objectives and finally bring an end to the suffering in the region. A solution is a must, but even if an agreement is reached, the decisions have to be accepted by the population.