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Anyone with half a brain would realize that opposition to the Palestinian bid for a state will put that person not just on the wrong side of history, but in direct opposition to world citizenry and the authorities that govern them. The question of Palestine has gone beyond humanitarian concerns; it is a political calculation that must be taken seriously by world leaders.
At a time when hundreds of thousands of Arabs are taking to the streets to protest the state of affairs in their own countries, the quest for a Palestinian state could not come at a better moment. For one, Arab leaders rightly understand that if they don’t speak up in favor of Palestinian self-determination, they will give their opponents more fodder with which to inch them from power. We have only to remember the recent storming of the Israeli embassy in Cairo and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Turkey to catch wind of what might happen to Israel’s standing with other countries if popular demonstrations continue to make headway.
While the Israeli and American governments scramble to prevent the PLO from submitting its request for a state, US President Barack Obama continues to make overtures to the two-state-solution through negotiations. Yet, declaring a state on the 1967 borders does not preclude negotiations; it merely affirms that the PLO is not after all of historic Palestine (which should be met by Israel and its American ally with a big sigh of relief).
This silly charade conveys one key message to the world: That US support for a Palestinian state is a big lie. The US and Israel have peddled the lie of the peace process from the very beginning. For nearly 20 years, Israel has violated nearly every precept of the peace process with the full backing of the US. America’s claim to be an honest broker between the PLO and Israel has also been disingenuous through and through. No one is fooled, of course, but my point is that the US is not playing its cards right. If it were making a calculated political decision, it would not use its veto when the time comes to cast its vote in the Security Council. We certainly don’t expect America to be just, but we expect it to pretend to be just. And it is failing to do even that.
The PLO might lose American financial support and it might lose parts of the West Bank to Israel—through yet another illegal annexation—but it will gain the support of its people along with a renewed push for a resolution of the conflict on what is hoped to be, more equal terms.
