Peace process

Time nearly run out for peace in Middle East: John Kerry

Ben Hartman — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:00:59 +0100

United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday repeated his call for Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, warning that time is running out for the two-state solution.

"If we do not succeed now, we may not get another chance. So we can't let the disappointments of the past hold the future prisoner," Mr Kerry said at the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington, DC.

Mr Kerry's statement came the same day that Justice Minister and special envoy to the peace process Tzipi Livni arrived in Washington to address the conference and meet Mr Kerry to discuss the potential peace talks.

During his visit to the region in late May, Mr Kerry announced a $4bn investment plan for private Arab businesses, saying that it could help the Palestinian economy become less reliant on donor aid.

Mr Kerry's enthusiasm for the peace process contrasts with the sentiments of the Israelis and Palestinians, both of whom are highly cynical about its chances of success.

Last week, Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath of the Fatah Central Committee said Mr Kerry will only succeed if he manages to pressure Israel to stop settlement activity - a precondition that Israel is unlikely agree to.

Israel releases conscientious objector

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:21:41 +0100

An Israeli conscientious objector has been released after five and a half months in jail.

Natan Blanc, 20, refused to serve in the Israel Defence Forces because of his opposition to the occupation and spent 178 days in prison.

Members of his family and Yesh Gvul – an organisation which supports conscientious objectors – greeted Mr Blanc when he was released earlier today.

One of the Yesh Gvul activists commented: “We're glad that the IDF, even though it had to be pressured politically, understood that there's no point in remaining angry at someone because he isn’t going to serve.”

According to sources, Mr Blanc intends to complete his national service with Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom.

Last chance for peace, says Kerry

Zoe Winograd — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:50:53 +0100

US Secretary of State John Kerry told American Jewry that “we may not get another chance” to establish peace in Israel.

At Monday’s annual American Jewish Committee global forum in Washington, Mr Kerry implored the committee to show their support for a two-state solution in Israel.

He said: “We are running out of time and possibilities… the status quo is simply not sustainable. A stalemate today will not remain so tomorrow… are we prepared to live with permanent conflict?”

Mr Kerry acknowledged the skepticism around attempts to achieve peace in the area. He said: “I still believe peace is achievable and, more than ever, it’s worth fighting for.”

He added: “No one has a stronger voice in this than the American Jewish community... Leaders will take both steps only if their people push them to.”

This was Mr Kerry’s first official address to the American Jewish community since becoming Secretary of State. He has visited Israel four times this year in an effort to bring peace to the region.

Israel does not hold the key

David Aaronovitch — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 10:06:56 +0100

When Israel was founded out of Jewry's near-destruction, it was at once a liberation for Jews and a disaster for Palestinian Arabs. What happened in the subsequent years - who did what to who and when - is not the subject of this column, but we need to agree that something that was good for one people was bad for another.

By the time most of us under the age of 60 came to adulthood, the basics had been settled. Israel was there but it was evident that the Palestinians were not going to go away, to be absorbed, like the Volksdeutsch of central Europe, into another land.

Over time and, in particular, following the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and the first intifada, it became one of the deepest desires of many of us that there be justice for Palestinians, too, an end to occupation and the construction of a Palestinian state existing side-by-side with Israel. That, we thought (I still think) would make Israel more secure.

Given the centrality, in rhetoric at least, of the Palestinian issue in Arab and (to a much lesser extent) Muslim life, it seemed natural also to assume that such justice, if achieved, would "bring peace to the whole region".

The Arab countries could then drop their popular hostility to the West and we might get on with the business of encouraging democracy and friendship. That may be why the Israel-Palestinian embroglio was described as the "Middle East Peace Process".

This thinking partly led to Tony Blair arguing in 2002 and 2003 that action over Iraq should be accompanied by an attempt to get us back to Oslo. It was thinking resisted by some of those in Israel and elsewhere who did not want to see such momentum resumed - who wanted peace but only without any sacrifice.

The trouble is that, in this one matter, people like me were wrong and they were right. Looking at the Middle East now it is all too obvious that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is not even in the top three of the biggest issues in the region.

To illustrate this, you only have to listen to what Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hizbollah, had to say this week. He was appealing to Sunnis in Lebanon not to get nasty with his party of theocratic neo-fascists, just because it was pitting Lebanese Shi'ites in battle in Syria against Turkish and Qatari-backed Syrian rebels, who were mostly Sunni.

Though he used the usual arguments that Israel was behind the rebellion, it is doubtful that even he believes this, let alone those who he was arguing with. The Syrian civil war has - as those who urged early intervention always argued it would - burst its banks and is flooding its neighbours with blood.

But the war in Syria, now grinding through its 80th thousand in deaths, depends in no way on the old "Middle East Peace Process". Nor does the renewed insurgency in Iraq, which killed up to 500 last week. Nor does the threat posed by the Iranian atomic programme - as violently opposed by the Gulf states as by Israel - and nor does the difficult, precarious and essential business of creating a modern state out of crisis-ridden Egypt. Nor even does whatever happens in the huge, lawless margins of Mali, Libya, Chad and Algeria.

So if you were John Kerry, and you had to make a list for President Obama of the crisis points in the world and the order in which they had to be dealt, where would Israel come in your order of priorities? Would it even appear? Or is it the case now that the need for peace is far more about the peoples of Israel and the occupied territories than it is about the sensitivities of the rest of the world?

British student creates link between West Bank yeshivah and One Voice

Simon Rocker — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:30:00 +0100

A British student is trying to forge links between his West Bank yeshivah and an international movement which advocates a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Joseph Benedyk, from London, who is spending a year in the Etzion settlement bloc before taking up a place at Cambridge University, is encouraging the yeshivah to host speakers from One Voice, which supports Palestinians and Israelis in favour of compromise.

“This could be, at best, something revolutionary and, at worst, extremely constructive,” he told a meeting of the European branch of One Voice in London on Tuesday, speaking via Skype.

Usama Hasan, senior researcher at the anti-extremist think tank, the Quilliam Foundation, and the former imam of a London mosque, told the meeting that attitudes among British Muslims towards Israel were changing.

More Muslims were visiting Israel and Palestine and seeing the reality for themselves, he said.

While there were Muslim groups and media which still gave a “very one-sided view of the conflict”, he was hopeful that “common sense will prevail”.

Hague says UK ready to 'assist in any way' in quest for Middle East peace

Zoe Winograd — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:05:13 +0100

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the UK “stands ready to assist in any way” in advancing the peace process.

The two leaders met as part of Mr Hague’s visit to Israel this week alongside US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Mr Netanyahu and Mr Hague discussed peace negotiations , security concerns over Iran and Syria, and relations between the UK and Israel.

Mr Hague said after the meeting: “I reiterated the UK’s strong support for Mr Kerry’s efforts to relaunch the peace process and I welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s commitment to a two-state solution. The UK’s position is well known, we want to see a two-state solution, with a secure and universally recognised Israel living alongside a viable State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as a shared capital. We stand ready to assist in any way we can to help make progress to this end.

“The UK and Israel are close friends and allies and I attach great importance to our bilateral relationship. Our collaboration on hi-tech and science is second to none and today we affirmed the UK and Israel’s co - operation on security issues, including Iran. As a friend and ally, Britain is fully committed to Israel’s security needs.”

Before he met Mr Netanyahu, Mr Hague told reporters that the building of settlements “on occupied land” was to blame for the decline in British support for Israel.

Mr Hague told reporters: “Israel has lost some of its support in Britain and in other European countries over time — this is something I’ve often pointed out to Israeli leaders — because of settlement activity, which we condemn.”

“We strongly disagree with settlements on occupied land. Israel is a country we work with in many ways, but we do disapprove of settlements.”

He added: “We want to see both Israelis and Palestinians really commit themselves to the peace process while there is still a chance of a two-state solution.”

In a meeting with the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, Mr Hague emphasised his determination to make progress in securing a peace deal.

He said : “It is a crucial time in the entire region with the Iranian nuclear programme , the tragic situation in Syria , and our hope that we can, through supporting Mr Kerry and his work, really help to make some decisive moves forward for permanent peace.”

Mr Peres commended Mr Hague for making Britain's position on Iran, terror and peace extremely clear.

"In spite of all the difficulties the time is right for peace. I can see positive developments on our side, on the Palestinian side and on the Arab side.”

Mr Hague also stressed his support for Mr Kerry's efforts to relaunch the peace process at a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Meanwhile Mr Kerry has expressed his hope “to surprise people” in making positive steps towards peace.

Mr Kerry said: “There have been bitter years of disappointment. It is our hope that by being methodical, careful, patient - but detailed and tenacious - that we can lay on a path ahead that can conceivably surprise people and certainly exhaust the possibilities of peace."

How Hague’s visit can help keep peace process on track

Dermot Kehoe — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:30:29 +0100

'A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you" - Elbert Hubbard.

Israel and the UK are friends. William Hague has described the UK's relationship with Israel as going "far beyond the realm of diplomatic relations… It is based on bonds between families and communities as well as shared values and common interests. Israel is a friend and a strategic partner of this country." Therefore, his visit to Israel is important and welcome.

The UK-Israel partnership is based on shared values, an understanding that those values are challenged by common threats, and a determination to tackle those threats together.

The threats include Iran's nuclear ambitions, Syria's deteriorating civil war and the rise of Islamism across the Middle East. These issues will no doubt form a significant part of Hague's busy agenda. However, as he recently declared at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, "there is no more urgent foreign policy priority in 2013 than restarting negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians".

Clearly the UK and US share a similar perspective on this issue. President Obama's recent visit to Israel was widely seen as a success. I remember watching his speech to the packed hall of students in Jerusalem and getting goose bumps. It was the most cogent, passionate and clear-sighted articulation of the case for a two-state solution that I have heard, ever.

So what can Hague do this week, as a friend of Israel and supporter of two states for two peoples? First, he should take a leaf out of President Obama's book by investing personal capital in the bilateral relationship with Israel. The Foreign Secretary should show that he has a clear sight of Israel's legitimate concerns and interests and therefore demonstrably distance himself, and the wider British government, from the wholly retrograde campaign to boycott Israel.

He should also ensure Britain's position (and the EU's) is well co-ordinated with the US. To give Kerry's efforts the best chance of success, other international players need to send a consistent message to the parties that they will back them if they engage in the US-led process, and will not support alternatives.

This is a particularly important message for the Palestinians to hear. Certainly, Israel should be encouraged to act constructively: to continue its current quiet restraint on new settlement construction and demonstrate that diplomacy delivers improvements for Palestinians on the ground. But the Palestinians must reciprocate by not confronting Israel at the International Criminal Court or in other international forums.

Hague will be aware that there is currently little enthusiasm in the PA for negotiations with Israel. That being so, it is important to be realistic about what to expect at this stage. The priority is to secure a framework of reduced tensions, avoiding another negative spiral like the one set off by the UN resolution in November, and creating a political space where Abbas and Netanyahu can develop trust and explore what kind of bilateral progress might be possible.

In that context, Hague should also get behind Kerry's efforts to stabilise the Palestinian economy and breathe new life into the bottom-up development West Bank programme - a programme to which Britain has made a very positive contribution up to now.

Thirdly, he should choose his words carefully about the future. Both Hague and Kerry have recently warned that time is running out for a two-state solution - no doubt aiming to push those who want this to get on with it. But they may inadvertently be encouraging opponents by creating the impression that some alternative is around the corner. Palestinian rejectionists may mistakenly believe that the window closing on a two-state solution means there is hope for their campaign to secure rights of citizenship in Israel through international pressure, thereby replacing Israel with a single, Arab-majority state.

Such a belief is illusory, and Hague needs to send a clear message. He needs to stress to both publics that Britain sees no alternative to a solution of "two states for two peoples" as a way to reconcile the demands of the two sides. The alternative is no solution - only more pain, instability and conflict for both sides.

The best advice for Hague on his trip? It comes from Albert Camus: "Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Hague and Kerry due in Israel for peace talks

Marcus Dysch — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:03:07 +0100

Foreign Secretary William Hague is due to visit Israel this week during a short tour of the Middle East.

He is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks on the peace process.

The trip has been planned for some time and is being made in an effort to support US Secretary of State John Kerry's work to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to return to negotiations.

Mr Kerry will also be in Israel - his fourth visit in two months as he works to turn around reluctance on both sides and looks to boost the Palestinian economy.

Mr Hague will attend a meeting of the core group nations in Jordan on Wednesday before travelling to Israel the following day.

He is also due to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Jerusalem road ‘obstacle to peace’

Anshel Pfeffer — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:44 +0100

The inauguration of a new road in northern Jerusalem last week has alleviated traffic jams but also drawn criticism over its implications for the peace process.

Route 20 is a mile-long dual carriageway connecting the north-eastern neighbourhoods of Pisgat Zeev and Neve Ya’akov with the main north-south Begin Highway and the western exit from Jerusalem towards Tel Aviv.

The road, which significantly reduces traffic jams in the north of the city, took over two years to build due to objections filed by residents of the Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Hanina, which it bisects.

In addition to the local opposition, peace groups claim that Route 20 is the first part of a larger project to the north and south of Jerusalem’s centre: to connect Jewish neighbourhoods built beyond the Green Line with the main transport network.

Two more similar roads are to be built over the next three years and, according to the campaigners, their existence will make it much more difficult to divide Jerusalem’s municipal area into two capitals in a future peace deal.

Senior Israeli officials denied that the road had any political implications. “The transport infrastructure in Jerusalem, just like in the other large cities in Israel, needs special attention,” said Transport Minister Yisrael Katz.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the road’s inauguration ceremony last week: “We are continuously and methodically working to connect Jerusalem to itself and to connect it to the rest of our country, because it is important to us.”

The main interchange on Route 20 is named after Professor Ben-Zion Netanyahu, the late father of the prime minister.

Prof Netanyahu died last year and, while streets in Jerusalem are normally only named after people at least three years after their death, the decision to name the interchange was fast-tracked. Opposition members of Jerusalem City Council said that Prof Netanyahu, a celebrated historian of the Spanish Inquisition, deserved to be commemorated but criticised the decision to bend the rules.

Israel welcomes Arab League shift on peace talks

Zoe Winograd — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:37:53 +0100

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has “welcomed” the Arab League’s new positioning on peace talks with Israel.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani announced that the Arab League backed minor land swaps after an Arab delegation met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington on Monday.

The Bahraini, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers were at the meeting, as well as officials from Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League.

The announcement marked a shift from the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, which asked for a return to 1967 borders, the inclusion of East Jerusalem in a Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees, in exchange for a full Arab recognition of Israel.

Mr Kerry told a news conference that his meeting with the Arab League was “a very big step forward.”

He said: “We’re going to continue to march forward and try to bring people to the table despite the difficulties and the disappointments of the past.”

“So the Arab community - and I think they should be thanked for this - saw fit to come here to the United States as a delegation of the Arab League to make it clear that they are relaunching the Arab Peace Initiative,” he added.

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office “welcomed the support given by the Arab league delegation and the US Secretary of State to the diplomatic process.” The office said it is prepared to negotiate with the Palestinians immediately.

Israel President Shimon Peres said that the announcement means that “a broad structure of support is being created for making progress” and that “there is a chance to open negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni hailed it as “a message to the Israeli public that this is not just about us and the Palestinians.” She told Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday that the agreement “allows the Palestinians to enter the room and make the needed compromises.”

All 52 opposition members of the Knesset have signed a petition asking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address parliament on the Arab League announcement.