30
years ago, on September 13, 1993, Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin shook hands
to seal the "Oslo Accords," which were supposed to lead to a
permanent settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within five years. I
remember feeling at that time the hope of finally seeing an end to the already
decades-long Arab-Israeli-Palestinian tragedy. In 2023, what remains? There is
neither peace nor a peace process. Hope has turned into resentment and despair,
and this anniversary went virtually unnoticed.
اضافة اعلان
Over
200 Palestinian and 35 Israeli fatalities
On the ground, the conflict
is heating up once again. This year has already witnessed more than 200
Palestinian and 35 Israeli fatalities. Terrorist attacks, both by Palestinian
militants against Israelis and by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, have
reached record levels. Israel continues to expand settlements in the West Bank;
at the time of the Oslo accords, there were 280,000 settlers, whereas today
there are more than 700,000. Settler violence, the separation barrier,
demolitions, and other measures are gradually displacing the Palestinian
population from their land in many areas of the West Bank, while the
humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues unabated, with no end in sight.
Domestic support is at
an all-time low
Meanwhile, domestic
support for the internationally recognized Palestinian leadership is at an
all-time low, compounded by a growing lack of funding. In contrast, Israel has
become a thriving "start-up nation," despite an imperfect security
environment. The need to change the status quo is not felt as acutely in Tel
Aviv as it is in Ramallah, but the conflict is not going away; the idea that
Israel could move forward without making peace with the Palestinians is a
dangerous illusion.
The continued
violation of UN Security Council resolutions and some of the most fundamental
principles of international law is eroding trust in a rules-based international
order, not just in the region but across the globe. Therefore, it is more
necessary and urgent than ever for the international community to reaffirm its
commitment to, and mobilize for, peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
For years now, we, the
EU and the international community, have been advocating for a Two-State
Solution with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous,
sovereign State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, with
Jerusalem as the capital of both states. Due to Israel's fait accompli policy,
this solution may seem less and less viable on the ground. However, what other
alternative could allow Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in
peace? Nobody can articulate any other plausible answer.
The establishment of
diplomatic ties between some Arab States and Israel, vital as it is for
regional peace, has so far not brought Israelis and Palestinians closer to
peace. Therefore, together with the League of Arab States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
and Jordan, we have decided to make a joint contribution to help revitalize the
Two-State solution.
Peace Day Effort
On September 18, at
the United Nations in New York, we jointly launched the 'Peace Day Effort.' It
was a success, with the participation of more than 50 countries and
organizations. We intend to 'reverse engineer' peace, putting together a
"Peace Supporting Package" that will maximize benefits for the Palestinians
and Israelis if they are able to reach a peace agreement. This initiative
builds on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the 2013 EU "package of
political, security, and economic support," both of which have foreseen
such incentives for the conflict parties if they achieve peace, while also
drawing inspiration from existing relations between Israel and some Arab
states.
We aim to gather all
that we can contribute when there is actual peace, real open borders, and
substantial regional cooperation in the Middle East.
What political,
economic, and security perspectives could we offer? What energy, climate,
water, development, and other projects would we launch? This Peace Day Effort
is not just an Arab-European endeavor; all international partners are invited
to contribute, and in New York, many offered their support. On November 13 and
14, we will begin working together in Brussels to make this Peace Supporting
Package precise and concrete.
It cannot be a
substitute for a genuine peace process
This initiative
cannot, of course, be a substitute for a genuine peace process between Israelis
and Palestinians. The Peace Supporting Package alone will not be sufficient to
overcome the many obstacles to peace, but it can provide an incentive to move
in this direction—not only through the benefits it offers but also by reminding
the conflict parties that a negotiated solution is the only viable and
acceptable strategic option.
While our Israeli and
Palestinian friends are not yet negotiating peace, we have embarked on this
journey to help keep the Two-State Solution alive, hoping that, together, we
can bring it within closer reach. As remote as peace in the Middle East may
appear today, echoing the words of Nelson Mandela that "it always seems
impossible until it's done," we will keep trying. For the sake of the
legitimate rights of Palestinians, sustainable long-term security for Israelis,
peace and development in the region, and the credibility of the international
rules-based order, the world cannot afford to forget the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Josep Borrell EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.
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