Dr. ForqanUddin Ahmed :
In 1947-8, 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from or fled their homes at the hands of militias during the creation of the state of Israel.
Hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were emptied of their populations and destroyed.
This tragedy is known as the ‘Nakba’ by Palestinians, and heralded decades of displacement, conflict, and persecution.
The Nakba is still lived by Palestinian refugee families displaced for more than 73 years, many of whom live in refugee camps across the region, including in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory (opt).
During the July war of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza, and annexed East Jerusalem. For more than 54 years, Israel’s military occupation has impacted every aspect of daily life for Palestinians: restricting movement, imposing discriminatory control, and threatening homes and livelihoods.
Palestinians in Gaza have also lived under 14 years of stifling blockade, collective punishment and repeated military assault.
On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a devastating attack across the border into Israel. In retaliation, Israel began an intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Thousands of people have since been killed and it is unclear what the lasting effect on the region will be.
‘They’re going house-to-house looking for traps’ What are the main enduring Israeli-Palestinian issues? Ongoing issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians include: a two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees.
The two-state solution would be an agreement to create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction, recognizing 1967 borders but not the state of Israel.
Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten Israel has been repeatedly criticized by the international community for building more and more settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Many countries view these as illegal, but Israel disputes this. The status of Jerusalem – a city that has been fought over for centuries – is likewise a point of bitter contention.
Many Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, though this is not widely recognised on the world stage.
Around 5.6 million Palestinian refugees – mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 – live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, with many living in crowded camps. Palestinians have long demanded refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants.
In September 2020, Israel signed a historic peace agreement known as the Abraham Accords, with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on the steps of the White House which were almost immediately followed by Sudan.
The Abraham Accords with signatories: Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, set the stage to overturn the traditional Arab stance of refusing normalization with Israel until the Palestinian issue was resolved. Surprisingly, Abraham Accords were negotiated without the direct involvement of the Palestinian leadership.
Critics argue that this undermined the Palestinian Authority’s position and its ability to negotiate for a two-state solution. The Accords bypassed a longstanding precondition of a comprehensive peace agreement in the region, making it more challenging for the Palestinian leadership to have a seat at the table. For the Arab countries that signed the Accords, there were several perceived benefits.
These included access to advanced Israeli technology, potential economic opportunities, and enhanced security cooperation. In the pursuit of these advantages, some critics argue that these countries may have deprioritized the Palestinian cause in favor of their national interests.
Biden has reaffirmed U.S. support for a two-state solution, calling for separate Israeli and Palestinian states with borders resembling those that existed before the 1967 war; this territory includes the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and parts of East Jerusalem.
The Clinton Parameters provided the outlines for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the resolution of the other final status issues. George W. Bush became the first U.S. president to publicly endorse a Palestinian state, which was represented in the 2003 Road Map for Peace plan put forth by the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.
The Obama administration also tried to advance a two-state solution, but talks collapsed in 2014 over disagreements on settlements, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and other issues. In 2016, Secretary Kerry outlined principles for a two-state solution based on those final status talks.
As Palestine people are homeless, this issue might be settled without delay. If it is not done, the UN will have to face questions from the peace loving people of the world. In this regard, there are other complimentary questions which we can relate to Israel-Palestine conflict.
Will Israeli-Palestine conflict limit to region or worldwide? What can act as a powerful deterrent fostering peace & stability in the Middle East? Any intervention of a third party or alliance may aggravate the Middle East crisis? UN strong resolution for ceasefire must apply to all alliances &third party combatants.
Only the recognition of Palestine state will be the permanent solution of M.E. crisis. Unanimous resolution by U.N. Security Council on statehood of Palestine may be the torch bearer of peace in M.E. The Palestinians are living in the refugee camps.
This is illegal and contrary to human civilization. Finally it is assessed, if the Arab League is cordial and the US plays an unbiased and non-partisan role, the conflict may end with an ultimate resolution of establishing a separate state for Palestine.
(The author: Former DDG, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Columnist and researcher)
