Ten Ways Israel has Helped the Palestinian People

by Stephen McDonald, Communications Consultant, Canada-Israel Committee

A quick list of the various ways in which Israel has raised the quality of life for Palestinians, and strengthened hopes for peace and prosperity in the region.

1. Enabled Palestinian Authority security forces to assume control of major cities in the West Bank.
   Since 2008, Israel has handed over security responsibilities to five American trained Palestinian Security Forces battalions – which now carry out operations in major West Bank cities including Jenin, Nablus, Jericho, and Hebron. By next year, an additional five battalions will be trained and ready for deployment.
    
2. Maintained and strengthened a massive humanitarian aid supply to the people of Gaza.
   UNRWA estimates there are currently 4.7 million Palestinian refugees (the only refugee group which counts descendants as refugees). The resettlement of millions of Palestinians in Israel, rather than a future Palestinian state, would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state – and the concept of two states for two peoples.
    
3. Transferred billions in tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority. 
   Last year alone, Israel handed over 4.3 million shekels in tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority, an increase of 12% over 2008. These transfers have proven critical in financing self-governed services for Palestinians and easing dependence on foreign aid, through a regular, domestic source of revenue.
    
4. Paved the way for an economic surge in the West Bank – largely by providing for greater freedom of travel.
   Since April of 2008, Israel has removed hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank, including at key points along the territory’s major north-south artery (Route 60). In accordance with a handover of security duties to the Palestinian Authority, these measures have provided enormous confidence and mobility for Palestinians. The results are impressive. Last year, the West Bank GDP grew by nearly 7% – in the middle of a global downturn. Major indicators are all positive, with a decrease in the unemployment rate, a substantial increase in Israel-West Bank traffic, and a 25% increase in imports (not including from Israel).
    
5. Allowed more West Bank Palestinians to enter Israel for work.
   In the past five years, Israel has steadily increased the number of permits enabling Palestinians to work in Israel. Last year, the daily average number of working permits surpassed 26,000 – a substantial leap from just under 11,000 in 2006.

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Ten Simple Ways the Palestinians Can Help Bring Peace to the Region

by Stephen McDonald, Communications Consultant, Canada-Israel Committee

A quick list of ten modest steps the Palestinian Authority can take to build trust, create an atmosphere of cooperation, and build the foundation for a future Palestinian state.

1. Acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
   Although Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has recognized Israel's right to exist, he has been steadfast in refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. This is in spite of the fact that a wide range of nations have officially enshrined national-religious status (including Christian nations such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Finland, and the Netherlands, let alone the conference of over 50 Islamic states). Recognizing Israel as a Jewish state would provide Israel with the assurance that its status as the national Jewish homeland would not be put at risk in peace negotiations.
    
2. Commit to the "right of return" for Palestinian refugees to a future Palestinian state – not Israel. UNRWA estimates there are currently 4.7 million Palestinian refugees (the only refugee group which counts descendants as refugees). The resettlement of millions of Palestinians in Israel, rather than a future Palestinian state, would mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state – and the concept of two states for two peoples.
    
3. Renounce the use of violence as a solution to the region's problems.
   Just this month, Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Fatah who sits on the party's Central Committee, told Palestinian Authority Television that "At the (Sixth Fatah) Conference (in 2009), we affirmed the struggle in all its forms, including resistance and the armed struggle… The (armed) struggle is a means, not an end. The (armed) struggle is related to our abilities… must cause pain to the occupation (Israel); it must be connected to a political platform."
    
4. End the glorification of terrorists.
   In 2010 alone in the West Bank, officials glorified a number of infamous terrorists, including Abu Jihad and Dalal al-Mughrabi (both responsible for the Coastal Road Massacre in which 38 Israeli civilians were killed). In their honour were named educational camps, a research centre, a soccer tournament, a street, and a town square. In May, a soccer tournament in Bethlehem was similarly named in honour of Abu Daoud, one of terrorists who planned the infamous Munich Massacre in which 11 Israeli athletes were murdered at the 1972 Olympics.
    
5. Cease and condemn all efforts to ethnically cleanse the West Bank of Jews.
   In 2009, a military court of the Palestinian Authority sentenced an Arab resident of Hebron to death for selling property in the West Bank to Jews. The capital offense, introduced by the Palestinian Authority in 1996, intends to prevent Jews from living in a future Palestinian state – despite the fact that over one million Arabs currently live inside Israel's borders. A policy of "Judenrein" is incompatible with peace.

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Abbas Must Prepare His People for Peace With Israel by Shimon Fogel, Canada-Israel Committee CEO

Here is an op-ed in the Sept. 1 National Post by Shimon Fogel, CIC CEO:

What will it take to close the gap and achieve a secure peace in the Middle East? The question is especially pressing this week – with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meeting in Washington to resume direct talks for the first time in over a year. To understand how to obtain a lasting peace today requires examining how it has been secured in the past – and how, by contrast, other efforts have dissolved into bloodshed.

Israel has enjoyed decades of peace with two former belligerent states: Egypt and Jordan. In both cases, Israel forfeited swaths of land in exchange for full recognition and the cessation of aggression. To secure an agreement with Egypt, Israel uprooted settlements and gave up the Sinai – an area nearly three times the size of Israel that contains vast oil resources.

Israel has also taken steps for peace that were unfortunately met with violence and chaos. In 1993, the historic Oslo peace process was launched. The Palestinians were to abandon all violence and build the foundations for a functioning civil society. The Israelis were to yield territory in Gaza and the West Bank, and pave the way for a future Palestinian state.

In response, Hamas unleashed a vicious campaign of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. But the Israelis held fast to Oslo, ceding control of substantial parts of the territories to the Palestinian Authority and preparing for final status negotiations.

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For the Record: Milestones in the Quest for Peace

As direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks get underway in Washington, DC, we thought it would be useful to review the history of the peace process:

1947 – The United Nations recommends partition with the passage of Resolution 181 by a vote of 33 to 13 – with Canada supporting the division of the former British Mandate into "Jewish" and "Arab" states. The Jewish community in the region accepts the decision. Arab nations and Palestinians reject partition.

1948 – Israel declares independence on May 14th on the territory partitioned according to Resolution 181. The following day, 6 Arab states invade Israel.

1949 – War of Independence ends, with armistice lines being drawn between the two sides. Egypt assumes control of the Gaza Strip, while Jordan occupies the West Bank and the eastern side of Jerusalem.

1956 – Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal, blocking Israeli shipping. Sinai War breaks out, resulting in Israel controlling the entire Peninsula.

1957 – After Egypt refuses to make peace, Israel withdraws independently from the Sinai Peninsula. United Nations peacekeepers are installed along the Israel-Egypt border.

1967 – Egypt expels UN peacekeepers from the Sinai, blockades the Straits of Tiran (Red Sea) from all Israeli shipping, and establishes a unified military command with Jordan and Syria. The Six Day War results, with Israel winning control of the Golan Heights, Gaza, the Sinai, and the West Bank. Jerusalem is united under Israeli sovereignty.

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Aluf Benn: It’s Too Early To Write Off Direct Israeli-Palestinian Talks

On Sat. Aug. 28, the Globe and Mail ran a cautiously optimistic op-ed by Aluf Benn, editor-at-large of Haaretz:

The announcement of the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks has been greeted by an indifferent Israeli public. Politicians and pundits lamented the effort as yet another futile exercise in diplomacy, the product of hopeless American naiveté. “Nothing will come out of it,” has been the common reaction, based on countless examples of past negotiations that began in high-profile ceremonies only to end in despair, if not in another round of hostilities.

I beg to differ. Changes in the political environment give peace a better chance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, herded by their U.S. custodian, President Barack Obama, can reach a deal on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the next year. It requires patience and creativity, but it’s possible. Low expectations have their virtues, too: They serve as a cushion protecting negotiators from performance anxiety, reducing the risk of disappointment-driven blow-ups.

In his second term, Mr. Netanyahu is strong inside and weak outside. Facing no serious challengers, he enjoys political strength like no predecessor in the past generation. Improved security and an excellent economy support a quiet home front. Looking out the window, however, Mr. Netanyahu sees dark clouds surrounding Israel. The country is increasingly isolated, facing a global fatigue over its endless conflict with its neighbours, and a consensus against occupation, settlement expansion and excessive use of military force. And on the horizon, Iran’s nuclear project is looming.

Mr. Netanyahu returned to power chiefly to save Israel from the “existential threat” posed by Iran. In this environment, he must rely on the United States, Israel’s closest ally and strongest protector. Only Mr. Obama can save Israel from the wrath of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But this protection comes with a price: a Natanz-for-settlements tradeoff.

Mr. Netanyahu understands that. Whatever ideological and policy differences he has with Mr. Obama, whenever faced with a U.S. dictate, Mr. Netanyahu obeyed. Thus he accepted the “two-state solution” despite having fought against the idea throughout his career; declared a 10-month moratorium on West Bank settlement expansion; slowed down controversial construction in east Jerusalem; and eased the siege of Gaza after the botched Turkish flotilla incident.

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According to Reports: Abbas Has a Credibility Problem Heading into Talks

In his weekly Canadian Jewish News media analysis column "According to Reports," Paul Michaels, CIC Director of Communications, quotes Mideast analyst Jim Lederman on seldom reported problems within the Palestinian Authority leadership.

In the July 29 CJN, this column presented Mideast analyst Jim Lederman's reflections about what the foreign media overwhelmingly fail to cover in their reports from Israel – namely, newsworthy stories about the thoughts and actions of the majority of Israelis.

Lederman also reflected about what the media fail to report about Palestinian society and governance. Space then did not allow the inclusion of those comments. But with attention now turning to the possibility that direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority could resume, it's timely to turn to his remarks.

Lederman began by pointing out a tremendously important development that most foreign correspondents (and many Israeli journalists too) failed to report about: PA President Mahmoud Abbas' decision in June to "indefinitely postpone" municipal elections in the West Bank, which were scheduled to be held in July.

Why was this story important? According to Lederman "Last October, Hamas vetoed the very idea of new elections in Gaza. It not only feared competition from Fatah, it also needed to shut down all political debate. Although Hamas initially gained its legitimacy through elections, it could just as easily lose its right to rule if it fought an election after all the suffering Gazans have endured under its rule.

"Despite Hamas' opposition to elections of any sort, Mahmoud Abbas hoped he could still use municipal elections in the West Bank to show that Fatah had remained the primary political force amongst Palestinians. A resounding Fatah victory, or even a small majority in municipal elections, could have given Abbas the opportunity to claim that he has the legitimacy he needs to compromise with Israel.

"And so Abbas declared that municipal elections would be held, as scheduled, in the West Bank in late July. But on June 10, only an hour before the time for the submission of party electoral lists was set to expire, he cancelled those elections.

"The reason was simple. Fatah had been unable to get its act together. The party couldn't come up with a single list of candidates, so its vote was in danger of being split again, as it had during the previous general elections that Hamas had won by achieving a plurality. But intra-Fatah disorder was not [Abbas'] only problem. He couldn't even craft a viable party platform.

"In short, Fatah is in dire straits. It behaves as though it has learned little or nothing from its electoral defeat in 2006. [Abbas'] throne has no legs. He cannot even count on the backing of his erstwhile supporters. That is why he has turned over much if not all the diplomatic decision-making to the so-called monitoring committee of the Arab League. To his dismay, however, he found that not only did the committee approve the idea of direct talks with Israel (which Abbas opposes), the committee did so after bowing to intense pressure from the Americans and the EU.

"The crucial question that needs to be asked is the following: if Abbas cannot legitimize his own rule through elections, how will he be able to legitimize any concessions he may have to make as part of the negotiations with Israel? Not only that, he cannot even pretend to be presenting a common Palestinian front. As each day passes, Hamas' theocratic dictatorship in Gaza, which opposes any concessions to Israel – including, foremost, recognition – is becoming ever more entrenched."

Lederman admitted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has his own constraints. "However, he does have vehicles such as a vote of confidence in the Knesset or even new general elections to legitimize any concessions he may feel required to make."

Lederman concluded: "Given all the divisions within the Palestinian camp and their incapacity to overcome those divisions, the greatest problem that American mediators face is not how to extract further concessions from Israel, but rather how to legitimize any of the concessions that the Palestinian leadership will have to make as part of a peace deal."
 

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Video: Israel’s Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace

Israel, in any future agreement with the Palestinians, has a critical need for defensible borders. This video from the Jersualem Center for Public Affairs outlines the threats to Israel from terrorist rockets, ballistic missiles, and conventional ground and air threats from the east.

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CIC Press Release: Canada-Israel Committee Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks Between Israel and Palestinians

The CIC issued the following news release today:

CIC Welcomes Resumption of Direct Talks Between Israel and Palestinians

Ottawa, Ontario
August 25, 2010

The Canada-Israel Committee welcomes the return to direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which will begin in Washington D.C. on Sept. 2.

"Only through face-to-face negotiations, held without preconditions, have Israel and the Palestinians been able to make progress in the past," said Moshe Ronen, CIC Chair.

Mr. Ronen continued: "The resumption of direct talks is aimed at achieving a peace agreement that means a secure future for both Israelis and Palestinians. We must recognize, however, that many of the issues separating Israel and the Palestinians are complex and difficult, and will require painful compromise by both sides."

Shimon Fogel, CIC CEO, added: "Israel has shown in its peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan that when it has a reliable partner it is prepared to give up tangible assets for peace and security. Today, despite threats from Iran and violent rejectionist forces like Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel remains determined to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

"Over the past year Israel has carried out a range of confidence-building measures, including the removal of many roadblocks and checkpoints, and has provided greater autonomy for PA security forces. Increased economic development in the West Bank is also an encouraging sign."

Mr. Fogel concluded: "We are hopeful that direct talks will result in similar initiatives from the Palestinians, and generate momentum for a comprehensive peace."

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Canadian PM Harper Expresses Sympathy for Gilad Shalit

Here is a story from the Canadian Jewish News:

PM expresses sympathy for Shalit
By Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf,  Staff Reporter
Thursday, 26 August 2010

TORONTO — Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he wishes Canada could do more for kidnapped Israel Defence Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

He made the remark while on a stopover in Toronto last week, where he attended a “cultural media roundtable” for reporters representing the city’s faith communities.

Aside from The CJN, present at the table were journalists from Indian, Sikh, Italian, Polish, Greek, Korean, Chinese and Caribbean news outlets.

The CJN was allowed two questions, both of which were submitted ahead of time.

Asked about what Canada is doing to help Israel secure information about the condition of kidnapped Israel Defence Forces soldier Gilad Shalit – a captive of Hamas in Gaza for more than four years – Harper said he wished there was more to be done.

“We have called repeatedly for his release, [but] the regime that holds him is not one that is terribly given to respond to international pressure or respect international law in any way, shape or form,” Harper said.

“We have great sympathy for him, his family and all those who know him. He stands as a symbol and remembrance that terrorism is a very real fact in Israel’s day-to-day existence. He is a symbol of that reality and of the complete lawlessness of those in that region who threaten Israel’s existence.”

Regarding Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s quest to acquire nuclear weapons, Harper was asked whether he thinks the government’s recently augmented economic sanctions against Iran are working and whether there’s a set time frame to allow political deterrence to work before more action is taken.

He said the Canadian government continues to be “very worried” about Ahmadinejad’s regime, although it has “no quarrel” with the Iranian people.

“We sympathize deeply with the widespread democratic and human rights abuses that exist within that country. That said, that regime, in our opinion, unequivocally wants to gain nuclear weapons. And Iran gaining this capacity, would be a very grave security threat to the region and the world.”

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Palestinians Must Accept the Jewish Presence in Israel: Here’s Some Help From the Quran – New Post By Uri Goldflam

by Uri Goldflam

As pressure for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority continued to rise, PA President Mahmoud Abbas continued to stall. He was refusing to climb down from the tree that U.S President Barack Obama planted last year ("full construction freeze in settlements").

Meanwhile, the moratorium on building in the West Bank (and unofficially in Jerusalem) is about to end in September – 10 months wasted due to Palestinian refusal to sit down and talk. No doubt Abbas is hopeful that resuming construction in Jewish communities in the West Bank will shift the pressure (and the blame) to Israel. He is also hopeful that with American and European pressure, he can obtain concessions from Israel without having to actually give any of his own, ergo his reluctance to sit down face to face.

But starting September 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas will sit down to talk. They will talk about borders, settlements, Jerusalem and refugees. They may even reach agreements on some of the issues. However, this conflict is not about tangible things. At the core of the conflict are non-tangible ideas – identity, belonging, honour, recognition.

Israelis have been undergoing a fascinating social reconstruction since the late 1980s (the first intifada). This process took mainstream Israelis from "there is no such thing as a Palestinian people" to "two states for two nations." Netanyahu's declaration last year at Bar Ilan University accepting the two-state solution is a culmination of this process.

But there has been no reciprocity on the Palestinian side. Whatever the reason, no Palestinian leader – who wishes to remain in a position of leadership – or any other Arab leader, can make statements in Arabic and in public accepting Israel's right to exist as a free, independent and sovereign nation somewhere between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan. This would be in direct contradiction to 62 years of propaganda and vilification of Israel in the Arab world, describing Zionists as thieves and usurpers and colonialists.

Even today, the Palestinian leadership continues with former PA President Yasser Arafat's policy, denying any connection between the Jews and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Since the signing of the Oslo accords, an entire generation of Palestinian children has grown up learning this revised version of history. Why should they make peace with Israel at all?

So, as a public service to Abbas I would like to offer a few quotes that will help him pass the message onward and actually accept the Jewish people's connection to the Holy Land.

From the Holy Quran:

Sura 5 verses 21-22

21. And when Musa [Moses] said to his people [Israel]: O my people! remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations.

22. O my people! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers.

Sura 7 verses 137 [discussing the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land]

And We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern lands and the western ones which We had blessed; and the good word of your Lord was fulfilled in the children of Israel because they bore up (sufferings) patiently;

Sura 10 verse 93 [discussing the events following Pharaoh interaction with Moses]
And certainly We lodged the children of Israel in a goodly abode and We provided them with good things;

Sura 17 verse 104 [after Pharaoh]
And We said to the Israelites after him: Dwell in the land: and when the promise of the next life shall come to pass, we will bring you both together in judgment

Well, you know, I'm just saying…

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