On the Wrong Side of History
Today, there is some hope for the Palestinians who have struggled to achieve statehood, since they were first promised it in 1948, when the State of Israel, was forced upon their territory, which at the time was a British mandated territory, After years of trying to negotiate Statehood under a peaceful resolutions with the Israel, it looks like it may be accomplished with a form of recognition of Statehood by a vote in the United Nations.
It appears that Israel, the United States, Britain and Canada, among other less important States cannot prevent this vote. Israel under the Likud government has lost support of many countries due its criminal behaviour toward the Palestinians. It has become increasingly clear that the Israeli government has no intentions of making a peace agreement with the Palestinians to support them in forming a State of their own. The reality is that Israel has been illegally occupying Palestinian territory such that there are now 600,000 Israeli settlers illegally located on Palestinians lands. They along with the infrastructure to connect the settlements have cut up the Palestinian Territory such that it no longer has an geographical integrity. The promise of negotiating a "two State solution" has been made impossible. It is now a lie. In reality the Israelis want to keep the Palestinians stateless why they increasingly occupy their land.
For an essay on the historical background and issues at stake on this issue read what Dr. Cole wrote.
Israel's has been losing the support of many countries, particularly European ons.. For decades, Israel, was widely supported while the Palestinians were demonized. Israel began as a noble socialist experiment at nation building, "making the desert bloom". Along the way, this Israel disappeared and Israel has become a rogue state criminally treating the Palestinians. The threat of being called anti-Semitic build of our guilt over the Holocaust, no longer has the controlling power over Nations it once had.
To our shame, Canada finds itself on the wrong side history, supporting the Israeli government unconditionally. This is the policy of the Stephen Harper Conservative government . It is not the historic view of Canada which always tried to be even handed in the treatment of the Israel/Palestinian conflict. The Canadian government is a more rabid supporter of Israel than the Israeli government. While the Israel government seems to recognize that they will lose on this UN vote and are soft peddling its significance as not changing the situations on the ground, the Canadian Conservative government is threatening the Palestinians with shutting down of their "embassy" in Canada, cutting off of diplomatic connection and the withholding economic support if they win this vote. It seems Canada want to do to Palestine what it did to Iran, this taking itself out of the opportunity to have any influence. Canada's amateurish efforts at international relations leave it irrelevant.. The US I am sure will be realistic in their response, so they can remain a player. The British have even signaled that they would support the Palestinians if they promised not to support the International Criminal Court, and not take Israel before it. This what is really at stake. Palestine as a State could take Israel to the ICC for it's criminal behavior:i.e. allowing settlements on Palestinian Territory, seizing of large parts of East Jerusalem, carrying out policies of assassination of Palestinian leaders, .collective punishment of Gazans, failure to allow adequate food and materials for the people of Gaza, in particular. As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for these violations of International Law. These are crimes against humanity.
How sad and ironic it is the Israel of all states has come to behave criminally toward the Palestinians. They, who once were the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity are behaving in this manner toward others. We have a right to expect more morally from Israel. We certainly no longer owe their government unconditional support. (which no government should have, not even our own)
History is moving on, I hope Canada will not be left behind and irrelevant on the wrong side of history.
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 8:44 a.m.
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8 Comments:
One thing that totally baffles me is why Israel does not see that how they treat the Palestinians reeks of the kind of behavior meted out on Israel by other nations.
Persecution is persecution--nevermind whether there is an historical reason for it.
You're absolutely right, Philip. The Harper government is on the wrong side of history on this one.
In fact, it has little appreciation for history at all.
Neither group comes to this table with clean hands.
The Troutbirder are divided as well on this issue. The Mrs. totally agrees with your point of views. Me only partially...
Hello Philip
Yes I know - long time no see:) - I've been lax in my blog reading over the past year so popped in just to say that - 'Hello how ya going'
You know, no matter how we feel - there are times when it's all too hard. My Mum used to say about whoever was in 'power' anywhere in the world (apart from obvious dictators) - 'they are all as bad as each other - they promise the earth but give nothing' (or worse in some cases)
We can't stick our heads in the sand but what (as individuals) can we do??
Take care
Cathy
Cathy @ Still Waters
commenting via blogger
Yes, history certainly is moving on and it's fascinating. I have never been able to understand why it's been unacceptible for the US to challenge Israel. It's like we have an umbilical cord tied to them that we can't cut !!
I agree with KGMom ...
You know what Phillip? "There will be wars and rumors of wars" is so true. It will never end. It is a shame that all people cannot love one another and live in peace, but it will never happen. xo
The Arabs in Palestine were first offered a separate state (separate from one occupied by Jews)in 1937 by the British Both Egypt and Jordan laid claim to territories in Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank)and rejected the idea of a separate Arab state as well as the idea of a separate Jewish state within the lands under the British mandate. In 1948the U.N. made the same offer and once again it was rejected by the Arabs. The U.N. then proceeded to create a Jewish state encompassing the lands that were principally occupied by the Jews. The Arabs united to attack the new Jewish state and the Arab armies were defeated. What is important to remember in this is that the Arab states have never recognized the legitimacy of Israel, therefore they do not recognize any territorial boundaries. In 1967, the Arabs again went to war against Israel and again lost, losing parts of Jersualem, Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. And that is pretty much the way it has remained. Over time, the Israelis moved out of Gaza and turned it over to the Arabs. Israel did manage to negotiate peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but much of those gains have been jeopardized by the so-called Arab Spring. The Muslim Arabs will never accept a Jewish state in the middle of what they perceive are Muslim lands. For them, the Jewish state must end and the Jews must be dispersed. Fatah (the party that controls the West Bank) has stated that if it gets statehood all the Jews must leave its territory. While I can empathize with some of the criticism leveled at Israel over how it has conducted its relations with the Arabs on the West Bank, I cannot support a position (i.e. giving the Arabs exactly what they want) that amounts to either ethnic cleansing or genocide of Jews.
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