The world should defend Palestine

In a New York Times article entitled America must recognise Palestine, Jimmy Carter, founder of the Carter Center and former United States president, drew attention to what he called the key words in United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which stated “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in which every state in the area can live in security”. Carter also observed that “Israel is building more and more settlements, displacing Palestinians and entrenching its occupation of Palestinian lands.”

Carter states further that “security guarantees for both Israel and Palestine are imperative, and the resolution must acknowledge the right of both the states of Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security.” He then goes on to say that further measures should include the demilitarisation of the Palestinian state. Israel enjoys absolute US-subsidised hegemony but the Palestinian people are denied any vestige of security. He makes no mention of any demilitarisation of the Zionist state that has used its military might to Occupy Palestinian land and savagely exploit the people's natural resources. The Occupied Palestinian people are living under an Israeli military dictatorship while illegal Israeli Jewish settlers enjoy full Israeli citizenship rights. Palestinians are already denied any sovereignty over their land, sea and sky and Carter's proposal appears to condone that denial as a permanent condition, whether under foreign military rule or otherwise.

Carter writes: “A strong Security Council resolution would underscore that the Geneva Conventions and other human rights protections apply to all parties at all times.” How many more UN Security Council Resolution will be needed to shore up the plethora already passed before the Security Council recognises its duty torestrain Israel and call it to account. He says this proposed Security Council resolution would also “support any agreement reached by the parties regarding Palestinian refugees.” The Palestinian right of return is non-negotiable and to imply otherwise is to pander to Israel. He goes on to reinforce his concern for what he calls Israel's security. The reality is, that Israel enjoys absolute security and the Palestinian people remain utterly defenceless. Along with requiring Palestine to remain defenceless, Carter writes of the establishment of a “possible peacekeeping force under the auspices of the United Nations.” If the purpose of such a peacekeeping force were the defence of the Palestinian people and theoverseeing of an Israeli withdrawal, there would be reason for real hope. Unfortunately, the tenor of Carter's proposal makes that seem unlikely.

Finally, Jimmy Carter does recognise that the Israeli Occupation “is hastening a one-state reality.” The key word here is reality and that reality is now – and it is racist. The best chance for permanent peace is to turn the present reality away from Zionism and towards the birth of a true democracy, with equal rights for all, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Leslie Bravery

Palestine Human Rights Campaign Aotearoa New Zealand

www.palestine.org.nz

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