Failure of the peace process could lead to a return to violent struggle

Americans must get tough on Israel if they want to prevent a return of violence, writes Saleh Al Qalllab in Asharq Al Awsat. Other views: Faisal Jalul and Naji Sadek (Al Khaleej), Abdullah Iskandar (Al Hayat) and Ziad Abuzayyad and Rajeh Abu Asab (Al Quds)

Unless the Americans take a firm stance to get Israel to cut a peace deal with the Palestinians, the Middle East will plunge into a new cycle of violence and terror, especially since more Palestinians and other Arabs are calling for the Palestinian Authority to dismantle itself and return to armed struggle, warned Saleh Al Qallab in the London-based Asharq Al Awsat paper.

With only a few weeks left before the April 29 deadline set by the US for a framework peace agreement, little progress has been made towards that goal. The Israelis and Palestinians have been keen on attending the peace meetings, held in Jerusalem and supervised by US envoy Martin Indyk, to avoid giving the impression that the nine-month talks have fallen flat.

The writer cautioned that the US might give up its peace efforts and leave the Middle East to the mercy of extremism and Iran. This will delight Russia, which seems excited about reviving Cold War rhetoric, amid the conflict in Syria and the recent crises in Ukraine.

In fact, neither the Palestinian Authority nor the Israeli government want the talks to come to an end. The problem, however, lies with Benjamin Netanyahu, the hardline Israeli prime minister who hangs on to implausible conditions that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cannot possibly accept.

The writer was referring to Israel’s failure to approve a Palestinian state based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital, a right of return for refugees and Israel’s insistence on being recognised as a Jewish state.

Faisal Jalul argued in the Sharjah-based Al Khaleej that the only way to break through Israel’s arrogance is by shifting the strategy from solely pursuing negotiations to sparking a new Intifada backed by regional and international activism to get recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian strategy can promote boycotts of Israel, something that has been gaining momentum among non-government organisations in the US and Europe.

Palestinians can also seize this opportunity to apply for full member-state status of the United Nations.

Public opinion in the West is increasingly aware of the fact that despite Palestinian concessions, Israel does not want a two-state solution. For many people in the US and Europe, Israel is no longer the victim that must be backed no matter what. Moreover, Israel is no longer capable of igniting side wars in Gaza and South Lebanon to evade peace negotiations.

In the same vein, Naji Sadek wrote in Al Khaleej that the gravest mistake of the Palestinian Authority is that it has relied entirely on talks.

Negotiations are pointless unless they are backed by other options, namely international activism and popular resistance.

Ending the talks is no easy decision but if the negotiations fail, Palestinians must opt for new tactics to demand their right to a separate state and make Israeli end its occupation.

Abdullah Iskandar remarked in the London-based Al Hayat that the US has said that headway in the peace process was tied up with concessions from both sides and that the US was just a facilitator. However, the reality has shown that only the Palestinians have been pressured to make concessions.

US support of Israel is an undisputed fact, but this close US-Israeli relationship contradicts America’s declared goal of reaching a peaceful settlement based on a two-state solution.

The US administration should rethink the way it is brokering the peace process and exert equal pressure on both sides, Iskandar said.

Rajeh Abu Asab commented in the West Bank-based Al Quds that Mr Abbas’s bold decision on Tuesday of signing applications to join 15 UN bodies and treaties came after Mr Kerry’s efforts to salvage the peace talks had failed.

What caused the US failure was Israel’s intransigence and its decision not to proceed with the promised ­release of Palestinian prisoners.

Yet Mr Abbas’s decision does not mean the Palestinians have given up on the peace negotiations. Mr Abbas signed the applications in response to Israel refusing to implement an agreed prisoner-release.

In contrast, the Palestinian leadership had honoured its promise not to sign up for the UN agencies during the nine months of negotiations.

Writing for Al Quds, Ziad Abuzayyad noted that negotiations are the best way to end the conflict and achieve a peace accord.

However, Palestinian negotiators are vainly trying to seal a peace deal, and Israel is vainly trying to force Palestinians to sign a surrender deal. And the conflict will not end unless one of these deals is signed.

It may seem at times to the Israelis that the Palestinians have admitted defeat, but then they are disappointed as they realise the Palestinians have not surrendered.

Translated by Abdelhafid Ezzouitni