IT IS HIGH TIME!

Ever Since Israel announced its plan to annex the  Jordan Valley of the Palestinian Territories, we started hearing international voices against such a move.  Voices that were never raised against all the illegal actions of Israel in the occupied Territories including the annexation of East Jerusalem as well as other areas on which the settlements have been built.      

Ever since the United Nations Partition plan of 1947 that enabled the establishment of the State of Israel,   Israel has been flouting all United Nations resolutions.  Furthermore, it has violated all international law and human rights accords in both the areas of Palestine whether acquired by the Partition scheme and the war of 1948 or by the June 1967 War.  However the discrimination against the Palestinians who became Israeli citizens overnight in 1948 and the absurd  absentee law imposed on them while they were still in the  country is in itself a whole story documented by many Palestinians as well as Israeli historians.  

I am focusing in this reflection on the occupied territories of 1967,  and when Israel illegally annexed East Jerusalem, shortly after the June war.  Despite the consensus of the international community to consider East Jerusalem part of the occupied territories, Israel claimed Jerusalem as the united capital of  Israel, and urged the US  to have the American embassy moved to Jerusalem, which  was eventually fulfilled during the era of president Donald Trump.  We have heard previous presidents in their campaigns promising such a move, but none of them took such a bold step.  And no voices were heard at the time  against the annexation of East Jerusalem.    

Unfortunately in the aftermath of the Oslo accords signed between Yasser Arafat on behalf of the PLO  and Ishaq Rabin on behalf of Israel, and during the peace negotiations, the fate of Jerusalem as well as other basic issues like borders,  and the right  of return of the refugees  were deferred to the end of the first five years of negotiations that were meant to focus on building trust.  Well twenty years of negotiations were over with neither trust nor solutions for any of the issues, and security seemed to be the only priority for Israel.   In the name of security and a continuous reminder of what happened to the Jews in Europe,  Israel made the whole international community committed to safe guard its security, and created such  an atmosphere whereby criticizing Israel was considered anti-Semitic, thus silencing so many voices who did not wish to be accused of being  anti-Semitic. And of course the USA was always there to support Israel morally and financially and to shield it from any international action.   

Well  it looks like Israel has stretched its luck a little bit too much by coveting the Jordan valley and its plan to annex it to Israel to ensure a safe border.  Not that Israel has ever determined its borders.  So now we hear the voice of some of Israel’s staunch supporters from the American Congress when on June 25,  200 Democratic House members called on Netanyahu “ to scrap the plan to  illegally annex the Jordan Valley” which amounts to 30 percent of the West Bank .  Furthermore Rep.   Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  along with a dozen Democratic lawmakers, issued  a letter on June 30,  addressed to US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo expressing serious action. “Should the Israeli government continue down this path (of annexation), we will work to ensure non-recognition of annexed territories as well as pursue legislation that conditions the $3.8 billion in US military funding to Israel to ensure US taxpayers are not supporting annexation in any way. ”   This is definitely a new tone coming out of the Congress.  Over and above, the usual allies of the USA in support of Israel like the French and the British and other European countries ,  who have also raised their voices,  threatening with sanctions.  

For decades we have heard nothing but  words and resolutions with no action.   So dare we hope that this small percentage  of courageous voices will encourage others to stand with what is right and legal.  And again  dare we hope that Britain might be in the fore front to atone for the original sin as well as France who played a major role in providing the nuclear reactor to Israel,  to have enough courage with other countries as well,  to say enough to the Israeli occupation and to recognize the State of Palestine along with the 138 countries who have done so.