UNITED STATES PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE. PART 1.

Will Israelis and Palestinians seize the Sun in 2017, or will they choose to remain in their self-imposed 'Ice-age'?

If we were to perceive of the continuing conflict between the State of Israel and the Palestinians of the occupied territories as a Greek tragedy, the recent developments could be played out as follow, bearing in mind that a great deal of tragic events have preceded these acts.

Act one - The United Nations Security Counsel passed a resolution forbidding the State of Israel from building new settlements in occupied territories.

Act Two - Isreal summoned the ambassadors of the countries forming the Security Council, including the United States, her main ally, and scolded them for what she saw as their 'unfriendly' and 'shameful' act.

Act Three - John Kerry, the Secretary of State of the United States, made an epic speech, explaining why the United States abstained from voting in the SC, and making proposals for a two state settlement of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Act Four - The Prime Minister of SOI, and the President Elect of the United States, and Fox News, again attacked the Obama Administration, accusing it of being biased against Israel, and acting disdainfully and disrespectfully towards the country.

Act Five - Watch this space...

In my humble opinion, the speech which John Kerry, the current Secretary of State of the United States of America, is a classic and epic speech. Now, there is probably noting which many of us who have been au fait with the depressing and despairing conflict between the state of Israel and the Palestinians and their Muslim peoples of their surrounding neighbours and those farther afield have not heard before.

John Kerry's speech, in summary, spoke of the need for justice, fairness, peace, security and stability for both the Palestinians and the people of Israel. He spoke of the need for there to be a 'final status' agreement, which I took to mean a document proposing what a state of peace between Israelis and Palestinians would look like.

John Kerry, noting that his proposals, of which he spoke articulately and knowledgeably, for over one hour and with only occasional glances on his auto cue, had the full support of his President, Barak Obama.

Kerry cited at least 6 principles which he and the current United States Government, consider as essential ingredients for bringing a just settlement to the now, almost permanent state of conflict between Israel and her occupied Palestinians and their Muslim supporters.

These, according to John Kerry, include the Jewish people having their own state, Israel, and the Palestinian people also having their own viable and contiguous state. A two nation, two state settlement. This, according to John Kerry's proposal, would require the movement of some some Palestinians and some Israelis from their current locations, so that the Palestinian state can be contiguous. We only have to consider the current separation of Gaza from the West Bank, and how that makes it almost impracticable for the Palestinian Authority to govern these two entities, to appreciate why it is crucial that a viable Palestinian state has to be a contiguous one. 

If we need more evidence of why this is the case, then we could also consider the fate of East Pakistan, which declared its independence from, effectively, West Pakistan, in 1971, and becoming know as Bangladesh, after fighting a bloody and catastrophic war with WP. All of which followed a build up of tensions between WP and EP, as a result of the geological, economic and political differences between them, and the artificial post-independence arrangements made prior to India's independence in 1947. the independence of India and the formation of Pakistan in 1947.

John Kerry also cited the need for Jerusalem to remain the capital of both states, as well a proper arrangements being made to address the issue of Palestinian refugees, and that the rights of the over a million Palestinian and Arab citizens in Israel must be safeguarded.