By Amb Anil Trigunayat
This Eid Ul Fitr was almost certainly the bloodiest festival the Palestinians had bargained for. As for the Israelis, in particular in the Southern element the safety issues and worry of getting hit by barrage of rockets from Gaza are actual and rampant. Wars price a fantastic deal and have lasting psychological effect. But this more than a century old deep-seated conflict just does not look to discover a resolution in spite of some vain attempts. Historical wrongs perceived or otherwise are exceedingly tough to rectify and handle in particular when resolution itself could be construed as partisan. When we hear of the Biden Administration’s efforts to finish the ‘Fore ever Wars’ one does not discover the requisite intent to even engage let alone be a catalyst for peace in Palestine. They have not however appointed an Ambassador to Israel, or a Special Envoy, let alone take a contact on Trump’s de facto recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinians have been provided some respite by resumption of funding for UNRWA or permitting their mission to return to Washington DC. In this vacuum, disinterest and hesitancy on the element of the international neighborhood, political hara-kiri for testing the resolve of the other side bravado comes naturally that tends to feed into domestic politics or emanates from it in particular when it is so quick to spark it.
This time round a peculiar uncertain political predicament in each Palestine and Israel prevails. Even immediately after 4 elections in two years and umpteen attempts by PM Netanyahu he could not stitch an alliance. Who desires to give up energy in particular when downside may possibly be rife with legal complications and ignominy? Hence, he remains a caretaker however an ambitious PM who has an chance to assure his people today that only a powerful leader like him can silence the guns from the other side and guard them. So, he can have one more shot or a superior displaying in the 5th elections.
On the other hand, the divided Palestinians involving radical group Hamas in Gaza and President Abbas’s Fatah in Ramallah had been attempting to patch an alliance and fight elections immediately after a gap of 15 inconvenient years. An ageing Abbas has a weak hand as his Arab assistance has considerably lowered and his leadership has been challenged by the frictions and factions in the party. But typical Palestinian was delighted that probably a united government could at some point emerge. But that does not look to match properly either for existing Palestinian leadership or for that matter the Israeli establishment for whom a united Palestinian opposition will be more tough to negotiate. Hence due to Israeli reluctance to permit voting in occupied territories and existing Palestinian dispensation’s worry of losing the Palestinian legislative elections had been postponed just a handful of days ago just before the violence broke out. In this political fracas the Palestinian Arab politicians in Israel and their List Ra’am acquires a higher salience as some sort of King maker as Lapid Yair and Bennet attempt to place up an alliance government in Tel Aviv.
Week old violence and conflict started with the eviction of some Palestinian households from Sheikh Jarrah pursuant to a court ruling. Evictions and settlements by Israelis are a popular function. Violence and protests broke out expanding to the Holy City and West Bank injuring hundreds of Palestinians praying at Al Aqsa -the third holiest mosque as properly as numerous Israeli policemen who attempted to take on thousands of worshippers. Seeing an chance, Hamas military leadership warned the Israelis to vacate the Mosque by 6pm last Monday otherwise they would launch attacks on Israel and in reality sent a volley of 200 rockets. PM Netanyahu, as a powerful state with a formidable firepower in the area, responded with more than 130 missile attacks reportedly killing and injuring numerous Hamas Commanders amongst scores of other individuals. Key buildings housing offices of Hamas wings had been decimated by heavy bombardment. A ground offensive is getting ready and probably Tel Aviv desires this to be the decisive push back for different factors and has even thanked Hamas for supplying an chance to enthuse a united response from the Jewish state. As of last count 120 Palestinians civilians like 31 children have been killed by Israeli strikes whilst 7 Israelis and an Indian lady have been killed with scores of people today injured on each sides. More casualties are sure to come.
A new dimension this time is the internal discord that has been accentuated inside Israel itself as more riots are getting seen involving Palestinian Israelis, Jews and the police in Lod, Ramal and other mixed Jewish and Arab cities. They constitute about 20% of the Israeli population and have develop into involved in the fight for the result in of Palestine as the Green line has been obliterated. Over 400 people today had been injured for the duration of protests in the West Bank. In the rioting and riot prone regions, Netanyahu has decided to deploy armed units to help the police to manage the cities ruptured by violence and anarchy. Netanyahu has warned Hamas of “crossing the red line’ and will have to pay a heavy price for their misadventure. He has promised a lesson to Hamas which they will never forget. Hamas on the other hand is trying to create a sense of fear among Israeli citizens. While thousands of rockets and missiles have been fired from both sides the fear of a full-fledged war once again cannot be discounted especially as the international community is still indulging in condemnation, war of words and lip sympathies.
UNSC, despite 14 to 1 support, has not been able to discuss the ongoing conflict in public due to US objections and unable to issue an agreed statement, the only appeal has been to exercise restraint. It might meet again on Sunday. President Biden spoke to PM Netanyahu and while asking them to calm down has supported Israel’s right to defend itself. Rightly so. But excessive use of force will have its own long-term repercussions that will dampen any chances of peace and stability in the region. As Gaza is turning into a land of death, the Arab world has condemned the violence in Jerusalem. The heightened conflict has once again put the Arabs in a difficult situation by forcing them to cast their lot yet again with Palestinians despite the bonhomie generated through Abraham Accords. Several countries including Jordan are witnessing large scale angry protests against Israel even threatening to cross over the Allenby Bridge. Qatar and Egypt and Russia have been trying to mediate with little or no results. Hamas’ proposal for a ceasefire reportedly carried by Russians was turned down by Tel Aviv. Turkey wanted to give a determined and clear message to Tel Aviv. The US has dispatched a senior official to the region to try and calm things down and achieve a ceasefire.
India, presently in the UNSC, has been seriously concerned at the growing violence and clashes in Haram Al Sharif, Temple Mount and evictions from Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods asking both sides to avoid changing the status quo. Ambassador Tirumurti also mourned the death of an Indian national in Israel and while condemning violence especially rocket attacks from Gaza, called for immediate de-escalation. Once again polemics are on display while the resolve of Hamas and Israel see no sign of petering out. Yesterday one of the Cabinet Ministers was quoted as saying ‘The campaign is still far from over. Whatever we do not do now, we will have to do in six months or a year from now.’ It clearly denotes the shape of things to come. The worst is not over yet let alone the resolution of decades old conflict as the “Operation Guardian of the Walls” intensifies.
(The author is Former Ambassador of India to Jordan, Libya and Malta. He is President, MIICCIA Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed are individual and do not reflect the official position or policy of TheSpuzz Online. He can be reached at: [email protected])