In the wake of the military intervention of Israel in the Gaza strip in mid 2014, the momentum in the region has been on the side of the Palestinian authorities. It is in the process of joining the ICC and wants to pursue Israel for war crimes for its military actions against Hamas in Gaza. Hamas and Fatah are holding reconciliation talks whilst states in Europe, with Sweden as an example, are holding votes to recognise Palestine, with the view that this may somehow help to secure peace in the region. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities look likely to launch another bid to join the United Nations as a full member.
All of this in an attempt to force Israel to negotiate a final settlement to the Israel-Palestinian crisis, leading to a Palestinian state. But the International community does not appear to reflect the Israeli perspective. The stated aims of both Hamas and Hezbollah is to eradicate Israel. The merger between Fatah and Hamas will only make the geo-political situation in the region worse. In order to get a solution to the crisis, the extremes, both Jews believing in Eretz Yisrael, Greater Israel, including Judah, Samaria and the Gaza province and radical Islamic movements and their supporters, including Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran, need to be 'leaver-arched' closer. At the moment, even if Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to achieve the two state solution, he would be trying to negotiate with an organisation, Hamas, which refuses to even recognise the State of Israel.
For an outside observer, the solution is simple. Israel within its current boundaries, including the Gaza strip and West Bank, will not be able to maintain its Jewish identity and maintain its democratic values into the future. Therefore it is in its' interest to allow a Palestinian State to exist alongside it with the diplomatic recognition which surrounding states have indicated they would extend in this situation. Moderates in the region, the Yitzhak Rabins of both sides, are not the ones that need convincing and a peace settlement will be about getting the radicals on both sides to moderate their ambitions enough to find common ground and a structure within which meaningful talks can take place. Only then will the current game of who blinks first between Israel and extremist groups seeking its destruction end.
For an outside observer, the solution is simple. Israel within its current boundaries, including the Gaza strip and West Bank, will not be able to maintain its Jewish identity and maintain its democratic values into the future. Therefore it is in its' interest to allow a Palestinian State to exist alongside it with the diplomatic recognition which surrounding states have indicated they would extend in this situation. Moderates in the region, the Yitzhak Rabins of both sides, are not the ones that need convincing and a peace settlement will be about getting the radicals on both sides to moderate their ambitions enough to find common ground and a structure within which meaningful talks can take place. Only then will the current game of who blinks first between Israel and extremist groups seeking its destruction end.
