10/29/2016

WhyIsraelStillRefusestoChooseTheNewYorkTimes

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SundayReview

OPEDCOLUMNI ST

WhyIsraelStillRefusestoChoose
RogerCohen OCT.28,2016

TELAVIVThereisagreementonverylittleinthefractiousHolyLand,butonone
issuethereisnearunanimitythesedays:AtwostateresolutionoftheIsraeli
Palestinianconflictismoredistantthanever,sounimaginablethatitappearslittle
morethananillusionsustainedbylazythinking,interestinthestatusquoorplain
exhaustion.
FromTelAvivtoRamallahintheWestBank,fromthelargelyArabcityof
NazarethtoJerusalem,Ifoundvirtuallynobodyoneithersidepreparedtooffer
anythingbutanegativeassessmentofthetwostateidea.Diagnosesrangedfrom
moribundtoclinicallydead.NextyearitwillbeahalfcenturysincetheIsraeli
occupationoftheWestBankbegan.Morethan370,000settlersnowlivethere,
excludinginEastJerusalem,upfromabout249,000in2005.Theincorporationof
allthebiblicalLandofIsraelhasadvancedtoofar,fortoolong,tobereversednow.
GreaterIsraeliswhatIsraelisknowthesmallerIsraelwestoftheGreenLine
thatemergedfromthe194749warofindependenceisafadingmemory.Theright
winggovernmentofPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu,withitscontemptfor
Palestiniansanddissentingvoicesingeneral,prefersthingsthatway,asthesteady
expansionofsettlementsdemonstrates.ThePalestinianAuthorityintheWestBank,
headedbyPresidentMahmoudAbbas,haslostthelegitimacy,thecohesionandthe
willtodomuchaboutit.ThecancellationofmunicipalelectionsintheWestBank
andGazathathadbeensetforthismonthwasanothersignofparalyzingPalestinian
infighting.

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Twostatesarenotachievableintheforeseeablefuture,theformerPalestinian
primeminister,SalamFayyad,toldme.Ithasbecomeaprocessaboutaprocess,
andnotreal.
TheObamaadministrationhasreachedapointofacuteexasperation.TheIsraeli
announcementthismonthofanewWestBanksettlementwasthefinalstraw,
comingjustweeksaftertheUnitedStatesconcludeda$38billion,10yearmilitary
aiddeal.Israelsexplanationthatthesettlementwasasatelliteofanotherdidnot
washitsactionswereviewedasegregious.SeldomhasMosheDayansolddictum
OurAmericanfriendsofferusmoney,armsandadvice.Wetakethemoney,wetake
thearms,andwedeclinetheadvicebeenmorevividlyillustrated.Yetits
uncertainiftheUnitedStatesispreparedtocalibrateitsironcladsupportinorderto
pressureIsraelintochange.
WithinIsrael,whereNetanyahuhasnowamassedmorethanadecadeinpower,
thepoliticalandculturaldriftistowardevermoreassertiveandintolerant
nationalism.Criticismisincreasinglyequatedwithtreason.GroupslikeBTselem,
whichfocusesonallegationsofhumanrightsviolationsagainstPalestiniansin
Israelioccupiedterritories,areunderwitheringattack.TheMessianicreligious
ZionismthatholdsalltheWestBanktobeIsraelsbybiblicaldecreeisascendant.
Theleftisinfeebledisarray.
ItissoberingtonotethatNetanyahuprobablyrepresentsthemoremoderate
wingofhisgovernment.Themostcrediblechallengetohimmayeventuallycome
fromhisownspotonthepoliticalspectrum,thecenterright,intheformofthe
telegenicYairLapid,whotoldmethatNetanyahuwontmeritevenapageinIsraeli
historybooks.Lapidbelieveshecanconjureupsometwostatemagic,buthebegan
hisfirstpoliticalcampaigninthelargesettlementofAriel,andthenotionthathe
canreversethesettlermovementseemsfarfetched.
IdrovedowntoRamallah,throughacloggedcheckpoint,alwaysastartling
transitionfromtheefficientdevelopedworldhumofIsraeltothedustand
haphazardnessoftheWestBank.Ontheway,IstoppedtoseeWalidBatrawi,the
directorofBBCMediaAction,acharitythatmentorsjournalistsandpromotesan
independentpress.Hewasdespondent,describingalackofconfidenceandfaithin

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anything.Palestinianstatehoodwasmoredistantthanever.Abbaswas
distracted,hesuggested,embroiledintheconflictsofhisFatahparty,worriedabout
Hamas,providingnodirection.Somethinghasbeenlost,hesaid.Aspecialfeeling
ofpatriotism,ofbelonging,isvanishing.
InRamallah,Iheardsimilarsentiments,talkofamoreindividualistic
Palestiniansociety,withlesssenseofcommunity,wherepeoplewerefocusedon
takingcareofthemselvesanddoingthebesttheycouldwiththecurrentsituation.
Twostateshadbecomeabadjoke.Youngpeoplehadmorefaithinnonviolent
resistanceleadingeventuallytoequalrightswithinasinglestatethaninyetanother
abortedinternationalpeaceinitiativeoraborteduprising.
PalestinianswhetherinIsraelproper,wherethe1.5millionArabcitizens
makeupabout17percentofapopulationof8.5million,orintheWestBank,where
theynumberabout2.6millionaretiredofthehumiliations,bigandsmall,that
Israeldishesout.How,theywonder,cananythingresemblingastateeverbe
fashionedfromtheircountlesslittleselfadministeringenclavesontheWestBank
brokenupbyIsraelisettlements?
Inasense,then,Israelhaswon.DavidBenGurionwasrightwhenheobserved
in1949that,Whenthematterisdraggedoutitbringsusbenefits.Policysince
thenhasbeenprettyconsistent:CreatefactsonthegroundbreaktheArabswill
throughforcepushforasmuchofthebiblicalLandofIsraelbetweenthe
MediterraneanSeaandtheJordanRiveraspossible.
Ifthemaximalistcampwastempered,itwaschieflythroughtheknowledgethat
withallthelandcamepeople,specificallymillionsmorePalestinians,anda5050
statewasnotwhattheZionistdreamwasabout.HenceIsraelsimprovised49year
occupationineffectdominionoverPalestinianswithoutenfranchisementof
Palestinians.Hence,too,theperiodicstabsatatwostatepeace,mostconspicuously
theOsloaccordsof1993:Runningthelivesofsubjugatedothersisexhausting,
corruptingandinherentlyviolent,aswellasincompatiblewithatruedemocracy.
BackinTelAviv,IhaddinnerwithGilFriedlander.HesanIsraelipatriotwho
servedintheairforceformanyyears,beforecreatingandsellingatechcompany.

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Buthiscountry,sodynamicontheeconomicfront,fertilesoilforstartups,finds
itselfataterriblepoliticalimpasse.
Thegreatvictoriouswarof1967hadanimpactthatiseatingusfromthe
inside,hetoldme.IwouldbemorethanhappytogetoutoftheWestBankand
EastJerusalemandbuildacountrywithamoralityIbelievein.Iwillfightforpeace,
butIwillnotfighttomaintainthestatusquo.Hedescribedfeelingmoreandmore
confined,livinginsmallerandsmallerareaswhereIfindpeoplewhothinklike
me,andfeelingastrangerintheJerusalemwherehegrewup.
Ihavelongbeenastrongadvocateofatwostateoutcomemyself.Butthereis
nopointbeatingadeadhorse.Itistimeforincrementalstepsinstead.Israelcould
findlotsofwaystoeasehumiliationsandeconomichardshipforPalestiniansin
GazaandtheWestBank,withoutcompromisingitssecurity.Itcouldtakedown
someroadblocks,curtailtheformalitiesformovementinandoutofGaza,andgrant
morebuildingpermitsintheWestBank,asitjusthasinquietlyauthorizingsome
PalestiniandevelopmentplansinWestBankareasunderexclusiveIsraelicontrol.It
couldeven,withoutsayingso,stopsettlementexpansion.
TheworstthingwouldbeforWesternleaderstocomeupwithsomenewpeace
initiativethatwouldofferaconvenientdiversionfrompoliticalresponsibility.
NetanyahuwillonedayhavetotellIsraelisifhewantsabigbinationalstateora
smallerJewishmajoritystatesidebysidewithaPalestinianstate.Heistryinghis
besttoavoidmakingthechoice,keepingmillionsofPalestiniansinlimbotheWest
helpshimwithapeaceprocessthatgoesnowhere.Abbasalsooweshispeople
clarityandaccountabilityaswellasapoliticaldestination.Heismarkingtime.
Aftertheelectionbutbeforeheleavesoffice,PresidentObamamaypresent
AmericasprinciplesforatwostateoutcomeinaSecurityCouncilresolutionthat
setsouthowIsraelandPalestinewouldlookintheirfinalstatus.Israelisstrongly
opposed.Thatisthebestreasonfordoingit.AslongasIsraelhasablankcheckfrom
WashingtonandaneffectiveSecurityCouncilvetothroughtheUnitedStates,
nothingwillchange.Andsomethinghasto.
Israelisnowamodernsociety.ItspercapitaincomeishigherthanSpains.But
behindthesheenofeconomicsuccess,theshadowofundefinedbordersand

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violencealwayslurks.Iwasaguestatadinneronapenthouseterracehostedbya
formerIsraeliambassadortotheUnitedStatesandattendedbyaformerheadof
militaryintelligence,atoughIsraelilawyerandanArabIsraelicouplewithahigh
techneurosciencebusiness,amongotherluminaries.Tensionsrose.
ReemYounis,oneoftheArabentrepreneurs,wassayingthatthefatherofher
husband,Imad,inhiswillhadidentifiedpropertylosttoIsraelin1948thathissons
mighttrytorecover,whereuponanIsraeliwoman,alludingtopropertyherfamily
hadlostinAustriaintheHolocaust,said,Youhavetomoveforward,youcannotgo
back.WhereuponthelawyerpressedtheYounises,demandingtoknowiftheysaw
themselvesasIsraelis,orPalestinians,orMuslims,orArabs,orwhat.
Youcannotforcemetochoose!ImadYounisexclaimed.ImanIsraeli.Ima
Palestinian.ImanArab.ImaChristian,asithappens.Iamalloftheseidentities.I
identifywiththepeopleinwhatamountstoanIsraeliprisoninJeninorNabluson
theWestBank.
Reemsaid,Icantellyouthis,onthedaythatIsayImanIsraeli,weshouldall
beveryproud.
Thatsolemnlittlesentence,withitsimplicitadmonitiontoIsraeltoextend
equalrightstoallitscitizens,inducedasolemnlittlesilence.

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Afewdayslater,Iwenttoseethecoupleattheheadquartersoftheircompany,
AlphaOmega,inNazareth.TheirsisaninspiringstoryanArabcoupleinIsrael
whosoldacarandfourgoldcoinstostartabusinessthatnowemploys65people
andisaworldleaderinmachineryandsoftwareforhelpingsurgeonsnavigatethe
brain.SuchArabstartupshavebeenrare.
Howcanyoufeelequalwhenyouarenot?Reemsaid,mentioningthatshe
hadfounditimpossibletobuyahouseinanearbytownbecausesheisanArab.
IsraelneedstobedemocraticmorethanJewish.
Imadbelievesthepersonaltrumpsthepolitical.Onestateortwostates?Who
cares?hetoldme.Whatmattersishumandignityandequalityunderthesame
law.Palestiniankidswanttolivewell.Thatswhattheywant.
YoucanfollowmeonTwitter(@NYTimesCohen)orjoinmeonFacebook.
FollowTheNewYorkTimesOpinionsectiononFacebookandTwitter
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AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonOctober30,2016,onpageSR11oftheNewYorkeditionwith
theheadline:WhyIsraelStillRefusestoChoose.

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