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"Strategy after the conflict in Gaza" / Expert: the UN administration, the Arab states the peacekeeping force

2023-11-22 21:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA
"Strategy after the conflict in Gaza" / Expert: the UN administration,
Alon Ben-Meir

International relations professor and Middle East expert Alon Ben-Meir says the United States should pressure Israel to provide a post-Gaza strategy and a return to the political process leading to statehood. Palestinian. While the war between Israel and Hamas is approaching 2 months since its beginning, prof. Ben-Meir told VOA that an 18-month period of United Nations administration of Gaza and a peacekeeping force made up of the six Arab states that are at peace with Israel could offer the two sides the opportunity for a dynamic political cloud and a role for the Arab states in the stabilization of the Middle East.

VOA: Professor Ben-Meir, in a recent article you urged Israel and the United States to draw up a plan for post-war Gaza. Propose an interim solution to prevent further escalation and end civilian suffering. Can you explain your proposal?

Alon Ben-Meir: The eruption of the conflict in Gaza is not something new for me, as I have followed this conflict for three decades and in my view it was a matter of when the next eruption will happen. A year ago, I clearly warned that something like this would happen, that if there is no progress to find a solution, the next outbreak would make the second "Intifada" look like child's play. I say this not to justify myself, but knowing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and watching the actions of the Netanyahu government over the past year, it was clear that the Palestinians had reached a point of no return in the West Bank. The conflict in Jenin had escalated. Hamas had planned the attack more than a year ago and were choosing the right time to carry it out. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet withdrew their forces from the south and concentrated more on the West Bank because their plan was to expand settler settlements, to annex more territory. They took security in the south for granted. Meanwhile, Hamas, which sent workers to work in Israeli settlements in the south, knew exactly what the security situation was like, giving it the opportunity to carry out the attack.

What happens now? Israel will never be the same and neither will the Palestinians, which means there is no going back to the status quo. We need to find another solution. The political defeat of Hamas - and I emphasize political - may be imminent, but not necessarily physical, which means that Israel cannot destroy such a strong religious ideology or sentiment. Therefore, from this point of view, it is necessary that if Hamas wins politically, then a solution is needed to compensate the Palestinians. The Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank need an alternative, and Israel has an opportunity to provide such an alternative so that the Palestinians understand that they themselves were victims of Hamas. It is likely that this conflict offers an opportunity to improve their lives, to get out of the terrible conditions they have experienced under the blockade (of Gaza) and the occupation of the West Bank.
Of course, the military campaign has its advantages, but the Israelis' claim that they can completely defeat Hamas is unfounded. What they need now is a post-conflict strategy that creates an alternative for the Palestinians.

In conclusion, how can this be done? Arab states that are at peace with Israel should be invited to take responsibility, as all those states, be it Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, are all against Hamas. They don't like Hamas because Hamas is against all these countries. It is in the interest of these countries to stabilize the region, therefore I suggest that they form a security force, peacekeeping, to be present when Israel begins the process of withdrawing from Gaza. On the administrative side, the United Nations should create an administrative body to govern Gaza over a period of 18 months while the Israelis and Palestinians organize. From my point of view the Palestinian Authority is in no position to sit down and sign any agreement as it is very weakened and completely unwanted. In Israel, on the other hand, the government has extreme views that would never sit down to discuss a two-state solution. We have to wait for the political dimension in these two countries to change.

VOA: But while you expect that dynamic to change in the interim period, as an expert on international relations and the region, where the international readiness to provide the basis for such a solution with the UN at the helm of affairs will be ensured administrative of the Arab states as part of a peacekeeping force?

Alon Ben-Meir: Pothuajse secili aktor i huaj, në veçanti Shtetet e Bashkuara, shtetet kryesore arabe, Arabia Saudite dhe Egjipti, janë në favor të një zgjidhjeje. Problemi është se ndonëse Shtetet e Bashkuara flasin për zgjidhjen me krijimin e dy shteteve, kurrë nuk kanë insistuar me ngulm. Sot Shtetet e Bashkuara janë në pozitë të ushtrojnë trysni më të madhe ndaj Izraelit për ta kuptuar se palestinezët janë këtu për të qëndruar, nuk do të shkojnë askund tjetër. Bashkëjetesa nuk është njëri nga opsionet, është i vetmi opsion. Çështja është a do të vazhdojnë ta vrasin njëri-tjetrin për 75 vjet të tjera apo të pajtohen për paqe duke u pajtuar që ta ndajnë tokën në mënyrë që palestinezët të kenë pavarësinë e tyre dhe që të bashkëjetojnë me Izraelin krah për krahu. Kjo nuk ishte e paarritshme kur palët u pajtuan me Marrëveshjen e Oslos më 1993. Kjo marrëveshje duhet të ringjallet dhe duhet bërë përparim. Natyrisht, ekziston edhe një dimension i madh psikologjik i këtij konflikti që duhet tejkaluar. Prandaj po sugjeroj, që nën kushtet e paqes, të ekzistojë një periudhë për një proces pajtimi, për shkak se urrejtja, armiqësitë mes dy palëve, mungesa e besimit është shumë e thellë dhe kjo duhet ndryshuar. Prndaj sipas propozimit tim, palët do të kenë 18 muaj gjatë të cilave OKB-ja merr përgjegjësinë administrative dhe gjashtë shtetet arabe marrin përgjegjësinë për sigurinë, krijon ambient që i mundëson Izraelit të tërhiqet nga Gaza dhe të fillohet me procesin e paqes ndërmjet dy palëve.

Zëri i Amerikës: Por duke marrë parasysh realitete politike në Izrael dhe territoret palestineze, cilat janë gjasat që palët do të reformoheshin deri në pikën sa të ulen dhe të pajtohen për një plan?

Alon Ben-Meir: Ajo që ndodhi në këtë konfliktin e fundit është se u krijua një dimension i ri. Dy palët, izraelitët dhe palestinezët, janë ndërgjegjësuar se dy palët ekzistojnë dhe se dyjave u duhet të kuptojnë se nuk ka rrugëdalje nga bashkëjetesa. Ata duhet ta marrin një vendim të tillë. Mendoj se është momenti i duhur që fuqitë e jashtme, në veçanti Shtetet e Bashkuara, komuniteti evropian, shtetet e rëndësishme arabe, të thonë se ka ardhur koha dhe se nëse e humbin këtë mundësi, atëherë do të jetë vetëm çështje kohe kur do të ndodhë shpërthimi tjetër i madh i radhës. Pra, ka një mundësi. Por Shtetet e Bashkuara në veçanti duhet të bëjnë trysni mbi Izraelin për të lëvizur, për t’i detyruar izraelitët të kuptojnë që palestinezët duhet ta kenë shtetin e tyre nëse duan një përfundim të përhershëm të konfliktit izraelito-palestinez.

Zëri i Amerikës: Me arritjen e një marrëveshje për lirimin e pengjeve dhe një armëpushim të përkohshëm, a mendoni se frika për një përshkallëzim të konfliktit në një konflikt rajonal është shmangur?

Alon Ben-Meir: I don't think there will be a major regional escalation, and not just because there is now a possibility of releasing some of the hostages. If you look around, not a single country is interested in being at war with Israel today. Neither Jordan nor Syria nor Lebanon. Everyone is very worried. One of the things Israel did in Gaza is send a signal to Hezbollah and Iran not to provoke because it will face them the same. Therefore they are not interested in escalation because they know it will be a lost cause for them. But what they want to see, however, is solid support for the Palestinians. They want to see the resolution of this conflict without its expansion. This is the goal, because from a strategic point of view, (expanding the conflict) would be a lost cause for the Arabs in the region and for Iran because they know that the US is prepared with multiple forces in the Mediterranean to confront with any attempt by Iran to provoke conflict with Israel. I think that President Biden has done the right thing by sending a clear signal to Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in this conflict as they will face the USA. It was a tremendous help. And as long as the United States maintains such a position, and will maintain such a position until this war is over, there will be no escalation. There is increased conflict in the West Bank, for example, but this will not translate into war with any other country in the Middle East./ VAO





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