‘War on Gaza sounds death knell for two-state solution’

The death knell for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was pronounced by the war on Gaza, raging for the last 20 days. 

Hamas, whether a winner or a loser of the war, will never accept a two-state solution as advocated by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, as well as by most of the Arab world and the international community.

With the mass support it gained during the last three weeks, the Islamic group feels strong enough to reassert its long announced political stand of demanding a state to be established on all Palestinian terrain. 

The Hamas ideological charter explicitly rejects the mere idea of granting Israel any political recognition, a stand scripted by its founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and echoed by all his followers and successors. They ascribe to that stand their success in parliamentary elections in 2006, and their widespread popularity after that.

The same political position of rejecting a two-state solution is shared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke his mind two weeks ago in a press conference, saying that the West Bank could become “another Gaza” if Israel withdraws. This way he rejected the whole concept of a Palestinian state with full sovereignty of its border and airspace.

Israeli journalist, David Horovitz, who covered Netanyahu’s press conference, reported the following:

“But Netanyahu made explicit that this could not extend to full Palestinian sovereignty. Why? Because, given the march of Islamic extremism across the Middle East, he said, Israel simply cannot afford to give up control over the territory immediately to its east, including the eastern border — that is, the border between Israel and Jordan.”

The priority right now, Netanyahu stressed, was to “take care of Hamas.” But the wider lesson of the current escalation was that Israel had to ensure that “we don’t get another Gaza in Judea and Samaria.” 

“I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan,” Horovitz quoted Netanyahu as saying.

Currently, Hamas is using all of its Libyan and Iranian stocks of medium range Fajr missiles to target Israeli cities. Moreover, its arsenal of Russian Kornet E and 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles is still full, waiting to defend the subterranean city of command and control bunkers in Gaza.

The Israeli security Cabinet does not understand the ideological basis for Hamas’ continued resistance during the holy month of Ramadan. To resist for three weeks is interpreted as a moral and psychological victory to be proud of, since it will provide the basis for a legitimate reason to lead the Palestinians.

Hamas leaders also do not understand the ideological tenets of the Talmudic concept of war, which Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Economics Minister Naftali Bennett and Netanyahu adhere to.

US State Secretary John Kerry had his ceasefire proposal rejected by both sides, since Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal thinks he is the winner, according to his criteria. The same applies to Netanyahu according to his self-formulated image and belief.

Meanwhile, with nearly 1,000 Gazans killed, over 6,000 injured, and more than 100,000 in UN school shelters, one French writer asked last week, why some mothers rebuke their daughters for punching their rapist.