Israel must end
the occupation
Robert Jensen
School of Journalism
University of Texas
Austin, TX 78712
work: (512) 471-1990
fax: (512) 471-7979
rjensen@uts.cc.utexas.edu
copyright Robert Jensen 2002
Austin American-Statesman, February 2, 2002, p. A-11.
by Robert Jensen
While I was standing at the edge of a recent campus rally in support of the
Palestinian cause, students supporting Israel passed out fliers. One of those
students and I engaged in a spirited exchange that made it clear how different
were our accounts of the problem and potential solutions. One of her points
was that Palestinians have to prove they are serious about peace.
“Do you think Israel is serious about peace?” I asked. “Of
course,” she replied.
If that’s the case, I asked, why has the number of Israeli settlers
living in the West Bank and Gaza almost doubled since the Oslo peace process
began nearly a decade ago? Given that those settlements are one of the most
serious obstacles to a peaceful solution, why would the Israeli government
-- during a so-called peace process -- expand settlements in territory it
illegally occupies?
The student steered the conversation back to the one issue on which we agreed
-- that civilians should not be targeted for political violence -- and we
parted on agree-to-disagree terms.
Though it is painful for many supporters of Israel to acknowledge, the actions
of the Israeli government are consistent with a desire for power and resources,
not peace. Much of the recent criticism of Israel has focused on the harshness
of the current violence against Palestinians, especially the bombing of civilian
targets. But just as important are the everyday actions of Israel -- the
expansion of settlements, demolition of Palestinian homes, destruction of
olive trees for the flimsy reason that snipers might hide behind them, the
humiliations heaped upon Palestinians at roadblocks and checkpoints -- which
have long made it clear that peace is not foremost on the minds of the Israeli
government.
Even more crucial for Americans is the simple fact that Israel can pursue
those policies -- and get away with them -- primarily because the U.S. government
supplies Israel with the necessary diplomatic cover, military assistance
and economic aid (at least $3 billion a year). Without that U.S. backing,
the longstanding international consensus for a political settlement likely
would have forced Israel to honor U.N. Security Council resolutions and international
law.
American pundits pontificate about what might be the mysterious “secret”
to peace in the region, as everyone bemoans the supposedly intractable nature
of the Israel/Palestine conflict. All this obscures the fact that the “secret”
is no secret at all:
Israel must end the occupation, and the United States must withdraw support
from Israel until it agrees to do so.
Since the end of the 1967 war in which Israel seized the territories, both
sides have squandered opportunities to make progress. I am a fan of neither
the Israeli government (whether Labor or Likud) and its colonialist, expansionist
program nor the Palestinian Authority under the corrupt leadership of Yasir
Arafat.
Nor am I naïve; ending Israel’s 34-year illegal occupation of
the West Bank and Gaza will not by itself bring peace, for there are many
other problems and potential roadblocks. Still, there is no hope for movement
toward a just and stable peace unless Israel ends the occupation.
That means not only returning land conquered in war but dismantling the system
of Israeli security roads and checkpoints. It means the equitable sharing
of water resources and a respect for Palestinian sovereignty. It will not
be enough to allow a Palestinian state; it must be a viable Palestinian state.
Although there are forces within Israel that recognize these imperatives,
the current government remains committed to power, not peace. The Bush administration,
along with most Democrats in Congress, shows no sign of changing a decades-long
policy of U.S. support for Israel’s rejection of international law
and world opinion.
That means U.S. citizens can be key players in the creation of a real peace
process, if we send a clear message to elected representatives: U.S. support
for Israel must end if Israel does not end the occupation.
Certainly the complexity of the struggle over Palestine cannot be reduced
to slogans. But those three words -- end the occupation -- capture a simple
truth about the hope for peace.
Robert Jensen is a professor of journalism at the University of Texas and
author of Writing Dissent: Taking Radical Analysis from the Margins to
the Mainstream
http://www.peterlangusa.com/
His pamphlet "Citizens of the Empire: Thoughts on Patriotism, Dissent, and
Hope" can be downloaded for free at
http://www.nowarcollective.com/citizensoftheempire.pdf
He can be reached at rjensen@uts.cc.utexas.edu.
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