Palestine: a forgotten just cause à Prof. Dr. Manuel Hassassian, Palestinian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark

An Expose of Israeli policies in Palestine
The enigma of peace in the Middle East is the outcome of a protracted conflict between two nationalities and epistemic communities that went beyond the territorial conflict, and epitomizes today the clash of identity culture, and physical existence.
The occupation of Palestine registers as the longest modern occupation in history. Self-determination had been practiced by all nations along history except for the Palestinians, who to this date suffer from basic human rights, decent living, the practicing of their freedom of mobility, speech and political independence.
All UN resolutions that favored Palestinians’ right to self-determination had been overruled by the US and Israel.
For years the Palestinians and their supporters have urged the world community to see what the State of Israel truly is, an actual apartheid state. This can no longer be ignored or shunned. Amnesty International, an internationally recognized NGO has recently published a report, exposing and confirming the apartheid policies of Israel against the Palestinians.
The Israeli government on the other hand, has designed a system incorporating laws and policies, specifically to alienate and oppress the Palestinian population, both in and outside of Palestinian Occupied Territories (P.O.T.). The methods include separate laws for Palestinians, ensuring their quality of life is significantly lower than those of its Jewish citizens. These include restricting their right to freedom of movement, and of non-use of bypass roads, family reunification and millions of Palestinians still subjected to life under military rule with a naked aggression by settlers.
A state claiming to be the bastion of democracy in the Middle East, is sponsoring racism and bigotry. A racist state should not and cannot continuously break international law, it should be sanctioned. Forced evictions of Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah, illegal home demolitions in Al-Bustan and further illegal settlements in Naqab are all direct violations of international law. The Palestinians respect international law, the world community respects international law, but the so-called ‘Middle-eastern democracy’ seems to only recognize international law, when it is for the benefit of its state and its citizens. Israel is not a democracy, it is a hypocrisy.
Israeli settlers on the other hand, supported by the army, spare no moment in assaulting Palestinians, burning their crops, confiscating their lands through creeping annexation, totally supported by the Israeli occupation forces.
Furthermore, the onslaught on church properties, the eviction of Christians and Muslims from their homes and settling in them forcefully is an outright break of

international and humanitarian laws. Marginalizing and pushing the Christian community towards forceful emigration has been a systematic policy by Israel for the last decades. The recent evictions and the political jingoism absolutely defines the apartheid regime implementing inhumane policies.
Confiscation of houses in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and around the vicinity of Jerusalem, has become common and explicit policies by Israel. Let alone the extrajudicial killings, and forceful incarceration of Palestinians without a due process of law, has been a common practice. Israel’s strategy is to accomplish a status quo plus, and cede eventually the West Bank (known to them as Judea and Samaria), to Israel proper with the Palestinians ranked as inhabitants (Toshavim) with only limited civil rights. This is an outright breach of the two- state solution supported by the international community and backed by the UN and the quartet. This is the reality on the ground, and the US as a watchdog unequivocally supporting Israel. Its brokership to the conflict had been a dismal failure, that exacerbated indirectly to the ongoing violence perpetrated by the Israeli army and settlers against the Palestinian civil population. This policy compounded by the political apathy of Europe and the ill-fated Arab normalization with Israel, added to the chasm.
Jerusalem: The hardest nut to crack
Part of Israel’s overall strategy, is to Judaize Jerusalem and its vicinity through a systematic process of property expropriation of houses and religious real-estate. The implementation of Israeli laws to justify the grab are considered a breach to international law. Israel supported by the US pays no deed to international law neither to UN resolutions favoring Palestine. It acts above and beyond the international law and applies its military orders to legitimize its grab of land and properties belonging to Muslims and Christians alike.
The country of Palestine is unique. The Palestinians are unique. The history of Palestine is unique. The land of Palestine has been passed through by the Romans, the Ottomans and various other great empires throughout history. Palestine has its place in the hearts of not only the Palestinians, but in the hearts of the world’s Muslim, Christian and Jewish populations. Many have a direct or indirect relation to the land of Palestine, and what they all have in common is the understanding of the importance of the land, the value of this great holy land. Acknowledging this, watching what the State of Israel is currently doing to this special land of ours is incomprehensible and not justifiable. Not only allowing, but actively encouraging the desecration and the disrespect of Palestinian holy sites, is not only an attack on the Palestinians, but it is a disrespect to 193 countries signatories to UNESCO.
The question then becomes, how does the world sit back in silence, watching the State of Israel incrementally, take over our holy sites and deny our existence, and the birth place of the two largest Abrahamic religions. Having an Israeli court allowing limited Jewish prayer on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, is a direct violation of the rights of the Muslims, and an attack on Palestinian territory. The Israeli aggression does not stop with the Palestinian Muslims but continues against the Palestinian Christian communities. One of the oldest Christian communities in the world is under attack by the Israeli state, through a slow process of taking over properties that rightfully belong to the Churches of Palestine. It is not enough for the Israelis to illegally occupy Church property, but there must be an addition of

humiliation to the Palestinian Christian community. Where is the justification for attacking worshippers and Church leaders, during the holy days of Orthodox Easter? How can the State of Israel justify attacks on worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan? There is no justification, neither from a legal or moral standpoint.
To be a Palestinian, Muslims and Christians are considered a crime to Israel. Israel is no longer solely attacking the living but has resorted to targeting the dead. The desecration of graves in Jerusalem and shrines of prophets in the West Bank is appalling, and the international community can no longer turn a blind eye. If the Palestinians are no longer allowed to remain even after death, what is left? Where will the world draw the line? The dead cannot speak, but we can, and do so loudly and vociferously. Denmark, EU and the United States pride themselves in promoting human rights, are the Palestinian exempted from these so-called human rights?
USA’s Role in the Peace Pricess: Dismal failure
If we try to asses the alleged broker of peace to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict i.e. the US, we conclude that this broker ship had failed dismally, and had allowed Israel to continue with its illegal settlement buildings and land grab. However, US systematic policies had exacerbated the situation and paved the way to Israel to continue its implementation of racial discrimination and the prolongation of occupation to Palestinian territories. Consequently, it had lost its credibility as an honest broker of peace. As a result, the Palestinians their side portrayed total rejection of such one-sided policy by the US, to propose an international body to shoulder the peace process and the implementation of a two-state solution through the convening of an international conference.
However, after four years of Trump’s tenure in office, his administration was lacking in basic knowledge on the Palestinian question and the Middle-East in general, but caused more damage to the Palestinian cause than previous US presidents combined. After the election of President Biden, an optimism came to fore, but that optimism quickly subsided. It was evident in the early stages of Biden’s presidency that the Palestinians and the state of Palestine were not going to be a priority. President Biden had made a pledge, which was ensuring a policy valuing the Palestinians and Israelis living peacefully side by side. Among the promises were the reopening of the US consulate in East Jerusalem, reopening of the PLO Mission in Washington and policies committed to a two-state solution. None of these promises have been kept, and the focus of US foreign policy has been on the containment of Russia in Europe and possible armed conflict in Ukraine, and imposed sanctions.
It has previously been proven that the US administrations can sponsor efforts of normalization between Israel and other Arab countries, especially the Gulf, who historically have not only not had diplomatic relations with Israel but acknowledging the State of Israel’s existence was out of the question. They are a definitive proof of the capabilities of the US regarding Middle Eastern foreign affairs. The Abraham Accords are also proof of the active choice to not only ignore the Palestinians and their rights completely, but publicly stating that the state of Palestine does not deserve the same effort and acknowledgement. The willingness of the United States, the Arab Gulf states, including Sudan and Maghreb,

and the State of Israel is clearly existent, unless of course the question includes the name ‘Palestine’.
The Abraham Accords was an effort pushed by the Trump administration. When the Biden administration ran a campaign, claiming how their administration would differ from Trump, and actively criticizing Trump’s actions in the Middle East, one would expect better efforts exerted. On the contrary, no actions have been taken. While Trump’s actions were damaging the Palestinian cause, the inaction of Biden is just as damaging.
The rights of the Palestinians to exist and the acknowledgement of a Palestinian state has been positioned low on the Biden priority list. The breach of international laws and human rights by the state of Israel, the expansion of settlements and desecration of holy sites are not put on ‘pause’ because Biden has chosen to, frankly, ignore the problem. The issue is ongoing, and an American silence is an American complicity, unfortunately.
EU’s Marginal role in the Middle East Peace Process
We must not forget that the United States is not the only world power that has the ability to put pressure on Israel and has the ability to give the Palestinians the acknowledgements that they so rightfully deserve. The EU is also a key-player in this conflict, but has time and time again proven the Union is not only unwilling but actively trying to undermine the state of Palestine. The most recent example of this, is the question of Palestinian textbooks inciting anti-Semitism. This allegation has no standing and the current investigation by the EU has no foot to stand on, due to one simple reason. The American Task Force was put in place to review, and conduct a study on both Palestinian and Israeli school textbooks. The purpose of the task force was to ensure textbooks on both sides were providing an education on peace and to make sure the narratives were not inciting a sub-human depiction of the other side. Their findings proved that no such narratives were found, and there is continuous monitoring. Therefore, the investigation and allegations put forth by the EU has no justification, and the recent decision by the EY to cut down 10 million Euro from the allocated budget to education in Palestine us totally unjust.
This is a political maneuver by the Zionist lobby to move attention away from the countless breaches of international laws and the discriminatory policies targeted at the Palestinians. This is a proof of the effort to move the limelight from the actual illegalities taking place by the state of Israel, and instead push the narrative that the Palestinians are inciting the bigotry and anti-Semitism, through their educational curricula.
The general European definition and view on the concept of anti-Semitism has proven to be problematic, not only for the Palestinians, but also for any individuals or institutions criticizing the state of Israel. One cannot equal anti-Semitism to criticism of an objectively apartheid state. One must distinguish between the two, not only for the sake of the Palestinians, but also for the sake of non-Zionist Jews. To put all Jews under the same umbrella of the crimes of the Israeli state, is an anti-Semitic act.
However, time and again the EU has failed to show political teeth when it comes to Israel’s occupation policies against the Palestinians. It continued to be a payer and not a player in the Middle East peace process. It had been under the political mercy of the US and Israel,

consequently, it marginalizes itself from the political process but focused on institution- building in support for the Palestinian future state.
Let us not underestimate the power and the pressure possessed by the EU, unfortunately, it has been apathetic due to American pressure in not being pro-active in the politics of the peace process. The EU’s main contribution has been financial support to the economy and to the infrastructure of the Palestinian civil society. It promotes economic development and monitors to ensure democratic behavior through the institutionalization process (human rights, civil rights, freedom of expression and especially elections).
Palestinians always pressured the EU to be more pro-active politically in the brokerage of the peace process, so far to no avail. Palestinians will continue lobbying and mustering more support by the EU countries, in order to achieve the two-state solution.
The UN’s impotence in translating its resolutions into actions
The UN has always been in the forefront of human rights and justice in the world. When we think of the UN, we think of it as the world’s watchdog. The UN has clearly admitted they are aware of the continuous and multiple violations of human rights and international law in Palestine, yet the alleged crusader of a utopian international community, has managed to do nothing. We have reached a point in the Palestinian cause, where words of condemnation are no longer enough. It is no longer enough to acknowledge our right to exist, now it is time for actual consequences for Israel’s practice in the P.O.T. as an apartheid state.
The UN has called the need for practical measures to a two-state solution, , and this has been directed at both Israel and Palestine. Time and time again, the Palestinians have been proven themselves willing to sit at the negotiating table and start these talks, while Israel has done the complete opposite. Why is the focus on both parties, as if we are equally guilty of inciting violence, bigotry and racism. Why is the critique not solely directed towards Israel?
Israel has the backing of the Western world financially, politically, and even morally. It has been proven time and time again, the UN is on the wrong side morally and politically, will it continue to be on the wrong side of history? With a UN unwillingness to uphold their own laws, it has proven itself to be nothing more than a small man behind a curtain. At least in the Wizard of Oz, every party was granted its wishes. When will the Palestinians be granted the respect and rights, which Israel has been granted from the moment it illegally announced its existence in 1948.
The non-implementation of all UN resolutions that favors Palestine, had rendered the UN as an insignificant player to the peace process. Israel never respected the UN and never implemented any of its resolutions. Beyond moral sympathy, the UN has been impotent in putting pressure and sanctions on Israel as an apartheid state. Therefore, to push the peace process, we need more involvement by Russia, China, the EU and the US, without discarding it in playing the role of a third party in the preace negotiations. There is no military solution to this protracted conflict, so negotiations for establishing peace and security should be the landmark for future security, stability and the realization of the two-state solution which is still the plausible game in town.

Conclusion
Basic facts should be registered and acknowledged to the resolution of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, … in few points:
– There will never be a military solution to this conflict
– Stability and security will never reign supreme in the Middle East without resolving
the P/I conflict.
– US as a third party failed to secure the brokerage of peace, therefore a new … of new
states combined with the UN to form a credible third party.
– Israel should be ready to acknowledge the Palestinians (united) as a legitimate
partner to resolve the conflict.
– Financial support to the PNA in building its infrastructure and in economic
development is essential for …
– The activation of implementation of UN resolutions.
All these objective and subjective conditions should be synchronized at best in order to create the conducive conditions for a viable peace process.