The true sense of having a State of Israel is having a Jewish State: a State where the Jewish people have the necessary and sufficient means to defend themselves from their enemies should the occasion arise. That is the prime significance of Israel’s creation in 1948 and that is what the Arab world and the Palestinians should understand, accept and come to terms with at every level. Secondly, they should realise that a solution can only be the product of a negotiation based on fairness, commitment and mutual trust. The parties involved, all of them, should accept sacrifices for the sake of a long-lasting and durable outcome. If it is only one side that gives in, then there will be no solution, ever. And if it is only Israel that is subjected to demands, the peace process will go nowhere.
Third, peace between Israelis and Palestinians is not dependent upon a question of territory: it is a matter of unequivocally accepting the other side's right to exist. Israel accepts a Palestinian State for the Palestinians, but the latter are determined not to accept that Israel is the Jewish State. If the Jewish nature of the State of Israel were to be recognised, territorial disputes would very quickly become of only secondary importance.
Fourth, the obsession of the Palestinians and of a significant part of the international community on defining and drawing frontiers must be placed in the proper context. Israel’s experience with the view that peace can only be achieved by making territorial concessions has not been good. Its successive withdrawals from territories that neighbour Israel have only brought about more violence and the need to fight once again to ensure its security. Consequently, any frontier agreed upon as a result of the negotiations must be secure and capable of being defended, because if not Israel will sooner or later be forced to ensure it is made safe. Peace cannot put security at risk.
Finally, should an accord be reached, the parties must accept that it is a definitive solution, not the starting point for further concessions. An agreement must not be allowed to become the springboard for yet more demands.
Over the past few years the Palestinians have voluntarily moved away from the path of negotiation, hiding behind all manner of excuses. They believe the international community will offer them all they want and that their interests will be better served by not negotiating with Israel. Hence, they need make no concessions. However, if we really want to promote a peace accord it is high time for the international community, particularly the Quartet, to make them see that this is not the way forward. Palestinians must resolve their quarrel with Israel on the negotiating table and once and for all. The worst possible approach for the Palestinians to gain their own State is to continue with their current policy of refusing to talk to the government in Jerusalem and to push for the UN to embrace their unilateral declaration of independence.
