Signals

From his office in the EU, Havier Solane, the EU's foreign policy co-ordinator, notes his biggest concern regarding Israel. In a recent report he submitted to the EU he tells Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper, he noted that the tendency for a desire to break away with the Palestinians unilaterally is increasing. However contrary to what Mr. Solane thinks, this is not a new tendency but rather one that existed since October 2000 when the Al-Aqsa Intifada began.

During Camp-David 2000, Israelis had high hopes. They went as far as they could and recieved nothing in return. Though all sides were to blame, this was mainly the fault of Yasser Arafat. The outbreak of clashes brought many Israelis to accept Ariel Sharon's hard line stance (which has since gone pragmatic). As clashes intensified, Israeli desire for a separation became manifested through the security wall. It took some time till the panic receeded; and now it is rekindeled again by the election of Hamas into power. For the Israelis this is the equivilant of the Al-Aqsa intifada all over again.

And perhaps this is the biggest loss of the whole process. If Israelis in 1999 held the utopian idea of two states for two nations living in peace and co-prosperity side by side; today they hold the idea of two states for two nations and the hell with what happens on the other side of the wall. This could spell disaster for the whole process; and at the current time it is only the palestinians that can get everyone out of this mess. Just as Israelis have not voted for the hradline right (National Union) to form the government, signaling lack of desire to compromise; so do the Palestinians must signal that the categorical rejection of Israel as manifested by Hamas is not their way.

tags:
Israel, Middle East, Palestinians, EU, Hamas, Middle East Peace Process.