I fell in love with international relations after reading the story of the Six Days War and the Camp David Accords that were brokered by President Jimmy Carter between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978.
The accord culminated in the recognition of the State of Israel by the Egyptians, led by President Sadat, and the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt by President Menachem Begin of Israel. As a result of the peace accord, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Sad to say, they later paid for the peace with their own lives. The two leaders were assassinated by their own citizens for choosing the part of peace.
With their assassination, comes everlasting peace between the two nation-states. Since the signing of the Camp David Accords, no Egyptian citizen or Israeli citizen has lost his or her life over any form of conflict, dispute, or war between the two countries over land or water. Economically and socially, the two nations are better off today than they were before September 17, 1978, for daring to be bold and willing to be conciliatory. It was not about campaign slogans for the next Presidential election.
The unending conflict between the Palestinian people and the State of Israel has more to do with the leadership than actually what their people want. For instance, the late Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat was married to an Israeli woman. But on one occasion, he would rather return home to a heroic welcome for refusing to sign a peace deal put together by President Clinton, than be a peacemaker like King Hussein of Jordan or Anwar Sadat of Egypt and bring stability to his people.
The problem with the State of Palestine is that when the State of Isreal had Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, and Simon Peres as Foreign Minister, they didn't have a leader, but a fighter, Yasser Arafat. Today, it is tough, very tough. On both sides, we have leaders who want to be relevant under crises and conflicts in other to remain popular and be electable and remain in power. It should be what is in the best interest of the Palestinian State as well as the people of the State of Israel.
A few years ago under President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden flew to Tel Aviv to meet with President Netanyahu, specifically to negotiate a cessation of activities and building of a new settlement in the disputed territory. And they had a gentleman's agreement. Guess what, as soon as the Vice President departed and while he was on his plane, in the air, flying back to Washington DC, President Netanyahu reneged on the agreement or understanding. And construction works began immediately in utter violation of the negotiated agreement. That was humiliatory, not just to Vice President Biden, but to President Obama's Administration. I am not recounting a newspaper's story or someone's historic account here. It happened live and was witnessed by those who could make sense of President Netanyahu's disrespect and tough-guy disposition.
Today, many people are dying on both sides, and properties worth billions of Dollars are ruined. We replace the damaged and destroyed properties, but we cannot bring back those who have lost their lives in the process. That's why leaders like Anwar Sadat, King Hussien, King Asad, President Menachem Begin, President Yitzhak Rabin, and Mr. Simon Peres will forever remain celebrated for the sacrifices they made for peace to reign in the region.
The major issue now is not really who is right or wrong on the disputed territory it is about leadership, who is willing to accept the reality on the ground, especially concerning Jerusalem. Jerusalem can never go extinct. The Palestinians can not expel the Israelis from the Holy Land. Neither can the Israelis totally vanquish Palestinian Muslims from the territory. Though they subscribe to different religions and speak different languages, they have ancestral connections to the city of Jerusalem. We cannot dispute that biblical fact. They just have to find a way to live in peace.
Concerning the disputed land and new construction, I beg to add that land for peace is not new and certainly not a making of weakness, but of strength and for sustainable peace and economic growth in the two nation-states. That the Palestinians must recognize the right of the Jewish State to exit is not negotiable. Egyp did that decades ago. Same with Jordan and Syria. In return, Israel must cease building new settlements in the disputed territory and allow the State of Palestine to function as a sovereign nation. It is as simple as that. However, if one side provokes attacks, rest assured that the attacked side has the inalienable right to retaliate and defend its people and territory.
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