Gaddafi’s ‘peace initiative’
Libyan leader’s one-state solution appeals to very broad coalition
Last week, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi published a scholarly op-ed in the New York Times. It is doubtful whether his article would turn into a milestone in the history of journalism. Nonetheless, it is an interesting one, not only because of the author but also because of the subject matter.
While reading Gaddafi’s op-ed, I could not help but recall a story I once heard from Yedioth Ahronoth reporter Smadar Peri, regarding a gesture undertaken by Gaddafi to a group of female foreign reporters residing in Cairo. He sent a special plane that brought them to his guest tent, somewhere in Libya. One by one, the journalists were invited to speak with him, and in addition to the interview were offered to spend some intimate time with him – except for one journalist. When she was brought to his tent, he told her half-apologetically: “I cannot sleep with you. You’re Jewish.”
In his piece, Gaddafi explains why he is calling for the establishment of a Jewish-Palestinian state between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. He refers to the state that will be established based on his vision as “Isratine,” although to me it sounds more like “Israbluff.”
Man of Vision
In a speech outlining his views on how to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Libyan leader calls for creation of one state rather than two nations living side by side. He also advises US President Obama to give Osama bin Laden a chance to reform
Nonetheless, he cares about the fate of the Jews. “A two-state solution will create an unacceptable security threat to Israel. An armed Arab state, presumably in the West Bank, would give Israel less than 10 miles of strategic depth at its narrowest point,” Gaddafi wrote, adding that the refugee problem would not be resolved either. “In absolute terms, the two movements must remain in perpetual war or a compromise must be reached. The compromise is one state for all…that would allow the people in each party to feel that they live in all of the disputed land and they are not deprived of any one part of it.”
The ruminations of Binyamin Ze’ev Gaddafi in the most important global newspaper may elicit a smile perhaps, yet it appears that he is not alone. The ongoing failure to secure an agreement and the violent reality on both sides push many towards this magic solution: A bi-national state shall be established, and the conflict shall disappear.
‘Two-state solution has died’
The coalition that aspires for the establishment of a bi-national state is very broad. It includes leftist Israelis who have despaired of Zionism, rightist Israelis who are unwilling to give away the territories, and Israeli centrists who reached the conclusion that the clock cannot be turned back: Israelis and Palestinians are destined to be stuck with each other for eternity.
The coalition also comprises relatively moderate Palestinians who are watching the state they wished to establish alongside Israel gradually crumbling and dissipating, because of the occupation, because of corruption, and because of the zealotry and terrorism on their side. One of them, a prominent Palestinian Authority figure, recently told me: “The two-state solution has died. It has no chance. We need to forget about Zionism and we need to forget about establishing a separate state. It would be better for us to unite against our two common enemies, Hamas and the settlers.”
This coalition also comprises many others worldwide who are tired of the conflict and of the difficult images it brings to the television sets in their living rooms. The massive firepower used by the IDF in Gaza prompted a debate on Israel’s very existence and not only on the policy it adopted vis-à-vis civilians in the areas it struck.
A bi-national state is a mirage. It may be a suitable argument for a living room discussion, but not a recipe for implementation. Anyone with eyes in their head realizes that irrespective of the fact we’re cousins, in this generation and possibly in the ones to come these two peoples will be unable to merge into one entity.
There are several states in the world that tried this patent, including resounding failures such as the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Iraq, and soon maybe Belgium too. A responsible person would not offer to repeat this experiment at home.
However, the window of opportunity for the two-station solution is gradually shutting down. It is closing down because of realties on the ground and because of the weakness of the political and pragmatic camp on both sides. If the rising power in the polls (at least as of yesterday) was a nationalistic demagogue like Avigdor Lieberman, the chance to reach a solution in the future seems even smaller than it appears to be right now. We shall not be establishing a bi-national state; we shall be committing suicide into it.
