Channels
Trying to expand recognition. Abbas in Brazil
Photo: AFP

One Tehran is enough

Op-ed: World will only object to notion of Palestinian state after Israel decides to do the same

Mahmoud Abbas traveled all the way to Brazil this past week in order to express his gratitude for its recognition of Palestine. One can understand him; the PA chairman loves to travel even more than his predecessor did, and here he got yet another opportunity to get on a plane. On top of it, he is trying to take advantage of the opportunity to expand the recognition of Palestine throughout South America. The states there are huge, yet they believe that it’s possible to cram another state into our own tiny country of all places.

 

In terms of international law, this is a joke. Palestine has yet to officially recognize itself, so it cannot be recognized internationally. Its borders are also shrouded in fog. It would be ridiculous to demarcate them automatically in line with the 1967 borders. These Green Lines were never a recognized border like the Israel-Egypt border or the Chile-Argentina border, but rather, random armistice lines between Israel and Jordan in 1949. In fact, they mark the point where both sides reached the point of exhaustion, and nothing beyond that.

 

In that forgotten agreement, it clearly said that these lines are not diplomatic borders, and that no clause in the armistice deal would harm the rights and demands of both sides in respect to the final settlement of the Land of Israel question. Did Brazil hear our side of the story before issuing its Balfour Declaration? Did Chile call to ask for clarifications?

 

Time for alternate visions

No, they did not call, yet we too should not call the whole world now and beg that it doesn’t follow in Brazil’s footsteps. Most of our persuasion efforts should be invested here, in Jerusalem. The most important thing is for Israel not to recognize a Palestinian state; after that we’ll resolve the spreading problem in South America. It only emerged when Brazil noticed that Israel is starting to reconcile itself to the nightmarish notion of establishing a Palestinian state in its midst. As long as our leaders decisively rejected the idea, the world was against it too.

 

George W. Bush issued his two-state vision only after Ariel Sharon voiced a similar vision. Until that point, the Americans believed (just like Israel’s governments) that a Palestinian state would be a disaster. Secretly they still think so, because one Tehran is enough, yet they cannot be against it when Israel is in favor.

 

In light of the accumulated experience with the state of Hamastan in Gaza, we are allowed to change our mind. The time has come to start drafting alternate visions that do not include a Palestinian state. The world will not be convinced immediately, yet one of these days it will understand. Brazil’s president will then again invite Abbas to visit and whisper in his ear in Portuguese that he should stop with the nonsense.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.08.11, 15:23
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment