The enduring conflict scenario in West Asia—at the heart of which is the Israel-Palestine issue—creates pangs of angst and pinpricks to many. The long-running question is if it could be resolved any time soon or in the near future. Either Israel or Palestine Homeland’s fight, this conflict hotspot is convulsing the solidarity of their kith and kin. Even as International Relations experts keep their fingers crossed, news and reportage continued to surge from the sites of Israel-Palestine fighting that hit headlines in global media. The injustice meted out by the history and ideology notwithstanding, perhaps theological interpretations and mindsets apparently govern in both the state and society of Israel and Palestine. To say the least, this genealogy cannot be negated. Democratic or liberal peace, when it gets traction can ensure their future in co-existence and security.
A mighty power like the United States is drawn and invoked to evince power politics as if it is competent to resolve this dispute amicably. This state of affairs evokes dramatic and dynamic conflict resolution until both warring parties come to reconcile their differences. However, the experience shows that a superior power inclines to favour the stronger in many conflict zones in international relations.
There is a history of prolific writers and expertise commenting on this ignominious blot of the conflict-ridden society of West Asia. They have raised the political consciousness of self-determination and survival or security dilemma in what looks like a zero-sum game powers play. Over this long-running clash has exhibited bad games nations play. Now more than ever in the good games powers can play in pursuit of peace order and democratic or liberal politics. This is an optimistic hope of humanity not falling into disgrace, disunity, indignity, and humiliation. It is about curbing violence as a means to achieve conflicting parties’ ends whether it is implicit or explicit.
A recipe of bi-national State or two nation-state theory or dual nations under a single state concept, peace remains an elusive reality in this long-running conflict. Thus, a peace paradox prevails which is vindicated by the ground-conflicting reality of two different peoples of the same homeland since time immemorial. Israel seems to avenge its sufferings and pain against the Palestinians. Particularly, the Nazi Holocaust was a bitter reason to bolster this psyche. The violent pogrom or genocide inflicted a barbaric type of near annihilation of the Jewish people in world history. As the maxim goes, the great peoples forgive and forget the wrongs of history for the right prospects and potentials of peace politics.
Liberals argue a case of the theory of a separate state of Israel and Palestine. But some of them now advocate for a Jewish home in an equal state. It means the peaceful co-existence of both these genealogical breeds under a single state. Most likely since the inception of the State of Israel, the Western benchmark of democracy, capitalism, and modernity is in practice in which the Palestine regime in comparison pales into triviality. The latter regime is belligerent and is based on violent uprisings against the Jewish State. Unless both parties comply with the peace compact forged since the turning pages of the 20th century, a political foresight sees a bleak future in peace politics and durable peace resolution to both parties.
On the one hand, there is State violence or terrorism and on the other, there is an expression of society sponsored by violent assaults. Both violence-laden conduct constraints dove in the regional order.
In the 21st century, one of the probable trends we can foresee in current history is the success of Israel and the failure of Palestine in an unjust and despairing human condition. The whole game of politics about state building is unfavorable for Palestinians it seems. It is a disproportionate advantage to the Jewish State which is prepared to take territories from its undeclared perpetual foes. Thus, the Jewish state narrative does not compromise on its eternal interests to carve its homeland in the non-western genealogy of West Asia. An analysis of international relations suggests that power politics tilts towards Israel when the ingredients of its human condition to survive, thrive and strive perform best, if not better. Their focus in everyday affairs is multiple and their strategic intent is precise and diligent in juxtaposition to Palestine. Thus an amicable resolution to this conflict is lopsided towards Jews.
Israel has an edge over Arabia in terms of democracy and political design that would exclude none and include all within the State of Israel and its sovereignty nonetheless is an imperfect system. However unjust the conflict dynamics in the region are shaping, the Israeli power politics is unmatchable in West Asia given its excellence in every domain of human sciences or human affairs. On the contrary, the Palestine nationhood remains lofty feelings and emotions but its dream of statehood is under the control of Israel. The rigidity and stringent annexation of Palestine and its dotted territories in the future would come under the aegis of the State of Israel. This aggressive political momentum would not stop to guess upon. In the larger Arabian politics, it would fester anti-Semitic and anti-Western ire, and the Islamic pique galvanizes into fundamentalism and extremism in the manifestations of terrorism to reverse the status quo. This is inured and bred among religious Islamic youth getting solidarity across the world.
Those who are keeping abreast or those who ignore this conflict hotspot, Israel is a predominant undeclared strategic power and has a rare democratic political design in the region. This political asset favours its raison d’état and raison être. Philosophy, politics, and economics in this region are interesting when the Western Enlightenment interfaces the Islamic Enlightenment. It encounters Occidentalism and Orientalism. These issues also matter while we understand and explain the depth and breadth of the conflict in either/or Israel-Palestine Homeland. They cannot evade this knowledge and power exercises. It is a classic example of how political contestations manifest in different types and forms.
There is no quick fix or tailor-made solution to this Israel-Palestine discord. Even the American Administration’s role in conflict mediation or hosting good offices to resolve this problem at least has shaped the trajectory of maintaining a modicum of peace against a scourge of the state of war. Under the aegis of American Presidency, Egypt, Jordan and of recent United Arab Emirates have hammered out peace compact with the State of Israel. American power in the region is perceived to be favorable to Israel despite the former’s independent relations with the Arabian countries. Encumbered by neighbours who are foes, Israel’s annexation of occupied territories of Palestine cannot be thwarted.
Israel’s territorial capture is emboldened every time and tide in changing world order which is principally Euro-American centric. However, in this discord, their best minds are replete with a viable option to manage and solve this conflict, and their local ingenuity would support the ownership of the political process to find a durable solution. Otherwise, peace politics remains elusive on the forefront dominated by ultra-religious and conservative political genomes in either homeland in their conflict over their terms and conditions of space and time.
References
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Chomsky, Noam & Ilan Pappé (2015): On Palestine, Chicago, Illinois: Haymarket Books.
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Erakat, Noura (2019): Justice for some: Law and the question of Palestine, Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
Masalha, Nur (2018): Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History, London: Zed.
Morris, Benny (2009): One State, Two States: Resolving the Israel/Palestine Conflict, New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
Pappé, Ilan (2007): The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Reprint), Oxford: One World.
Pappé, Ilan (2014): The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge, London & New York: Verso.
Pappé, Ilan (2017): Ten Myths about Israel, London & New York: Verso.
Pfeffer, Anshel (2020): “Peter Beinart’s one state solution sounds so perfect it’s practically utopian,” Haaretz, 9 July.
Said, Edward W. (1979): The Question of Palestine, New York: Vintage Books.
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The White House (2020): Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People, January, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Peace-to-Prosperity-0120.pdf
Thrall, Nathan(2017): “The Long read, Israel-Palestine: The real reason there’s still no peace,” The Guardian, 16 May.
