The likelihood that a two-state solution will emerge in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict is narrowing to the point of impossibility, according to two clergy familiar with the situation.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The likelihood that a two-state solution will emerge in the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict is narrowing to the point of impossibility, according to two clergy familiar with the situation.
Mallon, a Franciscan Friar of the Atonement who is external affairs officer for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, pointed to a number of current difficulties, such as continued settlement-building by Israelis in the Palestinian territories — Israel, he said, now has total control over 61 percent of all Palestinian land. He also pointed to the lack of development in Palestine. Its economy is shrinking at a rate of 6 percent a year, Mallon said, and the typical Gazan now gets only six hours of electricity a day.
Cannon also talked about cuts in humanitarian aid for Palestine imposed by the U.S. government.
President Donald Trump, like President Barack Obama before him, has proposed a highly pro-Israel policy to Congress, and lawmakers have been receptive, Cannon said. "Not that these policies are bad because they're in support of Israel. But they're bad for Israel's security. There's an argument to make, not just for justice for Palestinians, but for the safety of Israelis," she added.
The continued annexation of Palestinian land for Israeli settlements has been troublesome, Mallon said.
"Then there are the de facto annexations — 200 settlements, 420,000 settlers," Mallon said. "The first time I was in Israel in 1971, I thought they were tents or mobile homes," he said of the settlements. "No, they're like Levittowns," a reference to large suburban housing developments in New York.
With so many elements contributing to Middle East turmoil, one obvious solution would be to bring people together to talk about creative approaches to peace. But Mallon noted that some of the peace institutes in Palestine have closed, while Cannon said it is virtually impossible to conduct dialogues in either Israel or Palestine because the Israeli government will not allow participants to cross into the other's land. Instead, she said, those kinds of dialogues have to take place in the United States.
"One of the things that's necessary that's not there now is creative leadership on both sides. There is a real lack of brave and creative leadership," Mallon said. Where those leaders will come from is still a puzzlement to him.
Cannon said the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, known in shorthand as BDS, has shown some signs of success. This is probably why, she added, that some state governments have passed laws making the movement illegal.
An Israel Anti-Boycott Act introduced in Congress is unconstitutional according to the American Civil Liberties Union, Cannon said. "I think it's important to note that BDS is nonviolent. We can't advocate for nonviolence and then take away something that's nonviolent," she said.