Is two-state solution of ME crisis on life support?

With the recognition of Jerusalem by the United States as the capital of Israel, the Middle East peace process appears to be practically doomed. This has been reflected in the frustration President of Palestine Authority Mahmoud Abbas expressed at a meeting of the central council of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) at Ramallah on January 14. He gave a long speech, but did not receive any applause. His leadership was questioned instead.

It was alleged that Mahmoud Abbas had failed to adopt new political tactics. There was a tussle between Abbas and Omar Shehadeh, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The former reportedly stormed out of the meeting in anger. He was also charged as to why he did not convene the meeting of the PLO central council immediately after President Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Another allegation against him was that he did not execute a decision to end security cooperation with Israel in all its forms.

In his two-hour-long speech, Mahmoud Abbas criticised Trump for his decision on the status of Jerusalem and his Twitter that threatened to cut American aid to Palestine. He also spoke against Israel as a colonial entity formed at the cost of Palestinians. Abbas did not even spare Arab leaders. He said,

"All foreign rulers in Palestine ultimately left. So, will the Zionist regime. I do not mean the Jews; they were there and will still remain". His speech seemed to be devoid of reality on the ground. Abbas also pronounced the peace process dead and accused Israel of killing it.

As a matter of fact, Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in charge for the last 13 years, could make little progress in his goal of establishing an independent Palestine state on lands occupied by Israel in 1967 while two factions of Palestinians are still apart. The rival Hamas, militant group of Palestinians, is in control of the Gaza Strip while Arab sympathisers of Palestinians are quietly cozying up to Israel to contain influence of Iran in the Middle East.

The PLO meeting decided to entrust the executive committee of the organisation with the task of suspending recognition of Israel until the latter recognises the State of Palestine along 1967 borders, it annuls its annexation of East Jerusalem and halts building of settlements on the occupied territories.

The PLO recognised the State of Israel in 1993 before the Oslo agreement was signed between PLO and Israel. The central council of PLO also reviewed the Oslo accord, but its outcome has not yet been disclosed.

The state of Israel emerged on Arab lands following adoption of Resolution 181 by the UN General Assembly, in spite of opposition by Arab countries, on the basis of the partition plan by the then British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour. Since then three wars have taken place between Jewish settlers in Palestine territories and Arab countries of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria but no Gulf Arab country was involved.

Following war between Arab countries of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq against Israel in June of 1967, the peace process had begun with initiative by the UN Security Council. Resolution 242 of November 22 of 1967 was the basis for peace process but only Egypt and Jordan were successful to resolve problems with Israel. This resolution was written under Chapter VI of the UN Charter of the Security Council. A series of peace initiatives took place since then but results remained elusive. Palestinian lands are still under occupation of state of Israel while Jewish settlements were established in East Jerusalem, which is still disputed, and the West Bank as well.

[Latest: A Reuters report said, US Vice President Mike Pence told Egypt's leader on Saturday the United States would support a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians if the two sides agreed to it, seeking to reassure a key Arab ally over President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. It is the highest-level visit by a US official to the region since December when Trump upended decades of US policy on Jerusalem in a move opposed by Arab leaders including Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.]

The writer is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh.