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February 11, 2004

Jordan Times

An inalienable right

Editorial

A UNILATERAL declaration of independence, currently under serious consideration by the Palestinians in the wake of the stalled peace talks, must not be made as a threat. Instead it should be declared as a national inalienable right that all peoples are entitled to, especially people under occupation for such a long time. The Palestinians have been trying desperately to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel so that they may live in peace and have their own independent state on their national soil.

The Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands is 37 years old with no end in sight. If anything, the occupation has turned into colonisation and gradual annexation of Palestinian territories. The construction of the “security” wall by Israel has encroached into Palestinian lands and reduced the chances for a viable Palestinian state to a near zero. Any other people under similar conditions would have exercised their right to proclaim their own state a long time ago. Israel has nothing to fear from any such declaration.

The projected Palestinian state would exist within the Palestinian territories, nothing more and nothing less. Final borders can still be negotiated even after the declaration of an independent Palestinian state. After all, Israel did not wait to conclude a peace deal with the Palestinians or with its neighbours before proclaiming itself as an independent Jewish state without definitive borders.

If Israelis were able to take such a step in 1948, why should there be objection to the Palestinians doing likewise in 2004. There is no doubt that when the Palestinians declare their state on their soil, there will be an avalanche of countries which would recognise it. The Arab countries would be the first. Non-aligned countries would quickly follow suit. Even the European Union may join the bandwagon of recognition. The few capitals which may hold would eventually join the majority of governments which are ready to recognise the Palestinian state. In retrospect, any such move by the Palestinians may speed up the stalled peace talks between the two sides instead of derailing them yet another time.