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by Peter A. Belmont / 2010-02-22
© 2010 Peter Belmont
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The Spanish and French foreign ministers EU initiative: Recognition of Palestinian state by next year “are promoting an initiative by which the European Union would recognize a Palestinian state in 18 months, even before negotiations for a permanent settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are concluded.”
Where can this lead?
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The importance of the EU initiative (or of the French and Spanish initiative, if that is what it is) is in showing the world that the times, they are a-changing. And that, without more, is to be celebrated. Israel will come to recognize that it exists within a context wider than the too-narrow context of {{US+Israel}-Palestine} alone. That recognition commences the path toward peace.
However, if the initiative really aims toward “peace” it must propose a path toward a workable peace treaty (and a means to compel the parties to sign on).
If the EU does not envision the future beyond a mere (and largely symbolic) declaration of Palestinian statehood (the PLO did this in 1988, after all, and nothing came of it!), then we should not raise our hopes too much. Talk, as everyone knows, is cheap.
(And because mere talk is cheap, I recommend that the EU consider taking effective steps to ensure that Israel comply with international humanitarian law by removing its settlers and the wall from the occupied territories. Even mere talk about this topic would really change the rules of the road!)
If, however, the EU imagines creating a “draft treaty”, it should ask comments from both parties—not in order to automatically accept objections but simply to make sure that it does not accidentally forget something or down-play something that is important to one or other party. (It is quite likely to omit something of that sort on purpose, of course.)
I am concerned, for example, how a division of water-resources in I/P will be managed in a way which shares water more equitably between Israel and the new Palestine.
(See: World Bank Report Recommends New, Equal Water-Sharing Regime Between Israel and the Palestinian Authority).[1]
Can Israel continue as a modern state with its current population if its water resources are diminished by, say 40%?[2] And can a workable Palestinian state come into being if its water is as limited as, under the occupation and Israel’s taking of most of the West Bank aquifer, it has been for many years?
The EU has many questions to answer correctly, and this is merely an example.
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[1] Consider the disparity between Israeli and Palestinian supply. For Palestinians, per capita West Bank consumption is 60 liters a day - for domestic, urban, rural, and industrial use. It’s far below the minimum 100 daily liters required according to the World Health Organization. In contrast, look how much Israelis get - 280 liters a day per capita for domestic, urban and rural use or about four and a half times more than times more than Palestinians. Including industrial use, and it’s 330 liters or five a half times Palestinian consumption. See here
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[2] If the populations are about equal and Israel uses 5 times as much water per capita as Palestinians do, then an equal sharing of water would require that water resources of 5+1 be shared 3:3, meaning that Israel would need to transfer 2 of its 5 units of water—or 40%—to the Palestinians.
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