April 25, 2014

With negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis nearing its deadline on April 29, the United States has once again suffered a setback in another round of peace talks. Following an announcement of a unity pact between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel cancelled a session of U.S.-brokered talks with Palestinians that had been set to take place Wednesday.
 
In response to the unity pact, Netanyahu stated that Abbas “chose Hamas and not peace. Whoever chooses Hamas does not want peace.”  While Abbas wants to govern over Gaza as President of Palestine, Netanyahu wants to maintain the status quo of letting Gaza fall into further deterioration.
 
The response from Netanyahu makes clear he does not desire peace, looking for any  excuse to jump out of negotiations. “Mr. Netanyahu and his government were using Palestinian division as an excuse not to make peace,” said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. “Now they want to use Palestinian reconciliation as an excuse for the same purpose. This is utterly absurd.”
 
In fact, Jstreet commented on Netanyahu’s decision to suspend the talks by stating, “The Israeli government’s decision to suspend peace talks with the Palestinians over the preliminary reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas is premature.”
 
Netanyahu’s unwillingness to allow for the Palestinian people to work together leads to confusion when considering his definition of peace, and brings to question his true intention throughout the talks. The new unity government is said to be “committed to a just peace on the basis of a two-state solution in accordance with the resolutions of international law.” What more does the Israeli government want from Abbas? But more importantly, how much more can the US suffer in its credibility and influence in the region before it changes its own paradigm on the peace process?
 
The efforts of the United States over the decades have yet to bring about significant progress for peace. Settlements continue to be built, Palestinians continue to be disenfranchised, and many feel the door to the two-state solution has been slammed shut. Our government’s role must change if we expect anything positive to happen. As of now, debate within Washington is one-sided, which prevents us from being an honest broker. Once we can have a civil, spirited debate within Congress and the Administration, we will be more effective in achieving peace. Continuing on as we have been has shown to be ineffective.
 
Furthermore, holy sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher are being used as places for Israeli forces to flex their occupying muscle and restrict both Muslims and Christians from visiting their respective shrines. The United States must address the right of religious freedom in Jerusalem and not just comment everywhere else in the Middle East.
 
As the negotiations come once again to a screeching halt, the international community is left to wonder what the reactions from the region will be. Last summer, Secretary of State John Kerry warned, “We are running out of time. We’re running out of possibilities. If we do not succeed now, we may not get another chance.” Kerry is right in his message that we must act now. The United States will never gain respect or credibility from either Israelis or Palestinians unless it changes its own approach to Middle East peace, one based on objective discourse within America and promoting America’s interests in the region.