Imbalance of Power Aids Israeli Occupation
Daoud Kuttab writes that Israel's continued occupation is a result of an imbalance of power, rather than a lack of Palestinian strategy.
It is not clear whether Salam Fayyad uttered these exact terms, but what the New York Times' Roger Cohen quoted the outgoing Palestinian prime minister as having said resonated with many Palestinians. Frustrated as to the lack of progress after 46 years of occupation, Palestinians are ready to find any scapegoat to pour all their frustrations on. The statement that the Palestinian leadership lacks a coherent strategy and that many decisions are taken without study and thought sounds about right to many people. But is it that simple?
There is definitely much to be said about the importance of tactics in negotiations and the need to maximize one's strengths while trying to capitulate on the weakness of one's opponent. But is the delay of a breakthrough in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict only the result of bad tactics and the absence of a strategy among Palestinians? Many would agree wholeheartedly. But the evidence is not that persuasive.
To begin with, it is important not to blame the victims. While the Palestinian-Israeli narrative is witness to the most contradictory claims of victimhood by both sides, it is hard to reject the Palestinian narrative. Living under a foreign military occupation for decades, unable to enjoy freedom of movement, access to one's own land, skies and water below the surface, the Palestinian narrative can’t be compared to the Israelis living at a 10 times higher GDP and enjoying military and political superiority not only to Palestinians, but to all surrounding countries.
The onus of responsibility is clearly on the party whose soldiers are still manning the occupation in contradiction to the preamble of UN Security Council resolution 242, which states clearly the inadmissibility of taking land by force. Israel has not only refused to withdraw its troops, but has carried out a campaign of land grabbing and movement of its own population to occupied areas in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. This fact was reconfirmed by the International Court of Justice when it gave an opinion on the illegality of the wall built deep in Palestinian territories occupied in 1967.
