OPINION: War is not the answer in the Middle East

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, 12:39 by Denis Chabrol

By Dr. Randolph Persaud, Professor Emeritus

Only two days into the Israel-Hamas war and already 1600 people have been killed, most of them civilians. Thousands more have been injured, kidnapped, and displaced. The old saying that “war is not the answer” has more meaning now than ever. The parties to the conflict, namely, the state of Israel, and the Palestinian people must dedicate themselves to finding a path to peace that will be resistant to what has become an all too predictable cycle of catastrophic destruction. For this to happen several things must be urgently done, and several background bits of information must be kept in mind.

First, both Israel and Hamas must commit to a ceasefire. One solid basis for the ceasefire is for Hamas to commit to the immediate and safe return of all those captured in Israel and (no doubt) taken into Gaza. Unlike previous instances of armed conflict between the parties, Israel now has high stakes for a ceasefire because of the captured Israeli citizens and others from its soil.

Second, Hezbollah should be impressed upon not to escalate the scope of the war. Its current wait and see strategy could be just that, strategy, meaning that it is awaiting the optimal point of entry. If Hezbollah does get involved with its highly trained fighters, the war will immediately widen to Lebanon. Iran will invariably be drawn in as well. This is especially so because Iran is already being blamed not only for coordinating Hezbollah, but also for assisting Hamas with its initial penetration in Israel.

Third, now that Israel has officially declared war, it is obliged to follow the laws of war as constituted in the Geneva Convention.

The basic rules of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts include:

1. Persons hors de combat and those who do not take a direct part in hostilities are entitled to respect for their lives and their moral and physical integrity.
2. It is forbidden to kill or injure an enemy who surrenders or who is hors de combat.
3. The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for by the party to the conflict which has them in its power. Protection also covers medical personnel, establishments, transport, and equipment.
4. Captured combatants and civilians under the authority of an adverse party are entitled to respect for their lives, dignity, personal rights, and convictions. They shall be protected against all acts of violence and reprisals.
5. Everyone shall be entitled to benefit from fundamental judicial guarantees. No one shall be held responsible for an act he has not committed. No one shall be subjected to physical or mental torture, corporal punishment or cruel or degrading treatment.
6. Parties to a conflict and members of their armed forces do not have an unlimited choice of methods and means of warfare. It is prohibited to employ weapons or methods of warfare of a nature to cause unnecessary losses or excessive suffering.
7. Parties to a conflict shall always distinguish between the civilian population and combatants to spare civilian population and property. Attacks shall be directed solely against military objectives. (https://bettercarenetwork.org)

Fourth, the United States must renew it commitment to serving as an honest broker between the Palestinians and the state of Israel. While it is true that the US is an avowed defender of Israel, it is also true that it has made honest efforts at resolving the conflict. At no time was this more evident than at the Wye River Plantation Summit (Maryland) in 1998 under President Clinton. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat were also present. A security deal was struck, something Israel wanted before it would move on to political issues. George Tenet (CIA Director), who was present at Wye River has pointed out that between October 1998 and September 2000, there was no terrorist attacks inside Green Line Israel. Then, as Tenet tells us, Ariel Sharon (then Leader of the Opposition Likud Party) visited the Temple Mount in Old Jerusalem. “He arrived flanked by a thousand Israeli soldiers and policemen” (Tenet, 2007, 73). This prompted the Second Intifada, effectively killing the peace process.

Fifth, the Palestinians themselves must sort out their internal governance, the political strategy, and most of all, their security relations vis a vis Israel. The split between Hamas (that rules the Gaza Strip) and the Palestinian Authority (that governs the West Bank) since 2006 has fractured the Palestinian nationalist movement. The initial promise of the Cairo Agreement of 2011 and 2014 (Unity Government) has not managed to forge a common approach with successful implementation. It is important to note that Hamas emerged out of connections to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, while the PA has more secular groundings.

Sixth, and finally, those with a keen interest in Middle East peace and in the viability of a Two-State solution must keep in mind that On December 6, 2017, President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This was even though the international community, including the United Nations, has not recognized Israel’s claim to Jerusalem as its capital. Further, in 2019 “A Deal of the Century U.S. Peace Plan” between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, completely excluded the Palestinians from the “Deal.” Moreover, on January 25, 2022, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) announced it would stop financial support for the Geneva Initiative (Geneva Accord of 2003), effectively ending it this year.

Peace between the Palestinians and Israel is among the most complicated problems in global security. In many ways this is due to the balance of power in Israel, one that is tilted towards real politick and raison d’état. On the Palestinian side, the deep differences between Hamas and the PA are a formidable hindrance towards forward movement.

Dr. Randolph Persaud is an Adviser in the Office of the President, Guyana.