Now that the Palestinian bid has been submitted to the UN, the biggest question of all is if the international community is willing to enforce the UN resolutions in Palestine, believes Javier Abu Eid, advisor to the Palestinian Authority.
For 64 years Israel has been enjoying the status quo and the position of the state above international law, having violated 44 UN resolutions so far, counts Abu Eid.
The advisor said that despite bellicose attitude, there is actually nothing that Israel can do to Palestinians.
“What else can they do? Do they want to re-occupy areas in the West bank?” questions Abu Eid. “They want not to allow President Mahmoud Abbas to return back to the occupied Palestinian state? Well – fine, let them do that and see what is going to happen within the international community.”
The advisor believes that the other reason for Israel impotence is that Palestinians switched its strategy to non-violence actions and demonstrations.
“Nowadays, 75 per cent of the world population lives in the countries that have already recognized the state of Palestine and one of them is Russia,” he said.
The Palestinian bid in the UN is a turning point because now the international community “will not only support Palestinian rights, but will also held Israel accountable for its actions.”
Palestinians are not against negotiations with Israel but holding negotiations for their own sake, like it has been happening for the last 20 years is unacceptable.
The most pressing issues to be negotiated are the colonization of the occupied territories where Iran has almost doubled the number of settlers.
Javier Abu Eid says the Palestinian bid in the UN is actually not a declaration of the Palestinian state simply because any state must have internationally recognized borders, whereas as of today much of the Palestinian land remains occupied.
Palestine does have all the necessary institutions to become the state, estimates the advisor, what it lacks are schools and hospitals they do not have at the moment because Israel is denying Palestinians’ right to do so.
“It is time for the Palestine to be free,” Abu Eid concludes.
The Palestinian people have an overdue right for self-determination.
“We have been waiting for 64 years. We have the largest refugee group in the world, we have the oldest military occupation in modern history – that is something to be stopped.”