Voting ‘Palestine’: Europe, Be Warned – OpEd
By Eyad Sarraj
Just a few words to our European friends before the Security Council meeting on the question of Palestine membership application of the UN.
We are talking to friends and partners who share with us the vision of peace, security and prosperity. You are investing heavily in the Middle East and in peace and you have supported us for so long. In particular your support to the human rights protection and campaigns in Palestine/Israel and in the region is decisive. Your support to the fundamentals of making peace based on international legality is vital.
Without going into many details, Israel has become too dangerous to itself and others.
One grave likely scenario is the following:
Iran is the focus of Israeli concerns today. Soon Turkey may well be next. Then the Palestinian authority will collapse under Israeli refusal to work towards peace. Next year Egypt may have a democracy and review the peace agreement. If that happens then Jordan will follow. Israel is doing very well in isolating itself and endangers the region with war.
The original sin was committed in Europe with the Balfour declaration which rendered Palestine a promised land and a home for Jews while oppressing the indigenous Palestinian population.
Europe then closed its eyes on the persecution of Jews themselves in Europe holocaust, and on the expulsion and uprooting of Palestinians. Europe then observed them living in refugee camps in squalor under Israeli military occupation and denied decency and humanity.
Obama is sold out to the Jewish vote and Netanyahu will decide who will be next American president.
Now it is your time to make a real difference.
You must and you can rescue Israel from itself and rescue the peace process by:
1. Vote for Palestine at the UN.
2. Force freeze of Israeli settlements.
3. Declare the end game of a short negotiations round based on Clinton 2000 and the Arab initiative.
If you don’t take these urgent steps, you may risk being perceived as enemies of peace and justice as did Obama of the US.
– Dr. Eyad El Sarraj is a Palestinian psychiatrist from Gaza. He is a recipient of the Physicians for Human Rights Awards. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
