Does John Bolton Recognize Palestine’s ‘Right To Exist’?
Does John Bolton Recognize Palestine’s ‘Right To Exist’?
Former recess-appointed UN ambassador John Bolton writes that “war in the Gaza Strip demonstrates yet again that the current governance paradigm for the Palestinian people has failed.”
Terrorists financed and supplied by Iran control Gaza; the Palestinian Authority is broken, probably irretrievably; and economic development is stalled in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinians are suffering the consequences of regional power struggles played out through them as surrogates.
Interestingly, Bolton doesn’t think that Israel’s imprisonment of Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank — both of which make any sort of normal Palestinian political or economic life impossible — merits inclusion in the list of problems with “the current Palestinian governance paradigm.” In fact, Israel figures nowhere in Bolton’s analysis of the current crisis except as an unfortunate victim of Palestinian rocket fire. This is like analyzing Iraq’s sectarian civil war of 2006-7 without mentioning that the U.S. had invaded and occupied the country, only complaining about the U.S. embassy being shelled.
Bolton then declares that “trying to create a Palestinian Authority from the old PLO has failed and that any two-state solution based on the PA is stillborn.”
Instead, we should look to a “three-state” approach, where Gaza is returned to Egyptian control and the West Bank in some configuration reverts to Jordanian sovereignty. Among many anomalies, today’s conflict lies within the boundaries of three states nominally at peace. Having the two Arab states re-extend their prior political authority is an authentic way to extend the zone of peace and, more important, build on governments that are providing peace and stability in their own countries. “International observers” or the like cannot come close to what is necessary; we need real states with real security forces.
Demonstrating the sort of innovative thinking for which the U.S. Senate refused to confirm him, Bolton recognizes that this idea is hugely unpopular in Jordan and Egypt, but suggests this problem could be solved by giving them some money, or something.
What Bolton does not recognize, however, is that the Palestinian people actually have a claim to anything so quaint as their own independent state. We often hear that Hamas and other extremist groups must “recognize Israel’s right to exist,” (a red herring, as recognition is something that is achieved between states, not between an occupying army and a people under its control) but apparently Bolton doesn’t believe that Palestine is entitled to this right. Nor does Bolton consider what the Palestinians themselves might think about his antique Western plan for divvying up the Levant between various powers.
9 Responses to “Does John Bolton Recognize Palestine’s ‘Right To Exist’?”
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Well I am a Palestinian and I really started to change the way I consider things.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:40 pmNone of the Arab world is standing with the Palestine Cause as a real stand, Palestinians are not looking for protests or shoes rising patriots, none of them supported the People of Gaza, they are suffering they are massacred by a huge war Aircrafts and Tank forces by Israel…
So I really don’t see a reason why should others like USA or Europe to support the Palestinians.. They are doing good that they have the UNRWA UNDP USAID all are suppporting and building institutions, providing fuel, food… despite that USA and EUROPE governments are the reason of the Palestinians vagrancy and the Israeli occupation .
I’ve been reading Wonk Room since you guys started up and this is the first article we’re I’ve felt compelled to say… what the heck?
This is a somewhat disingenuous reading of Bolton’s piece. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of Bolton, but he makes plan that he is an international realist looking for solutions that fit his paradigm. He starts with the claim that the two state approach hasn’t worked, and I think it’s fair to poke all the holes you want in that initial claim, but if you accept it, then I say good for Bolton to at least propose a potential alternative, even if it is an unpopular one. Solutions to international relations problems often are unpopular… in fact, solutions to hard problems are often unpopular, otherwise the problem wouldn’t be hard.
He also does mention Israel in his article, in particular their right to defend themselves against those who have stated their desire to push them into the sea. I think reasonable minds can disagree over how best Israel might go about that defense — in particular their treatment of Hamas in light of Hamas compared to other groups in the region that Wonk Room highlighted last week — but at least give Bolton the credit he is due.
I don’t consider this proposal any more radical than Biden’s federalism plan for Iraq. Unconventional, sure, but at least it gets the conversation going in a place where the conventional wisdom doesn’t seem to be producing results.
I guess my point here is that if our ideas are better than theirs (and I’m inclined to believe they are), let’s evaluate the ideas based on what they actually said, instead of a characterization where it sounds more like you are making fun of the guy than engaging in serious debate.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:47 pmThe West tampers with the Middle East yet again. Bolton proposes the latest version, which happens to put recalcitrant Palestinian Arabs in countries allied with the West.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:53 pmWhy should there be a Palestinian state? There are 22 other Arab countries surrounding Israel, that should be enough.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:11 pmWho really cares what John Bolton says? He no longer holds office. I think it is counterproductive to even give his views
January 5th, 2009 at 4:48 pmcredence by quoting him interminably.
Unfortunately, Israel has no intention of ever giving Palestinians their freedom.
The only goal of the Zionist occupation is: the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. So far in Gaza, the Zionists have made great progress.
Milk and cookies, anyone?
The Palestine Review
January 5th, 2009 at 6:06 pmhttp://palestinereview.com
probonogeek:
The problem with your analysis of Bolton’s argument is that this isn’t a radical and unconventional new idea. It’s a boring old idea dating back decades; it is wheeled out by the right wing every time there’s a crisis in the Middle East, and, regardless of its desirability, it’s also considerably less realistic than the two-state solution it’s designed to replace. (See http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/node/14890 for an acute analysis of its problems.) Its sole merit (if you can call it that) seems to be that it allows Israel to hold onto its illegal settlements while relieving them of the responsibility for the Palestinians. Which is why, unsurprisingly, none of the parties chiefly concerned – not Jordan, not Egypt, and certainly not the Palestinians – will ever give it the time of day
January 5th, 2009 at 6:42 pmOf course the terrorist state of Hamas should have the right to exist. Who are we to impose our moral authority over a state sponsor of terrorism?
But a free democrat state of Israel whould not exist, because rumor has it, evil Jews live there.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:56 pmBoltonRules………America and Israel no longer have any moral authority. They have lost it.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:34 am