Netanyahu’s vision endangers Israel more than it protects it

Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that Palestinian statehood conflicts with his vision of Israel taking security control of all land west of the Jordan River is abhorrent.

In one fell swoop, the Israeli prime minister shattered the idea of a two-state solution that would see Palestinians living in an independent country alongside Israel.

Netanyahu’s declaration comes as no surprise since his actions have long suggested he is opposed to Palestinian statehood. This has been all the more evident with his support for new Israeli settlements in the West Bank despite these being considered illegal under international law.

The only difference now is that Netanyahu has gone on record in the clearest of terms stating that a Palestinian state conflicts with Israel’s interest to maintain security control over all the land.

The only conclusion one can reach from Netanyahu’s words is that Israel wants total control over Palestinian territories, subjugating any notion of self-rule to the whims of Israel.

In short, Netanyahu wants to create a system of apartheid that leaves Palestinians at the mercy of Israeli benevolence.

This is very wrong and flies in the face of what the international community, including the Arab world, has long called for – the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with security guarantees for Israel.

Netanyahu’s words should not only be condemned but it is time for the western nations to withdraw their unconditional support to the Israeli government as long as he remains at its helm.

Denying Palestinians statehood will not remove the security threat posed by radicals but will rather embolden even the most moderate of interlocutors to embrace violence as a means to an end.

Netanyahu’s vision will create more problems for Israel and its people than it will solve.

But then again, Netanyahu is probably only interested in saving his skin. The self-styled Mr Security was the prime minister on whose watch the worst attack on Israeli territory happened and he only survives today because Israelis have rallied in unity at a time of war.

A two-state solution remains the only viable alternative that will require all sides to compromise on some of their past grievances. Israel’s security can be guaranteed by having a demilitarised Palestinian state with the presence of a UN peace keeping force to maintain border security.

The Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 were atrocious and vile. They showed Hamas for what it really is – a terrorist group whose cowardly tactics see it operate from within civilian areas in Gaza thus endangering the lives of ordinary Palestinians.

But those attacks can never justify the carnage that has been happening in Gaza ever since. They can never justify the adoption of a policy of apartheid that keeps denying Palestinians the right to government themselves.

This leader believes Israel has a right to defend itself by going after Hamas operatives but what is happening has long exceeded the limits of self-defence. When more than 25,000 people, including many children, die as a result of a ground and aerial offensive that has targeted civilian infrastructure, they can no longer be called collateral damage.

An immediate ceasefire is necessary to give the people of Gaza reprieve, allow them to mourn and receive basic necessities that have been denied them because of the war.

A ceasefire must, however, also include Hamas stopping their attacks on Israeli troops and desisting from firing rockets towards Israeli communities. Hamas must also release all hostages.

The aftermath of a ceasefire should see a broad political dialogue taking place with the aim of creating a Palestinian state and giving Israel the security guarantees it seeks.