Impact of Regional and Global Development on the Palestinian Question - Ziad Abdel Samad
Impact of Regional and Global Development on the Palestinian Question - Ziad Abdel Samad
The following intervention was made in commemoration of the Sabra and Shatila massacre during the visit by the Italian delegation from the "Not to Forget Sabra and Shatila Committee, other European delegation, and the AMED/Teaching Palestine delegation on 13 September 2022.
In the name of the Arab NGO Development in Lebanon, I welcome you on this painful day, amid difficult and complex circumstances. ANND is a framework bringing together civil society organizations in 10 Arab countries, including Palestine. Our main Palestinian partners are the Palestinian NGO Network and, in Beirut, the Coordination Forum of NGOs Working Among the Palestinian Community in Lebanon.
Welcome to Beirut.
International and regional developments and their impact on the Palestinian cause
The current dangerous development in the Arab region could alter all geopolitical relations and the whole balance of power. On one hand, these developments are an extension of the international conflict and the re-sharing of influence and global markets. On the other hand, there is the struggle over the region itself due to its strategic location and natural resources, especially oil and gas.
Popular uprisings and the unbridled desire for change
It began with the Arab Spring, a series of unprecedented popular uprisings in late 2010 demanding public freedoms and a dignified life. However, they quickly turned into setbacks as those in authority held to their powers, influence, and positions. They refused to acquiesce to the people's rightful demands and turned to violence and killing. Armed conflicts flared in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, and dictatorship returned to Egypt and, more recently, Tunisia after the measures and constitutional amendments taken by Qais Saeed.
Another wave of uprisings in late 2019 almost changed the prevailing order had it not been for regimes clinging to power and refusing to listen to their peoples' aspirations and demands. In Lebanon, which is currently going through an unprecedented economic, financial, and institutional collapse, the alliance of sectarian forces refuses to take serious reform measures to save the country from complete and inevitable collapse. Likewise in Iraq, the country reached the brink of a security explosion due to the militias' intentional disruption of constitutional institutions and mechanisms of governance, had it not been for the call to hold the albeit thorny and complex national dialogue. The forces of democratic change and popular movements had retreated after being viciously suppressed by the reactionary forces and religious extremists who tightened their grip on power at the expense of the central state.
The same is true in Sudan that witnesses an open conflict between the popular and civil movement, on the one hand, and the armed forces backed by Arab countries that do not see an interest in establishing a democratic system in the country, on the other. As for Algeria, the deep state resolved the conflict and held tight to power, returning things to the way they were before the 2019 popular uprising.
These setbacks were a result of the support received by traditional forces from the deep state, the security services, the remnants of the defunct regimes, and religious extremist groups, seeking to frustrate rising democratic forces. The process of change and civil and popular movements went off their course and slipped into conflicts and disputes. They became weak and their ability to bring about the desired change was limited.
The US and the Chinese Challenge
One of the main factors of transformation in the region is the US desire to withdraw and pay attention to Asia and the Pacific. It wants to face what it considers a fundamental challenge of the economic and political rise of the Chinese dragon and its transformation into a military power. The situation threatens the return of the bipolar system, something that the US does not want after leading the world unilaterally over the past two decades.
After its expected withdrawal from the Middle East, the US left to its allies the freedom to act on their own to defend their interests, thus, maintaining its influence in the region without having to resort to force. The goal is to maintain the status quo without radical changes, especially in the relations between Palestine and Israel (no peace, no war), and achieving normalization between Israel and other Arab countries.
Tensions increased between rising powers in the region (Russia and China globally and Turkey and Iran, on one hand, and Saudi and its partners, on the other, regionally). Moreover, Israel's role in the conflict does not remain neutral and it is biased towards the second axis, especially after the strained relations with Russia over the war in Ukraine. Armed conflicts and mutual provocations returned, namely in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Libya.
Therefore, the region has witnessed shifts in power relations, on the one hand, and in alliances, on the other, and is witnessing tensions that may lead to more conflicts and wars.
The war in Ukraine
Regardless of its motives, the Russia-Ukraine war was a Russian reaction to NATO efforts to expand towards and its borders, posing an existential threat to its vital and strategic interests. The war posed a challenge for the EU and the US in finding alternative energy, food, and basic commodity sources. New possibilities of tension also arose between Kosovo and Serbia and between Azerbaijan and Armenia. These tensions are surrounding the Russians and would involve them and their allies in additional regional and ethnic conflicts.
The struggle for gas in the eastern Mediterranean
In this context, the issue of demarcating the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel arises. The eastern Mediterranean is very rich in gas and there is a possibility of providing energy to Europe through the fields off the coast of Palestine, which are ready for extraction. However, these efforts faltered after the border dispute between Lebanon and Israel over an area of thousands of square meters expected to contain large amounts of gas.
Thus, tensions in the region are on the increase, especially since Hezbollah in Lebanon and its strategic ally Iran are using the issue of gas to pressure the US and its Western partners in nuclear negotiations. Iran uses multiple cards to pressure the US and its allies, such as the conflict in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.
On the other hand, European countries are enthusiastic about finding a quick solution to the nuclear deal and its eventual signing for several reasons. Firstly, they aspire to sign contracts with Iran worth tens of billions of dollars to invest in and to restore and develop oil and gas facilities. Secondly, they aim to block China from reaching Iran before them, noting that agreements worth $400 billion were signed between Iran and China for economic, security, and military cooperation and the construction and operation of ports. Thirdly, they aim to obtain Iranian gas as an alternative to Russian gas to solve the energy crisis, and, fourthly, to separate the Russian-Iranian axis that began to form in Syria and was strengthened after the Ukrainian war.
All of the features of a new world order are under development but not yet clear. The US-China struggle over influence and global markets was evident in the recent show of force in Taiwan when Nancy Pelosi visited last August, which China answered with unprecedented military maneuvers in the China Sea, raising the level of tension and the possibility of direct war. It also emerged in the fight against Chinese investments, such as the embargo on Huawei and controlling the electronic chip markets.
Impact on the Palestinian Question
All of the above is taking place as the Palestinian question continues to be ignored and the occupation’s intensification with its aggressive practices. It all started with Trump’s concessions on the issue of Jerusalem, declaring it the historic capital of Israel, moving the US embassy there, and closing the PLO office in Washington DC. It is exacerbated by Israel’s continued construction of settlements, encroachment on property, and confiscation of Arab lands. On the other hand, the launch of the normalization process between Arab countries and Israel did not lead to a halt in settlement expansion in the West Bank, leading to security tensions, especially in the northern West Bank, and Nablus and Jenin, in particular.
Using drones, Israel continues its military campaign in the West Bank. It imposed restrictions on the entry of foreigners into the Palestinian Authority areas and forced several NGOs to close. Direct provocation of Palestinians continues. Their freedoms to practice their religious rites are being limited. One blatant example was the attack on mourners during the funeral of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, whose killing was recently proven to be perpetrated by the Israeli army after repeated denials from Israel, which had blamed the resistance fighters in Jenin.
The normalization track between Arab countries and Israel is based on the principle of strengthening economic and trade relations as an entry point for building peace. Of course, it comes with complete disregard for the political and legal dimension, especially with regard to international law, international covenants, agreements, and relevant resolutions.
The Israeli state violates international law through occupation and apartheid policies against the Palestinians. It violates international humanitarian law through repeated attacks against civilians, the continuing siege on Gaza, the bombing of civilians, and settlement expansion. On the other hand, the Arab regimes that began to normalize their relations with Israel are undemocratic and where human rights and public and individual freedoms are not given any attention. Therefore, the normalization process seeks to help these regimes extend their dominance over their societies, due to what these agreements include in terms of cooperation and exchange of information and technology for monitoring and limiting public freedoms. Of course, it also serves Israel's interest by strengthening its economic influence and security grip across the region. Thus, these agreements aim to implement the Israeli model in the Arab countries through attacks on public freedoms, freedom of expression and movement, and exposure to media professionals; all as an alternative to the American presence after its withdrawal from the region.
Palestinians are caught between occupation and siege, on one hand, and an undemocratic and oppressive national authority, on the other. However, their determination to liberate their land, their adherence to their legitimate rights, and their continuous struggle imposed a state of popular, national, and international solidarity, especially in the face of attempts to Judaize Jerusalem, specifically during the May 2021 Intifada. The Intifada united Palestinians. They engaged their full political and civil forces in the areas of historical Palestine and contributed to confronting the division and establishing a new Palestinian situation. However, the popular movements have been confronted with arrests, assassinations, and suppression of freedoms, including against the media (the most horrific of which was the cold-blooded assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh in front of the cameras).
Israel, EU countries, and the Palestinian Authority have imposed sanctions on six human rights NGOs known for their humanitarian record under the pretext that they incite against Israel’s aggressive policies against the Palestinians. They imposed a financial siege on the rest of the independent Palestinian CSOs, preventing them from communicating with the international community and public opinion to expose Israeli practices and relieving pressure on the authority.
Israel is currently pressuring the Palestinians financially. The National Authority's expenses are increasing as a result of the siege, unemployment, and injuries. However, international aid allocated to the Authority and civil society is diminishing and Israel controls the money collected from taxes on businesses in West Bank Area C and the Allenby Crossing.
Palestinians face increased international pressures, especially on civil society and NGOs. On the other hand, the EU seeks to include the Abraham Agreement in its new neighborhood policy as a condition for developing relationships with southern neighbors, exerting more pressure for normalization with Israel.
Is change still possible?
The developments of the Russian-Ukrainian war do not indicate that it can be resolved soon. However, Russia will seek to preserve its international influence and maintain its role in the region and its relations with Iran, Turkey, China, and its allies in Syria and Algeria, and through them in other countries in the Gulf, Libya, and North Africa.
The international conflict and the preoccupation of Russia and the world with Ukraine and Taiwan may provide an opportunity for the regional players to move to reach settlements. Therefore, the unity of the Palestinian ranks in this delicate circumstance is more necessary than ever, as demonstrated in the May 2021 uprising, to save the cause from the intense pressure and popular neglect.
Conclusion
Arab and international solidarity to put pressure on international organizations, the UN, the Human Rights Council, the EU, and its member states has become a necessary, even existential, issue for the Palestinian cause to keep it alive and continuing.
Thus, a new discourse is required to mobilize global public opinion that focuses on the need to promote democracy, human rights, and public and individual freedoms as the only entry point to building a just and comprehensive peace. It must include justice in the distribution of energy and resources, as confirmed by all international documents and resolutions, including the Declaration of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Your presence here today is the truest expression of commitment to the humanitarian cause of the Palestinian people and their struggle across generations.
You are the best representative of the cause, carrying its concerns and conveying its voice to all corners of the world. Thank you for your presence and for more cooperation, solidarity, and joint struggle for freedom, dignity, and prosperity.
