Israeli Occupation Harshness Prevents Peace

by Stephen Lendman

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is perhaps the longest one in modern times. It's festered for decades. Resolution's nowhere in sight.

Multiple peace talk rounds don't work. They never did. They were orchestrated to fail. They're pretense. They're fake. Nothing's different this time.

Conflict arguably began on November 2, 1917. UK Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour's Declaration "establish(ed) in Palestine (a) home for the Jewish people."

At the time, Palestinians way outnumbered Jews over ten to one (about 550,000 to 50,000). They lived peacefully with each other. They did so for generations.

Balfour changed things, saying:

"His majesty's Government views with favor the establishment in Palestine a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object(ive)..."

Ethnic conflict followed. So did UN Resolution 181. On November 29, 1947, the Palestine Partition Plan granted 56% of historic Palestine to Jews.

At the time, they numbered one-third of the population. Palestinians were two-thirds. They got 42% of their own land. They were denied some of the most valued parts.

Jerusalem was declared an international city (corpus separatum). It was placed under a UN Trusteeship Council. It remains so today.

Before partition, Palestinians owned and controlled 90% of historic Palestine. Resolution 181 called for an Independent Arab state by October 1, 1948. It said:

"all Governments and peoples (should) refrain from taking any action which might hamper or delay the carrying out of these recommendations."

The Security Council was empowered with all "necessary measures as provided for in the plan for its implementation."

Israel's 1948 War of Independence intervened. It changed things. Nakba slaughter, dispossession and ethnic cleansing followed.

So did Israel's land grab. Its control extended to 78% of historic Palestine. It occupied West Jerusalem.

Security Council members did nothing. They didn't intervene. Harry Truman recognized Israel straightaway. He acted minutes after its May 14, 1948 independence declaration. He was the first world leader to do so.

Weeks earlier on March 25, he met secretly with Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann. He pledged support. A special bond was established. Palestinians were spurned. Their rights didn't matter then. They don't now.

Things went from bad to worse. In June 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. It controlled 100% of historic Palestine. It still does.

Militarized occupation followed. So did colonization and apartheid.