The Quartet of Middle East peace mediators has delivered another stinging rebuke to Israel with its warning that Tel Aviv risked ending the chance of a two-state solution with its brazen continuation of the settlement activity in Palestinian territories. The group, which comprises the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, had expressed its concern before, and the latest statement shows that it’s not willing to forget the issue and let Israel pursue its illegal actions without censure. “The Quartet emphasized its strong opposition to ongoing settlement activity, which is an obstacle to peace, and expressed its grave concern that the acceleration of settlement construction and expansion ... (is) steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution,” the Quartet said in a statement after meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
While this stance is commendable, how far is the group willing to go to prove that it’s serious? Unfortunately, this powerful bloc has failed miserably to fulfill its agenda of pushing peace. Its rebuke and condemnation of Israel has been proven to be an insincere rant due to its unwillingness to support its words with action. It’s a measure of the Quartet’s powerlessness and lack of interest that Israel continues its settlement expansion with the announcement of several huge projects on Palestinian land. That the Israeli settlement construction is the biggest obstacle to peace is an internationally acknowledged fact, but the world powers haven’t done anything to persuade Israel to stop the activity.
Israel believes that the status quo is sustainable and wants to kill the peace process by refusing to leave the land it has confiscated at the time of future talks. According to reports, about 371,000 Israelis live in settlements scattered across the West Bank, and their number is growing phenomenally. Relocating such huge numbers of settlers will be nearly impossible for any Israeli government as part of any peace deal. The fact that the Quartet made its statement after meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly is also telling. The UN gathering failed to address the Israeli aggressions. And both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas showed no signs of an agreement during their speeches at the annual gathering of world leaders.
The Palestinian issue is getting scant attention as the world remains preoccupied with other crises. America is preparing to elect a new president and whether it’s Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, US-Israel relations are expected to remain rock-solid. Barack Obama’s tenure will be known for his friction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he failed to advance the cause of an independent Palestinian state.
