An interesting development has come
about in an old hoary chestnut of international politics. The Roman
Catholic Pope Francis has just visited the Holy Land, on the 50th
anniversary of a historic meeting between Catholic and Orthodox
leaders, which aimed to repair the great schism in Christianity
almost one thousand years ago.
Beyond the religious nature of this
visit, the Pope managed to spring us a few surprises worthy of note.
For one, he has invited the Presidents of the Palestinian and Israeli
peoples, Mahmoud Abbas and Shimon Peres, to visit the Vatican to pray
with him for peace, which they have reportedly accepted. Given the
current impasse in peace negotiations between the two sides, this is
a welcome development.
Also interesting was the Pope's
unscheduled stop to pray at a concrete barrier being built by Israel
in the West Bank, ostensibly as a security measure, mainly along the
so-called Green Line in the 1949 Armistice Agreement separating
Israel and the West Bank land earmarked for the Palestinian state,
but with significant incursions into Palestinian land, in Israel's
favour, decided upon unilaterally by Israel.
The Pope's made other gestures,
entering the West Bank directly rather than through Israel, and
speaking about the State of Palestine. These have been welcomed in
Palestinian circles as support for the State of Palestine, whose
status as a non-member observer state was affirmed by the General
Assembly of the United Nations 20121.
This status is the same as that of the Vatican. The resolution was
approved by a large majority of countries, including Malta and most
E.U. nations. The United States and Israel voted against, on the
basis that this resolution undermines the peace process.
Interestingly, Australia abstained, amongst the alleged influence of
a strong pro-Israeli lobby reported recently by then foreign minister
Bob Carr2.
Another application to become a full
member of the UN had been submitted previously in 2011 but no
consensus was reached at the UN Security Council. No formal vote has
been held.
There is no comparison in the state of
development between Palestine and Israel though. The latter is a
developed country with an advanced economy. It's GDP-per-capita is
close to that of Italy and the UK3.
It is backed by the richest country on the planet, the US. It is
able to unilaterally demarcate its de-facto borders, set-up or bring
down settlements in land earmarked for Palestine and make military
incursions in Palestinian territories and surrounding countries,
seemingly oblivious to widespread, though not universal, condemnation
by its Arab neighbours, world nations and public opinion and UN
Resolutions. Israel is very much the Goliath to the Palestinian
David.
It must be said that Jews have been
unjustly persecuted for centuries, sadly even by my Christian
brethren, in many countries around the world, culminating in the
unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust. However in this 5-decade
saga in the Middle East, it is clear that the tables have turned, and
the victim has turned aggressor and occupier, with the Palestinians
in their territories or in refugee camps in Syria, Jordan or Lebanon
being very much the underdogs.
It is true that extremist Palestinian
groups organise suicide bombings in Israeli cities, fire mortars into
Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, and more, causing
terror and death and provoking retaliation. These are activites to
be condemned, but can also be seen as acts of defiance by people who
have given up all hope. No amount of mortars or suicide bombings
will overturn the vast superiority of the Israeli Defense Force, who
have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to easily inflict ten times
the casualties received.
Malta for long periods of its history
was occupied by powerful foreign powers, and struggled greatly to be
able to take its destiny in its own hands. It is my hope that most
readers with a Maltese background and many others are able to feel
solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Kien hemm żvilupp interessanti
f'storja mill-iktar antika tal-politika internazzjonali. Il-Papa
Franġisk tal-Knisja Kattolika Rumana għadu kif kellu żjara fl-Art
Imqaddsa, fil-ħamsin anniversarju ta' laqgħa storika bejn
il-mexxejja Kattoliċi u dawk Ortodossi, bl-għan li tissewwa x-xiżma
l-kbira tal-Kristjaneżmu ta' kważi elf sena ilu.
Minbarra n-natura reliġjuża ta' din
iż-żjara, il-Papa rnexxielu jagħtina ftit sorpriżi li ta' min
jinnutahom. L-ewwel waħda hi l-istedina li għamel lill-Presidenti
tal-popli Palestinjan u Iżraeljan, Mahmoud Abbas u Shimon Peres,
biex iżuru l-Vatikan sabiex jitolbu miegħu għall-paċi, li ġew
irrapurtati li aċċettaw. Meta wieħed iqis l-impass preżenti
fin-negozjati ta' paċi bejn iż-żewġ naħat, dan l-iżvilupp kien
milqugħ tajjeb.
Interessanti wkoll kienet il-waqfa mhux
mistennija tal-Papa ma' barriera tal-konkrit li qed tinbena minn
Iżrael fil-West Bank,
apparentement għal raġunijiet ta' sigurta', fil-maġġur parti
matul l-hekk imsejħa Linja Ħadra li fil-ftehim tal-Armistizju
tal-1949 tissepara lill-Iżrael mill-art tal-West Bank
identifikat għall-istat Palestinjan, imma bi dħul sinjifikanti
f'art il-Palestinjani, għall-favur tal-Iżrael, deċiż
unilateralment mill-Iżrael.
Il-Papa
għamel ġesti oħra, meta daħal fil-West Bank
dritt mingħajr m'għadda mill-Iżrael, u wkoll tkellem fuq l-Istat
Palestinjan. Dawn ġew milqugħa mill-Palestinjani bħala appoġġ
għall-Istat Palestinjan, li għadu kif ġie aċċettat bħala stat
osservatur mhux membru mill-Assembleja Ġenerali tal-Ġnus Magħquda
fl-20121.
Il-Vatikan għandu l-istess status. Ir-riżoluzzjoni ġiet
approvata mill-maġġoranza l-kbira tal-pajjiżi, inkluża Malta u
l-parti l-kbira tal-pajjiżi tal-U.E. L-Istati Uniti u l-Iżrael
ivvutaw kontra, abbażi li din ir-riżoluzzjoni tnaqqar il-proċess
ta' paċi. Kien interessanti li l-Awstralja astjeniet, fost
l-influwenza allegata ta' lobbi b'saħħtu pro-Iżraeljan kif
irrapurtata riċentement mill-ministru tal-affarijiet barranin ta'
dakinhar, Bob Carr2.
Applikazzjoni
oħra biex issir membru sħiħ tal-Ġnus Magħquda kienet saret qabel
fl-2011 imma ma ntlaħaqx kunsens fuqha fil-Kunsill tas-Sigurtà
tal-Ġnus Magħquda. Ma sar l-ebda vot formali.
Madankollu,
mhemm l-ebda paragun bejn l-istat tal-iżvilupp tal-Palestina minn
dik tal-Iżrael. Tal-aħħar hu pajjiż żviluppat b'ekonomija
avvanzata. Il-Prodott Gross Domestiku għal kull ras huwa qrib ta'
dak tal-Italja u r-Renju Unit3.
Huwa appoġġjat mill-iktar pajjiż għani fuq il-pjaneta, l-Istati
Uniti. Jista' unilateralment jiddemarka l-fruntiera tiegħu
fil-fatt, itella' jew iwaqqa' villaġġi f'art intenzjonata
għall-Palestina, u jintervjeni militarjament fit-territorju
Palestinjan u l-pajjiżi ta' madwaru, mingħajr każ tal-kundanni
mferrxa, imma mhux universali, tal-ġirien Għarab, pajjiżi oħra u
l-opinjoni pubblika madwar id-dinja, u riżoluzzjonijiet tal-Ġnus
Magħquda. L-Iżrael hu l-Gulija ħdejn id-David Palestinjan.
Irid
jingħad li l-Lhud kienu ippersegwitati inġustament għal sekli
sħaħ, jiddispjaċini ngħid anke minn ħuti l-Insara, f'ħafna
pajjiżi madwar id-dinja, li laħqet il-quċċata fl-atroċitajiet
terribbli tal-Olokawstu. Però f'din is-saga ta' ħamsin sena
fil-Lvant Nofsani, huwa ċar l-affarijiet inbidlu ta' taħt fuq, u
l-vittma sar aggressur u okkupant, bil-Palestinjani fit-territorji
tagħhom jew fil-kampijiet tar-rifuġjati fis-Sirja, il-Ġordan jew
il-Libanu ikunu f'sitwazzjoni telliefa.
Huwa
veru li gruppi Palestinjani estremisti jorganizzaw attakki suwiċida
fil-bliet Iżraeljani, u jisparaw il-balal fil-villaġġi Iżraeljani
fit-territorju Palestinjan, u iktar, li jwasslu t-terrur u l-mewt u
jipprovokaw ritaljazzjoni. Dawn l-attivitajiet huma ta' min
jikkundannahom, imma tista' tarahom bħala sfida minn-nies li qatgħu
qalbhom għal kollox. L-ebda ammont ta' balal jew attakki suwiċida
mhu se jgħelbu s-superjorità tal-Armata Iżraeljana, li wriet
ripetutament l-abbiltà li tferu jew toqtlol nies tal-għadu għaxar
darbiet daqskemm nies minn tagħha.
Malta
għal perjodu twil mill-istorja tagħha kienet okkupata minn forzi
b'saħħithom barranin, u tħabtet mhux ftit biex tieħu r-riedni
tagħha f'idejha. Nispera li l-biċċa l-kbira tal-qarrejja b'nisel
Malti u oħrajn ikunu jistgħu jħossu solidarjetà mal-kawża
Palestinjana.
1http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/19862D03C564FA2C85257ACB004EE69B,
retrieved 28/5/2014
2http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-09/bob-carr-lashes-out-at-melbourne-pro-israel-lobby/5379074,
retrieved 28/5/2014
3http://www.oecd.org/statistics/,
retrieved 30/5/2014
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