As the suffering – the genocide – of the Palestinian people unfolds before us, it may be useful to review the events that shed light on what is happening now.
Following the war between imperial powers from 1914 to 1918, the British and the French Empires divided the territories of the Ottoman Empire. The Syrian province was then split into two: France took the north, and England took the south, including Palestine. England later "ceded" part of the territory east of the Jordan River to create Jordan.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Zionist movement gained strength with the aim of finding a territory for the "Jewish people" and considered Argentina in South America, Uganda in Africa, and Palestine in the Middle East. It was England that decided to "cede" part of Palestine to the Zionist movement (Balfour Declaration).
While the Palestinians, who were not consulted, refused the colonization of their country and began to resist (Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, a Syrian preacher and guerrilla leader who settled in Haifa and became the symbol of armed resistance against British and Zionist forces). This was the beginning of Palestinian nationalism, which has continued to evolve and strengthen since then.
On its part, the Zionist movement organized itself and declared its intent to colonize Palestine and started sending people from Europe (mainly Russia and Poland) to Palestine where Palestinian Muslim, Christian and Jews where living peacefully for centuries.
Finally it was Britain who made possible the UN resolution of November 29, 1947, adopted by 33 countries against 13, with 10 abstentions and one absence, which decided to organize the future government of Palestine by dividing Palestine into two parts: one for a "Jewish" state, the other for an "Arab" state, united within an economic union, with an international zone planned for Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Since that day, the resistance of the Palestinian people, who once again were not consulted about this partition decision, has continued until today.
On the Zionist side, apart from the initial period following the creation of the Zionist entity during which labor governments succeeded one another, since 1977 "Israel" has been led by right-wing parties except for a few years of the labor party's return. During the labor government from 1992 to 1996, the Oslo Accords were signed under American pressure exerted on the governments of Israel and the Palestinians. We now know that the Oslo Accords were buried with their signatories. Since that period, it has been the Israeli right that is in power, dreaming of a Greater Israel extending from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River and beyond. This right-wing government has been joined by the extreme right in the latest government still in place. We clearly see a radicalization of the leadership of the Zionist movement from 2001 with a succession of right-wing governments. The apartheid nature has been denounced worldwide. The current government has clearly stated: there will be no Palestinian state.
On the Palestinian side, the leadership that made significant territorial concessions in 1993 has reached a point where Palestinians have realized that this is a dead end. Hence the emergence of a new leadership created in 1987 - the Islamic Resistance Mouvement - democratically elected in 2006 by the entire Palestinian people, which reaffirms the principle position of a single Palestinian state.
Two important dates: 2001 for the Zionists with the right and extreme right in power aiming to create "Greater Israel", and 2006 with the victory of the Palestinian resistance, which was overwhelmingly supported by the Palestinian people and seeks to liberate Palestine.
Ultimately, I believe that the decision to partition Palestine was a mistake and that a revision of the 1948 UN resolution - which was signed by only 33 states, while today we have 193 UN member states - is necessary and perhaps revisable based on the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, which was not exercised in 1948. This is not the first time mistakes have been made and corrections have been implemented. For example, in 1974, the UN decided to remove the Security Council seat that had been granted to the Taiwanese government and give it to the People's Republic of China.
In conclusion, it can be said that we are moving towards the realization of the spirit of the 1948 UN Resolution 181, which indeed speaks of the "government of Palestine." The Palestinian people have not yet exercised their right to self-determination. Today, perhaps, has come the time for its recognition by the international community.
Benyounès Saidi
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