Israel stalling peace process

The new Israeli government is clear about its approach to the so-called peace process in the Middle East. The stern reception of US special envoy George Mitchell by the new far-right leaders indicates that the Israelis are not willing to pursue any of the agreed paths towards a settlement. As they officially told the American envoy, they are seeking 'new ideas' about the 'Palestinian problem'. In other words, they propose forgetting about the two-state solution for now and focusing on helping the Palestinians (mainly those in West Bank) financially through international aid - brokered by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is talking now about 'economic peace' and trying to convince Washington that this is the only viable option. This would be good for the Israeli economy too, because Israel is the main source of supply for all Palestinian needs and every penny channelled to the Occupied Territories goes through the occupiers. It would also fit in with the plans of the new government to build more colonies on Palestinian lands in Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank, as this could be considered 'economic development'.

Economic peace would also do away with the need for a commitment on the thorny issues of a final solution. In a few years' time, new facts on the ground would have left nothing for the Palestinians to negotiate on. Circumstances are ripe for the Israelis to adopt such an approach - the Palestinians are fragmented, their Arab backers are weak and America the mediator is focused on internal issues.

The road to a 'final solution' that suits Israel is clear, and it seems there is little resistance to prevent it. Forget about a Palestinian state, no more wrangling about land and borders, and occupation would become a semi-permanent status to guarantee economic development. Of course, this would not help those Palestinians who oppose the occupation. But never mind that, as there would be no more talk of refugees, easing of military restrictions or the status of Jerusalem.

Netanyahu was reported recently to have said that he will discuss a Palestinian state only if Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state. What recognition is Israel seeking now? Have negotiations not been based - since the Madrid conference - on the recognition of Israel as a state on most of the land of Palestine? Haven't the Palestinians and Arabs already accepted the fact that they're negotiating for only a quarter of historical Palestine for the Palestinians to live on?

What Netanyahu is calling for is consistent with the racist calls to expel the Palestinians living within the land occupied by 1948. New laws are being drafted to expel the 1.5 million Palestinians to the West Bank and Gaza strip because they are 'not loyal to Israel'. That is what is actually meant by recognition of Israel as a 'Jewish' state. Adding more population pressure to the Palestinian areas occupied in 1967 would increase the need for financial assistance. The occupiers wouldn't pay for this, but the international community and wealthy Arab countries might shoulder the burden in the name of promoting 'economic peace'.

Palestinians, and Arabs, would have another issue at hand - new exoduses of Palestinians transferred from Israel - and so would have to forget about the right of millions of refugees outside Palestine to return or be compensated. And Occupied Jerusalem would become a 'clean' Jewish city in a short period of time, consolidating claims that the city is the historical capital of a 'Jewish State'. All that would be left to talk about would be the borders with Egypt, Jordan and Syria in light of the fact that the occupiers would have achieved, in its process of ethnic-cleansing, the 'Judaisation' of Occupied Jerusalem, Hebron, and other colony-infested areas.

By then, Arab moderates may be forced to accept that approach, and may have to modify their so-called 'Arab Peace Initiative' to accommodate the new facts on the ground created by the Israeli government.

Simply put, this would not amount to peace or a settlement of any sort. Instead, it would kick off a new phase of a protracted conflict in a region that is witnessing a paradigm shift in Israel.

Dr Ahmad Mustafa is a London-based Arab writer.