The future in the Biblical Holy Land isn’t bound by the past, it’s the present here and now that matters, based on the ground realities in Free Palestine!
Commentary and Analysis . . . The Israeli government has long taken the position that it does not have partners for peace in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank since the leaders, not being elected, have no legitimacy on Free Palestine.
Human rights advocates have argued that elections may never be about the people but the lawmakers unless the people participate in making democracy work.
Democracy isn’t about voting once in five years and going home and sleeping until the next time.
The free Press, under the rule of law, may be more myth than reality. The proof of free press arises from whether the media denies right of reply.
The Israeli government, being half right, has duty under international law on the sovereignty of the people. The international community, likewise, has duty on restoring the sovereignty of people who have lost it. In 2003 for example, the US-led Coalition of the Willing, restored the sovereignty of the people of Iraq. It’s true that there were also other reasons for the Iraqi War.
Israeli Military
The Gaza Strip risks being under renewed Israeli military administration after the war unleashed by 7 October ends.
There has been no Public Inquiry on the 7 October attacks. In the fog of war, the first casuality was truth. So, if cynicism runs deep, we can only keep on the safe side by rejecting the claims and counter claims by both sides.
The Jewish state, under international law, needs guarantees from the UN and the international community on security, territorial integrity and security. Such guarantees can only be complete with Palestine’s recognition of Israel. Israel must propose that Free Palestine be recognised by the UN and admitted as member of the world body for peace keeping.
Free Palestine Work In Progress
It’s inconceivable that the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) all look the other way on solutions which may resolve the plight of the people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The plight of the post-1948 Palestinian, both Muslim and Christian, has divided the world including Malaysia into two bitterly opposing camps.
Israel Gets No Recognition
October 7 remains the elephant in the room. More on the sovereignty issue later.
Malaysia, already staying in glass house and throwing stones at all and sundry since the dictatorial Mahathir premiership began in 1981, has no clear stand on the Biblical Holy Land. The government does not recognise Israel but allows pilgrims visiting Jerusalem, a departure from looking the other way on sneaking in through Jordan.
World Divided
The world would not be misled, or divided so much, if governments had clear positions on key issues which have emerged in the Biblical Holy Land viz. human rights, international law, self-determination, legitimacy, sovereignty, “legal” Jewish settlements and illegal Jewish outposts in the West Bank, the sanctity of the al-Aqsah Mosque in Jerusalem, stone throwing incidents and terrorist acts. Again, there’s also the little matter of Palestine recognising Israel for the way forward.
Jew in the Biblical Holy Land, since 1948, prefer the term Israeli. Indeed, non-Jew in Israel are even forcibly boarded on the bus with one-way ticket, headed for the West Bank, if they consider themselves Palestinian. Palestinian can enter Israel for jobs, medical attention, and for other purposes approved by the government. There can be no law against Palestinian subjects marrying Israeli citizens.
Palestinian Explained
Palestinian, after 1948, has emerged as term which differentiates between Arabic speakers in the Biblical Holy Land and Arabic speakers elsewhere. The Palestinian will no longer exist if they abandon the Arabic language. Israel needs hearts and minds campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and probably against Fatah as well in the disputed West Bank.
The sharp division between Muslim and non-Muslim, which may be literally behind the mindless violence which sees no end in the Biblical Holy Land, remains connected with Jerusalem. The city was founded by King David about 3K years ago. Jerusalem, which has always had Jewish majority, emerged after the Crusades as the 3rd holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia but not by war and conquest.
Islam, although originating from the same sacred scriptures as Judaism and Christianity, entered the Biblical Holy Land in history from outside. Therein, the matter lies, although the UN Security Council accepted in 1948 that East Jerusalem can be the capital of the rump state of Palestine, albeit stillborn.
Free Palestine Partition
Muslim and Christian Arabic speakers in the Biblical Holy Land rejected partition of Palestine which saw Israel recognised, under international law as separate nation-state, albeit Jewish in a contradiction in terms on the rule of law. Israel’s Jewish character may simply be about acknowleging the historical fact that Judaism originated in Jerusalem.
The future in the Biblical Holy Land isn’t bound by the past, it’s the present here and now that matters, based on the ground realities. Free Palestine forever being chanted for the territory from Mediterranean until the Jordan River may mean different things for different people.
The Jordan River, where Church tradition holds that Jesus was baptised by cousin John, evokes strong sense of history, brings back the people’s collective memories, nostalgia, and stirs deep feelings and emotions in Followers, dubbed Christian.
The Tel Aviv government sees Free Palestine being centred on 1948 as Israel and the rump state of Palestine which never took off. The rump state was further reduced when Israel took much of the territory in the Biblical Holy Land after 1948. The UN in fact reserved 80 per cent of the land for the rump state. Israel, which held only 20 per cent, now holds 80 per cent of Old Palestine.
Those who lose cultivated land, but only for public purposes, get compensation from government and higher compensation from the Supreme Court of Israel. No government, under international law, can be prevented from seizing private land for public purposes.
Olives and Cactus in the link may be the story which has currency in the Supreme Court of Israel. The story, among others, helps prevent eviction from cultivated land not needed by the government for public purposes.
About DNA
Many people, thinking in divisive terms, may not realise that Jew isn’t about DNA, “ethnicity” or language. The Constitution and the court of law isn’t about DNA. The court only accepts DNA if proof of descent from citizen was required. All human being — homo sapiens — have the same DNA based on genetic barrier of millions of years with other species.
It’s about religion — read Judaism — and culture.
Still, Muslim can pray at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, except when suspicions arise that weapons are being stored there by militants taking shelter within the premises. Then, the Israeli forces storm the al-Aqsa mosque, provoking righteous outrage around the world. Jew, Muslim and Christian make up Israeli forces, and all allegedly enter the mosque with impunity.
Again, the Middle East conflict isn’t about “ethnicity” or religion per se but the lack of the rule of law among all parties in dispute on issues in conflict. Again, there’s the little matter of the leaders in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank having no legitimacy since they have not been elected from even before this century began. Hence, the people have lost sovereignty, as two small unelected groups hold absolute power.
Languages
The Israeli government changes hands every five years and often after couple of years and/or even months. Arabic speakers, Muslim and Christian, can win at least 20 per cent of the seats in Parliament. Arabic speakers control four political parties. The government includes one party controlled by Arabic speaking Israeli.
Both Hebrew and Arabic are official languages in Israel. Jew outside Israel habitually speak other languages.
Arabic speakers, Muslim and Christian, can be found in all walks of life in Israel. Jew, Muslim and Christian make up the Israeli Army, Navy, Air Force, police and intelligence services, civil service, teaching service, diplomatic service and judiciary. Arabic speaking pharmacists, for example, make up 45 per cent of the profession in Israel.
Israel remains the only nation in the Middle East where Christian feel protected. Christian are also being attacked from Iran to India for preaching secularism.
The old laws in Judaism, rewritten by Jesus, have come back. It’s “eye for an eye” and “tooth for tooth” that prevails in fighting Karma. The Messiah was about neutralising Karma — the law of cause and effect — as the 1st eternal law based on eternal truth.
Solutions
Palestinian must look at solutions away from Hamas and Fatah by holding local government, town council and village election.
There must be consent of the governed, legitimacy, democracy and sovereignty under the rule of law.
The UN will come in and hold territorial elections in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. – NMH
Longtime Borneo watcher Joe Fernandez has been writing for many years on both sides of the Southeast Asia Sea. He should not be mistaken for a namesake formerly with the Daily Express in Kota Kinabalu. JF keeps a Blog under FernzTheGreat on the nature of human relationships.
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