Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas made a rare appearance before the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday and called for an international peace conference by midyear — something especially needed, he said, since the US can no longer be counted on as the lone mediator.
It is “essential”, Abbas said, that a “multilateral international mechanism” be established to broker peace. The Palestinians have lost faith in the United States as an honest mediator after President Donald Trump reversed decades of policy and recognised Occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Abbas said he hoped a conference in mid-2018 would set a timeline to resolve all issues with Israel tied to the two-state solution — the internationally recognised arrangement that calls for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
For the Palestinian cause, there is nothing more important than the fate of occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinians have sought the eastern part of occupied Jerusalem as the capital of their future, independent state. Last month, Abbas had ruled out the US role as mediator in the conflict. While calling for a ‘review’ of all agreements reached with Tel Aviv since the Oslo Accords in 1993, Abbas reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution.
Trump recently said neither Israelis nor Palestinians were interested in peace, casting doubt on the supposed ‘historical deal’ for peace that he has promised. The ‘deal of the century’ has clearly unravelled because it favours one side (Israel) over the other. The multilateral framework as proposed by Abbas is an indication of how the Palestinians intend to move forward from now on.
If the US is not going to be a fair and responsible broker, then other countries have a duty to step up and fill in the leadership void.
As Palestinian options grow more obsolete, it is imperative for the international community to act swiftly and decisively in order to avoid another bloody confrontation. Arab states need to step up and use their diplomatic sway and influence over international players to make this a priority. European nations have a particular responsibility to help amid the vacuum of effective US leadership as they are better equipped politically and financially to pressure Israel to make the important concessions that are needed to ensure peace.
In the court of international public opinion, there still remains a great deal of sympathy and support for the just aspirations of the Palestinian people as evidenced by the United Nation’s General Assembly vote, criticising the US decision to recognise Occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Palestinians need to capitalise on that sympathy and seek better mediators.
