Juan Cole: Top Ten Steps That Are Necessary for Lasting Gaza-Israel Peace [View all]

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/14692-top-ten-steps-that-are-necessary-for-lasting-gaza-israel-peace-or-good-luck

1. The Israeli blockade on Gaza exports and non-military imports must be lifted altogether. Ben White points out that the restrictions on goods brought into Gaza via Israel are still very substantial, despite Israeli assertions that the blockade has been eased.

2. Palestinians must be granted citizenship in a state. It is all the same to me if it is a Palestinian state or if they are given Israeli citizenship. The aggressive, far-right Likud Party is setting things up so that there isn't really a place to put a Palestinian state anymore. In any case, it is unacceptable for millions of Palestinians to be kept stateless by Israel. Stateless people have no real rights, since rights are enforced by a state.

3. Egypt should broker a rapprochement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas. As long as these two are at daggers drawn, Palestinians are easily divided and ruled by Israel and the US, and they have fewer means to resist having their land stolen and having their lives blighted by the blockade.

4. Egypt's President Muhammad Morsi should put pressure on Hamas leaders to foreswear the use of terrorist tactics toward Israel.