Israel-Hamas conflict and the former’s relationship with US
Chinmay Prasun Biswas :
It is historically visible that in any crisis America stands beside Israel as a closest ally but why? For the answer it is necessary to know the initial words of establishing an exclusive Jewish state.
In England of 1916, during the World War I, there was acute crisis of Acetone, an essential component of preparing explosive.
In that crisis period a professor of Manchester University took the responsibility of discovering artificial Acetone.
Lloyd George, he then prime minister of England, said -“The fate of entire England depends on your success and failure.”
After relentless toil of a few weeks he discovered artificial Acetone.
Out of gratitude Lloyd George intended to give the highest award to the professor but he humbly refused.
Instead, the professor prayed for a particular country for his own community, a National Home for the Jewish.
With the declaration of David Balfour in 1917, a national habitation for the Jewish people was formed in Palestine but for long time it remained confined to black and white only.
At last on 14th May, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.
The United Nations proposed to divide Palestine leaving 45% for the Palestinians and 55 % for the Jews.
Harry S. Truman, the then and 33rd president of the US, accorded recognition to the new state on the same day.
Earlier, Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd US president) had assured the Arabs that the United States would not intervene in that region without consulting both the Jews and the Arabs.
England wanted to maintain good relations with the Arabs and the Israelis.
All-out American support for Israel is not at all new.
From the very beginning America has appeared as a protector of Israel.
In the ongoing conflict with the Palestinian armed group Hamas, ally America has strongly stood beside Israel.
On 11th October an aircraft loaded with modern weapons and ammunition from Washington reached the Nevatim airbase in southern part of Israel.
Later, a phone conversation was held between American President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on the same day and met several senior officials of the Israel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin,on the other hand, has accused Washington of neglecting the interests of Palestine.
After 1948, many presidents have come into power in America from both the Republicans and the Democrats but America’s Israel-policy remains same.
Amid horror of holocaust of German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi forces, America became a safe shelter for many Jews.
Later, the entire Western world including America pleaded for a homeland for the Jews scattered worldwide.
By recognising Israel as an independent nation initially, the US intended not only to prove itself as a beacon of freedom and liberal policy but also to establish its dominance in the mineral-rich Arab world.
Although America intended to use Israel as a stronghold in West Asia, it sometimes sided with the Arab nations.
For instance, John F. Kennedy, the 35th US president, managed to temporarily restrain Israel’s ambition to attain nuclear power.
President Bill Clinton initiated peace talks by bringing former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat together.
George Bush tried to mediate peace discussions between the two opposing sides but those efforts ended in failure.
Barack Obama continued the trend of US foreign policy of standing beside Israel.
However, he also pointed out that Israel has occupied the controversial West Bank territory.
On the other hand, Donald Trump did not take any initiative to maintain balance.
Instead, he further inflamed the Israel-Palestine conflict shifting the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, an ever disputed place.
The message was clear that Jerusalem is a part of Israel.
Moreover, under influence of Trump, countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia recognised Israel as a sovereign nation followed by Morocco and Sudan.
Despite differences in party and policy, sitting President Biden has largely maintained Trump’s policy.
During his recent visit to Israel, in a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, he has said, “I am also a Zionist.
I don’t believe that you have to be Jewish to be a Zionist.”
Israel also has obligations to America.
Israel’s longstanding security concern continues from the very beginning because of itsunaccepted entry into Arab territories.
For own interest Israel also had the responsibility to maintain good relations with America.
America suspects Iranian influence behind the rise of Hamas.
It signifies that this part of the Arab world will remain ever volatile.
Under such apprehension the US continues its policy of suppressing rebellious Arab nationalists through Israel.
It is also evident that significant rift has occurred in stiff Arab nationalism.
Leaving past obstinacy, countries like Saudi Arabia and few others are interested to negotiate with Israel.
Here also America is playing with the string behind the scene.
Meanwhile, China is also trying to gain ground in this region by bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia closer.
As a part of it, for the first time after 2016, a meeting was held between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Beijing last April.
Tehran said that the two countries had paved the way for normalising relation under mediation of China.
The extreme and radical nationalist politics of both Israel and Palestine is an important matter of consideration.
Yitzhak Rabin, the 25th prime minister of Israel, wanted to stop new Israeli settlements in occupied territories and started secret negotiations with the PLO.
It resulted in Israel-PLO treaty in September, 1993 in which Israel recognised the PLO and agreed to gradually implement limited self-rule for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
After a series of secret meetings, in October, 1994Yitzhak Rabin and King ?ussein of Jordan signed a full peace treaty between their two countries.
In presence of Bill Clinton, the 42nd US president, Yitzhak Rabin shook hands with Yasser Arafat standing on the lawn of White House but extremist Israelis did not take it easily.
The territorial concessions aroused intense opposition among many Israelis, particularly settlers in the West Bank.
In November, 1995 Yitzhak Rabin attended a mass peace rally in Tel Aviv to attain support for the Israel-PLO treaty.
But after completion of the rally he was shot dead by Yigal Amir, a Jewish extremist student,
Similarly, many Palestinians didn’t accept Yasser Arafat’s comparatively moderate approach.
As a result, in place of the PLO, Hamas has risen as an armed group intending to eliminate the state of Israel.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas,the President of Palestine, has said that Hamas does not represent the Palestinians.
So, the situation is very much complicated. On such a backdrop, America has come closer as usual in the name of protecting Israel.
Using American weapons Israel is recklessly killing the Palestinians in Gaza strip.
Even hospitals are not being spared from Israel’s bomb attack.
On the 19th day of this conflict Israeli prime minister has declared his decision to operate land attack on Gaza at any time.
The United States Secretary General has termed Israel’s action as severe violation of human rights.
For this reason Israeli envoy to the UN has demanded resignation of the UNSecretary General.
Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman has proposed to President Joe Biden for stopping the war.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rightly said that the repeated attacks on Palestinian people can’t be accepted.
The writer is a former Commissioner of Taxes.
