Futile gestures

The new Social Democratic Prime Minster of Sweden, Stefan Lofven, announced in his inaugural speech last week, that among other things Sweden would recognize the State of Palestine.  A very nice gesture, but what does it accomplish.  It would change the established international requirements for recognition of a State, since Palestine has no agreed borders, no elected or functioning government or president, no independent economic means of survival and no means to control its territory. This puts the world order on its head, this means that any terrorist organization that takes a piece of territory or controls a swatch of land, such as the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq or the al Nusrah Front in Syria, the Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, or even the Sami (Lapp) people in northern Sweden, could request and be granted recognition by this precedent. 

The British Parliament voted by a majority, with the Government abstaining, to recognize a Palestinian State as part of a two-state solution.  This was proposed by the Labor opposition, under Jewish leader Ed Milliband, and supported by the Liberal Democrats as well as a minority of Conservative MPs. This non-binding gesture will empower the Palestinians in their unilateral moves to obtain recognition at the UN without consulting to Israel.  If such recognition is applied for, this goes against all prior UN resolutions concerning the Israel-Palestine dispute, that require bilateral negotiations.  The Conservative British Government did not support this maneuver and PM David Cameron stated that it will not affect British policy that no recognition can be forthcoming unless there is a negotiated settlement with Israel.

So why would Sweden or the UK recognize Palestine out of all the worthy claimants in the world.  After all, there has never been a Palestine State in existence in history, the current Palestine Authority does not have any existence beyond the Oslo Accords agreed between Israel and the PLO.  If Israel decided to withdraw that recognition, the PA would in effect cease to exist, whatever Sweden thinks or whatever the General Assembly of the UN votes for.  The President of the PA, Mahmud Abbas, is no longer legitimate, his term of office ran out 6 years ago, and the so-called Unity Government between the PA and the terrorist Hamas in Gaza has no actual validity.  Why not recognize more worthy and established entities, such as Taiwan, or Tibet, or Northern Cyprus, or Chechnya, or even Scotland or ...I could go on.  But, we all know that Palestine is the poster child of the Social Democratic movement, because it is the enemy of the Jews, because the Jews of Israel are well known to be a contemptible, imperialist, colonialist, apartheid, racist regime, without any justification for existence (?). 

The fact that Israel has been a recognized member of the UN for 66 years and is actually a functioning democracy, with political parties, an independent legal system, and human rights for all citizens, does not mean that the Israeli Govt. should be consulted before this recognition is extended to an entity that calls for the destruction and replacement of a UN member.  What an ignorant, unjust and unworthy decision by so-called responsible politicians.  How is it that misplaced sentiment can overcome reality in such a ridiculous manner?  What is really infuriating is that in the midst of this public debate, some 200 Israeli public figures chose to send a letter to the instigators of this Parliamentary debate supporting the recognition of a Palestinian State.  How misguided, how self-destructive, don't they realize that Israel has enough enemies without traitors from inside.

The Social Democrats in Sweden, Britain and elsewhere want peace in the Middle East, that's what everyone spouts.  But, this decision to unilaterally recognize Palestine can only make peace more remote, since it is precisely the unilateral actions of the Palestinians that prevent any real negotiations and agreements between the two sides to the conflict, as required by all applicable UN resolutions.  Allowing a Palestine State to come into existence without an agreement with Israel, on borders, refugees, Jerusalem, etc. will only lead to more fighting and conflict.  Ultimately this maneuver is a statement of contempt for the State of Israel and all that it stands for.  There are consequences of such a decision, it would also release Israel to take whatever unilateral moves its Government decides.