"The Gaza war has made it necessary to discuss a one-state solution between Israel and Palestine," former Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said recently. He thus raised the thoughts of several Palestinians and Israelis, as an alternative to the two-state solution from the Oslo Agreement.
- We must devise a completely new philosophy, to get on the right course after the Oslo agreement. We need a new horizon, says Palestinian analyst Mohsen Abu Ramadan to Ny Tid. But on the streets of Gaza City, few are ready for compromise, shortly after the war.
(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
After the war. Amid thousands of tons of torn concrete, from destroyed houses and other buildings, Gaza's grieving people are still searching for usable items – after a nearly two-month continuous and massive military operation.
Since the start of Israel's military operation against Gaza and Hamas 8. July, 15.671 homes have been hit and 2276 leveled to the ground. 161 mosques were also hit. 26. On August, a ceasefire was entered into again, which was celebrated on the streets here in Gaza City.
The governments of Cairo and Oslo have joined forces to organize a fundraising conference aimed at contributing to the reconstruction of Gaza as soon as a permanent ceasefire is in place. At the same time, the debate on the road continues, after the UN (OCHA) can report on 2101 killed Palestinians, of which 1460 civilians, and 70 killed in Israel, of which six civilians.
Former Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Labor Party), now director of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, now doubts that the two-state solution is the best choice in the Middle East today, he told NRK 17. August. He says that "the time has come to think completely new":
"I think that discussion should come now. It's good for donor countries to meet, but I think before they start distributing money, they should discuss whether there is still a political horizon pointing to a two-state solution, or whether to think completely differently and out of the box, "Eide told Norway's national broadcasting.
Interestingly enough, the statements from Oslo, the city that gave its name to the Oslo agreement in 1992-1993 – which just had a solution about two states – Israel and Palestine – are published as a prerequisite.
Norway and the other donor group contributing to Palestine must discuss whether the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine should be put to death, says Eide. The donor group includes the US, EU, Arab countries, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Since the Oslo Accord came into force in 1993, the group has raised funds to establish a Palestinian state. Is the world still inextricably bound to the idea of a two-state solution, or can we open a discussion about possible alternatives, Eide asks. "It is 21 years ago, but it is still unclear how long it will take before we can conclude that Norway is simply contributing to financing the status quo," Eide says.
Eide believes that people on both sides of the conflict say that we should dare to think of a one-state solution, that is, one state for two peoples, with a democratic solution for both Israelis and Palestinians. "We need a serious discussion about the whole concept that has been in place for over two decades now," says Eide.
On the streets of Gaza
Among peace activists, leftists and writers, the one-state solution has been raised several times in recent years, both among Israelis and Palestinians. But on the streets of Gaza City, a one-state solution is not enticing now, as they stand in the midst of a massive war against everything that belongs to them.
This is an excerpt from Ny Tid 29.08.2014. Read the whole by buying Ny Tid in newspaper retailers all over the country, or by subscribing to New Time -click here.
