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What is the world waiting for?

Oct 07,2015 - Last updated at Oct 07,2015

One cannot fail to see that the West Bank, especially East Jerusalem, is on fire.

During the past few weeks, hardly a day passed by without violence being witnessed between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters, either on the streets of East Jerusalem or in the cities and towns of the West Bank.

Only a totally disinterested person would fail to see that the situation in the Palestinian territories is no longer tenable, that people are seething and the lid is about to blow off.

Israel seems unconcerned, convinced, probably, that it can deal with another round of violence through its massive war machine.

Faced with Palestinian discontent over Israel’s violations of their rights and international law, all Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could give was an offer to negotiate without preconditions.

Decades of “negotiations” showed them for what they are: endless, tortuous and fruitless talks that lead nowhere, only giving Israel more time to achieve its goals in Palestine.

Yet Netanyahu should know that desperation can push people to extreme actions, that stone throwing and knife yielding could easily turn into a horror scenario, into violence that could engulf the entire West Bank and East Jerusalem in a raging fire that can be expected to be even more violent than the Second Palestinian Intifada.

There is talk of a Third Palestinian Intifada well on its way. The only thing that could stop it would be a clear sign that the Israeli occupation is ending.

As the world’s eyes are turned towards Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the flood of refugees fleeing conflict in their countries, the for now slow-burning fire in the Palestinian lands is blissfully ignored.

The international community should not wait for it to become a raging, all-consuming blaze before acting.

The Palestinian leadership has been warning all along about the imminence of violence unless the Palestinians and their lands are free from Israeli occupation. 

Will it take more death and destruction for the world to act?

 

The signs are there, and clear. Occupation and daily harassment of Palestinians have to end if Israelis wish to have peace.

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