Israel is repeatedly and viciously vilified to the international community on a regular basis. While this statement has been true since the state’s formation in 1948, today, we are witness to a new kind of strategy. Through the use of large scale media campaigns and modern social media tools, anti-Israel entities today are engaged in revisionist history, attempting to quite literally alter historical facts, deny historical truths, particularly of peace attempts and efforts, and promote ideas and ideologies that, if carried out, would see the state of Israel disappear entirely.
Sadly, South Africa (SA) has not been an exception to this reality. Elements of SA society, from the grassroots to the political level, have either actively participated in promoting, or been manipulated into believing false, dangerous and deplorable lies about Israel. The most vocal and far-reaching entity leading the anti-Israel charge is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS SA). In partnership with many other influential, politically affiliated organizations, BDS SA has managed to cultivate a culture of anti-Israel hatred by manipulating the historical pain and devastation of apartheid to fit their narrative. Among the most widely promoted and published false narratives is that Israel has not made any meaningful attempts at making peace with the Palestinians. The truth is Israel has made over 30 attempts at reaching a comprehensive peace deal, only to be dismissed time and again. Below is an overview of some of the more significant attempts for peace Israel has made over the years.
Beginning at the formation of the state of Israel, the 1947 UN partition plan and UN General Assembly’s Resolution 181 gave 55% of the British Mandate of Palestine to the Palestinian Jews and the other 45% would go to an Arab state west of the Jordan river. The Zionists accepted, the Arab leaders rejected the plan and decided to wage war against the new State of Israel. Barely in the aftermath of the Independence War, where Israel was simultaneously attacked by a coalition of Arab states, it once again attempted to reach an agreement in 1949. The Rhodes Armistice Talks were a result of Israeli negotiators indicating that the newly conquered territory under its control, (far more than had been intended by the UN partition plan), was negotiable in exchange for recognition, negotiations without preconditions, and peace. The Arab representatives refused.
In 1967 following Israel’s Six Day War victory, Abba Eban, Israel’s representative at the UN made his now-famous speech wherein he invited the Arab nations to join Israel at the peace table. Territories taken in the war, with the exception of Jerusalem, could be returned in exchange for formal recognition, bi-lateral negotiations and peace. The Arab representatives at the UN refused. Following the speech, it was poignantly observed by Lord Carendon, the UK representative at the UN, that never in the history of warfare did the victor sue for peace – and the vanquish refused. Following this, the leaders of 8 Arab states met in Sudan for The Khartoum Resolutions, which called for the continued struggle against Israel, and adopted an ideology of no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiation with Israel, (the 3 no’s). This is still the underlying policy of most Arab states in conflict with Israel.
Egypt’s President Sadat, President Carter and Israeli PM Begin at the signing of the Peace treaty in 1979.
Moving on to the First Camp David Accords in 1978, and following the devastation of the Yom Kippur War 5 years earlier where Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, two agreements were signed at the White House. The first dealt with the future of the Sinai and peace between Israel and Egypt. The second was a framework agreement establishing a format to conduct negotiations for the establishment of an autonomous regime in the West Bank and Gaza and to fully implement the UN’s binding Security Council Resolution 242. The accords recognized the “legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” with implementation of those rights and full autonomy within five years, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank and Gaza after the democratic election of a self-governing authority to replace Israel’s military government. Yasser Arafat, president of the PLO, refused.
In 1993, after several other failed attempts at peace, the Oslo Accords were signed. The accords, which to this day form the basis of peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians in principle, saw Israel recognizing the PLO (renamed the Palestinian Authority) as the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people. Arafat was brought out of his Tunisian exile to lead the PA, with its capital in Ramallah. In exchange, Arafat agreed to eschew terror, end incitement, disarm and dismantle the terrorist groups under his control, create a democratic Palestinian government, educate the next generation for peace, and settle all differences by negotiation, per his personal letter to Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin. Arafat subsequently violated every one of the Oslo Accords and began a terror war against Israel with the first suicide bombing on April 6, 1994 and culminating with the second Intifada in 2000.
In 2000, and once again following more failed attempts at formalizing peace following Oslo, the Camp David II talks were held. In what is widely considered the best ever opportunity to establish Palestinian statehood, Prime Minister Ehud Barak made a historic offer wherein Arafat would receive 97% of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and 3% of Israeli land with a PA capital in East Jerusalem. The then Saudi Crown Prince Bandar bin Sultan called it the best offer Arafat could possibly expect. All that was required of Arafat was that he end hostilities. He rejected every proposal, and no counteroffer was made. Following the summit, President Clinton unambiguously laid the entire failure of Camp David II on Arafat. The Second Intifada broke out 2 months later.
IDF Soldiers sent to evacuate all Israeli residents from Gaza in August 2005, cry with a resident as a synagogue is dismantled.
The following overture of peace made by Israel has particular relevance to South Africa with respect to the false and misleading narratives and historical revisionism taking place. On April 4th 2018, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) called on Israel to withdraw from Gaza. While many people around the world seem to be echoing this same strategy, the fact is that Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in the summer of 2005. Despite the contentiousness of the decision, Israel evacuated, removing several thousand of its citizen-residents of Gaza with them. It was hoped that the PA would ensure a smooth transition to full Palestinian control, and that many structures in the former settlements – including extensive greenhouses – would be used to benefit the Palestinians. However, in the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal, Palestinians entered the former Israeli settlements and burned buildings – including synagogues – and materials from buildings and greenhouses were looted. Ultimately, Hamas took control of Gaza in a bloody 2-year campaign against the PA, relegating Mahmoud Abbas and the PA to the West Bank.
While these may be among the most significant and salient examples of attempts at peace made by Israel, it should be reiterated that this list is but a snapshot of the efforts made over the years. This is inexplicably absent from any discussion of the conflict. Where entities such as BDS SA and its partners are concerned, the reality of Israel’s formation and its struggle for survival are utterly, and intentionally, ignored in favour of continuing the cycle of hatred, mistrust and misunderstanding. Israel has not and will not stop attempting to build peace with the Palestinians and its Arab neighbours. However, any progress comes at the expense of these concerted attempts to discredit Israel and devalue its history and reality. We should be encouraging dialogue and discussion, not deploring and threatening those who do.
