BY ADEYEMI OSHUNRINADE
It is a war that has no end. It has outlived many administrations of modern day America and though, past and present leadership in Washington have tried to resolve it, they have failed to do so. For decades the Palestinian question has remained a symbol of instability in the Middle East. It is a global issue with no solution, thousands have lost their lives to defend the cause and till this day, Palestine remains a land with no status of statehood. While most nations around the world could boast of a seat at the United Nation, Palestine remains an observer in global politics and it seems the entire world has lost faith in finding a solution to the imbroglio.
On November 14, 2012, the Israeli army launched an attack that killed a commander of Hamas military wing Mr. Ahmed al-Ja’abari. It was no doubt a targeted assassination and according to the Israeli side, Mr. Ja’abari was killed as a result of his role in present and past terrorist acts in Israel. Born in 1960, Al Ja’abari has been credited in the takeover of Gaza by Hamas. A high ranking official in the military and political leadership of Hamas, he was the founder of the Nur Association created to help Palestinian prisoners and the families of Militants slain in the war with Israel.
A college graduate, Mr. Ja’abari attended Gaza’s Islamic University where he obtained a degree in History. In 1982, the Israeli army arrested Mr. Ja’abari for terrorist acts and he was imprisoned while a member of a Palestinian Militant Organization Fatah. While in prison, he met other Palestinian members of Hamas such as Abdul al-Aziz Rantisi and Nizar Rayyan. The relationship led to his leaving the Fatah Movement, to become a member of Hamas.
Now that the Israelis have been successful in killing the Hamas leader, the question remains how the group will respond to the attack that led to the death of its leader and injuries to his driver. This is yet an escalation of a war that has threatened global security for decades. It is another roadblock to the ongoing negotiations and ceasefire initiatives. To say Hamas will not retaliate is a fallacy, what may be unknown is when and the magnitude of such a response.
The current development is an indication of how fast the instability in the Middle East is growing. With the Arab world still unable to find an end to the Syrian impasse, attention must now be diverted from a return to negotiations between Israel and Palestine to stopping rocket attacks by Hamas, a move that is likely to be its mode of retaliation for the assassination of the leader.
Washington may hold the key to resolving the Palestinian issue, but for decades, the lack of strong will and the somewhat traditional believe that the United States must lean on the side of Israel come what may, has made the fate of the Palestinian people impossible to define. It is incontestable Israel has the right to defend its territories but unless Palestine is emancipated, the attacks from both sides will not end. As long as the leadership in Washington continues to be in denial of the best way to resolve the conflict, the Palestinian cause would remain a permanent war with no possibility of a lasting solution.
The United States could put pressure on Israel to end the war and “let the people go,” but so far, no American President including the current administration of Barack Obama has been able to do so. Every Presidential candidate is afraid of a backlash that could be generated for speaking the truth or for standing against Israel. The Palestinian problem has become part of American politics and yet, people continue to die daily in the region in a war that costs the U.S. government billions of dollars in aid to Israel. So why spend so much in a region that knows no peace?
It seems the Palestinian question will never be resolved. There is no strong will among nations, the United Nations is handicapped on the issue without support of the United States and the entire globe is in denial of a solution to the problem. Innocent people including women and children continue to fall victim daily and yet, billions of dollars keeps going to the region in aid and all negotiations stalled. The question is when will the Palestinians have a home? When will they achieve the long awaited independence? Maybe the day would come, but with the current state of things, it may never be realized without an all-out war in the region.
Dr. Adeyemi Oshunrinade [E. JD] is the author of ‘Wills Law and Contests,’ ‘Constitutional Law-First Amendment’ and ‘SAVING LOVE’ a fiction. Follow on Twitter @san0670.
Categories: Foreign Affairs, War and Politics
Gettysburg Institute Post 
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