The Significance of the Israeli-Palestine Conflict to Contemporary Global Politics

The Significance of the Israeli-Palestine Conflict to Contemporary Global Politics
Phyllis Bennis
Summary of a speech delivered at a conference Peace in Palestine, Putrajaya, 28 March 2005

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which still shapes much of the political character of
the Middle East, joints the Iraq War as the two primary crises shaping Middle East
regional and global affairs.

The reality of "dual occupations," Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the U.S
occupation of Iraq, stands in direct contradiction to Washington’s false claims of
"new democracies on the rise".

Both occupations are grounded in violations of international law, UN resolutions, and
human right; international law and human rights provide the framework for ending
both occupations and resolving both crises.

The United Nations has made the quest for Palestinian rights a key component of its
work since 1947, but so far it has been unable to seize the initiative to create a truly
international, UN-based diplomatic campaign to end the occupation and defend
human rights.

Governments are largely unwilling (and the few willing are large unable) to confront
US domination of the UN and the resulting US control of the Middle East "peace
process". As a result, civil society mobilization to pressure governments and to
demand UN centrality to replace US control, must be at the top of our agenda.
Working to end the occupation of Palestine remains at the center of the global
movement against war in Iraq. Strengthening, building and coordinating that
movement remains our greatest task.