British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart, Annalena Burbock, called on all parties in the Middle East to work towards a two-state solution as soon as the killing stops (the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip), and expressed the cruelty of the heart-breaking moment when watching this large number of children killed or injured. .
The two ministers said – in a joint article in The Times – that no one wants to see this conflict last a moment longer than necessary, and they expressed their conviction that they are capable, even in the darkest moments, “of changing this desperate situation for the better, and we share the longing for peace in The Middle East, as well as anywhere else around the world.
The article explained that the goal of the two ministers’ move cannot be merely to end the fighting today, but rather peace must be permanent for days, years and generations. Therefore, “we support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable,” especially since many in the region and outside it are calling for a ceasefire. Immediate firing, an understandable response to such extreme suffering.
Hamas is not a partner
Although the two ministers expressed their push for diplomatic efforts to agree on more temporary pauses to bring in more aid and release more prisoners, they do not believe that calling now for a general and immediate ceasefire is the way forward, because – in their opinion – it ignores the reason why Israel is forced to defend itself, as the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attacks it, calling on the movement to lay down its arms.
Since Israel’s immediate cessation of all military operations will not lead to Hamas stopping its rocket fire, nor will it lead to it releasing prisoners or changing its “ideology” – according to the two ministers’ opinion – they concluded that an unsustainable ceasefire that is rapidly collapsing and turning into more violence, It will only make it more difficult to build the trust needed for peace.
When considering the nature of any long-term peace agreement, the two ministers made it clear that it was difficult, even before last October 7, to imagine Hamas as a true partner for peace, and stressed that leaving it in power in Gaza would be a permanent obstacle on the path to the two-state solution, justifying this by saying The Israelis will not live alongside those who committed atrocities against them – as they put it – just as the Palestinians will not live among those who expose them to danger “by lurking under their homes, schools and hospitals.”
Commitment to international law
While they recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, they believe that it must first abide by international humanitarian law, and that it will not win this war if it destroys the possibilities of peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians, noting that it has the right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas, but it must do so. More to adequately distinguish between “terrorists” and civilians, many of whom were killed.
The two ministers called for more aid to be provided to ordinary Palestinians, because “our hearts break when we see children under the rubble of their destroyed homes, not knowing where to find food or water, and not knowing where their parents are. Therefore, we have increased our funding for humanitarian aid to Gaza, delivering life-saving supplies to those in need.” “We desperately need it.”
Finally, the two ministers called on those who want to end the suffering to work together to find a solution that provides long-term security for both peoples, noting that the Arabs – in particular – have a decisive role in this matter, and they have greater political weight to bring to the negotiating table, because the rise Extremism is a threat to everyone, not just Israelis and Palestinians.
The article concluded that the two-state solution requires that both sides feel safe and live side by side, and therefore they strongly condemn the hateful actions of extremist settlers in the West Bank, and their efforts to sabotage any efforts for a two-state solution, and force Palestinians to leave their homes violently, demanding that the fighting stop today and in the future. the future.