The prospects for peace in the Middle East looks better than at any point since Israel’s war on Gaza started two years ago. But what would a lasting peace deal look like? Will the people of Gaza have any say on their future? And will Israel finally end its genocide? Professor Alanna O’Malley, Professor of Global Governance and Wealth at Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, joined a special episode of TRT World’s Roundtable from Istanbul.
Together with Hassan Ben Imran (Legal Advisor at Law for Palestine) and Sultan Barakat (Director of the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies), Professor O’Malley discussed the issue in Gaza and the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The unmaking of Palestine
Over the past two years, we have witnessed what Hassan Ben Imran refers to as the ultimate goal of Zionism: the “unmaking of Palestine”. Professor O'Malley says that this has been going on for a lot longer than the last two years, pointing to how the Israeli state has persecuted Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied Territories for decades.
“This is extremely concerning, because this situation has largely arisen from the deprivation of the Palestinian people's rights to their homeland, their sovereignty and their right to self-determination. And the proposed peace agreement does not take their views or needs into account. What it does, in fact, is further exclude them from participating in a peace agreement and from being part of the solution.”
Historical irony
O'Malley also shares her thoughts on how history will look back on the past two years. ‘There is a terrible historical irony here. The Jewish state was founded in response to the inhumanity that Jewish people endured during the Second World War. And now Israeli leaders are committing genocide in their name.
From a broader perspective, other countries, such as South Africa, show solidarity with Palestine. They too have experienced genocide, betrayal and discrimination and have been abandoned by the international community in the past. They are taking the lead in the struggle to bring this issue to international attention. The historical irony lies not only in the contrast between the founding of Israel and what that same state is doing now, but also in the way that pressure on this issue is coming from countries (especially from the Global South) that have benefited little from the international system.
‘We are at a historic turning point, and unfortunately, I think it’s going to be one of those moments that historians look back on and wonder: why wasn't more done? Have we not learned clear lessons from the past?’
The illegitimacy of Tony Blair
Furthermore, O’Malley discussed the rebuilding of Gaza and the controversial issue of Tony Blair’s involvement, who was recently proposed by Trump for position as ‘Governor of Gaza’. Asked how the (Muslim) world views him given his role in the Iraq War, O'Malley said: ‘Tony Blair is regarded as somebody who led an illegal war. The very kind of terms of his proposed interaction are reminiscent of the mandate system of the League of Nations and the trusteeship system of the UN, which we know after a hundred years of dealing with the legacies of those institutions, actually bakes in the conflict in these kind of settlements. I think Tony Blair has little legitimacy in the Muslim world. What this represents is, again, the imposition of a Western statesman with a dubious record historically in that region, being imposed on people for whom he has never served a purpose.’
Watch the full interview here
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