Why some Palestinians are not convinced by promise Starmer

One of the main reasons for which Prime Minister Sir Keir St.

The day that drives along the west shore is a welcome reminder of how the facts created by Israel were to stop what happened, concreted in rocky hills and valleys that the Palestinians want for the state.

The success of a huge national project, which Israel began a few days after it seized the territory in the War in the Middle East 1967, can be seen in Jewish settlements, now residing more than 700,000 Israel.

Getting them is a project, which has been nearly $ 60, billions of dollars and attracted condemnation from both friends and enemies. Violation of international law for the occupier to resolve his citizens on the land he took.

Last year, the International Court issued a consultation stating that the whole activity was illegal.

But the Benjamin Netanyahu government craves more settlements.

In late May, Israel’s Defense Minister and Finance Minister Lesal Smotrich announced that 22 new settlements would be built on the western shore.

Katz said the large -scale expansion, the largest in decades, took “a strategic step that prevents the creation of a Palestinian state that threatened Israel and serve as a buffer against our enemies.”

“This is a Zionist, security and a national response – and the exact decision on the future of the country,” he added.

Next to Katz was the ultra -nationalist leader of the Leafle Smotrich, who lives in the settlements on the western shore and believes that the earth was given to Jews by God. He is the Minister of Finance, but is also effective in the West Bank governor with extensive planning powers.

Smatrich called the expansion of the settlement “decision once in the generation” and announced: “The next step of the sovereignty!”

Everyone in Israel and the Palestinians in the territories know that when Smatrich and his allies say “sovereignty”, they mean annexation.

Welcoming wants all the land for Jews and openly discussing the search for the Palestinians.

At the top of the hill after the hill on the western shore there are settlements at different stages of its development: from well -established small cities with mature gardens and schools, to a greech with a handful of caravans and a militant population of young settlers who often mix religion with extreme Jewish nationalism Neighbors.

Statistics collected by the UN and peaceful participants show that violent settlers have increased attacks on their Palestinian neighbors since October 7.

I went to see how it affected Taipe, a completely Christian village of about 1500 people.

This is a quiet place that seems to have much more houses than residents. After almost six tough decades Israeli occupation, people from Taipe were forced to emigrate than in the village.

Two nights before the visit, settlers entered the village when most people were in bed. They burned the Kamalu Tae car and unsuccessfully tried to enter their new home, some of the pleasant development of the hectare of olive groves. They hid the graffiti walls in Hebrew, spray red paint.

Kamal, a middle -aged man, was overvalued whether his decision was moving his family to the edge of the village, sets a network of security cameras.

“We were very frightened,” Kamal said. “I have children and an old mom. Our life threatened and it was awful.”

I asked him if the UK’s plan would recognize Palestine easier.

“I don’t think it is a big step to support us as a superpower, but it does not change it on the ground. Israel does not meet any international resolutions and laws.

“It does not listen to any other country around the world.”

The next night, Jewish settlers searched the neighboring Palestinian communities, burning machines and spraying graffiti. This is more than just vandalism.

The settlers want the Palestinians to go out, and in some places in the occupied territories, forcing the Palestinians in remote villages from their farms and stealing animals.

The Greek Orthodox priest, 74-year-old David Huri, was born in Taipe. In his church, he told me that the settlers who threatened him and other residents are often armed.

“Yes, they have weapons … They will use them when we argue with them. They want us to leave, they want us to leave.”

The old priest was calling the challenge.

“We are here because Jesus Christ, 2000 years old. Our roots are here. We can’t move. We will not move even if we die here, we will not move from here … Palestine is inside our blood as we can live without our blood?”

It was not much miles to Ramalla, the actual Palestinian capital of the Western shore, but I failed to get personally. Israel’s checkpoints can make movements back to Jerusalem slowly and difficult, so I reached Zomlot Husam Zomlot via Zoom. He is the head of the Palestinian delegation of the UK, effectively their ambassador to London. He returned home for the summer and was delighted with the UK’s plan to recognize Palestine.

“It is a sign that the UK and with it, the rest of the international community is really serious about the two -state decision. We are no longer engaged in the lip service that has lost us three decades. In fact, if you are really looking for two states, we recognize two states.”

“We view recognition as a starting pistol to the sprint to implement and establish the state of Palestine and the fulfillment of the legal rights of the Palestinian people.”

Zomlot was fun. According to him, this was the first step, and the UK’s decision would really change the situation.

History is one of the powerful drivers of this conflict. He added that Britain finally redeemed the grievances that the Palestinians did when it was imperial power from 1917 to 1948.

He meant the promises made in the short, writing letter dated November 2, 1917, signed by Foreign Minister Arthur Balfur and addressed to Lord Rothschild, leader of the Jewish community of the UK. The letter states: “Declaration of sympathy for Jewish Zionist aspirations.”

Britain “would consider commitment to the institution in Palestine of the National House for the Jewish people.”

Then another promise happened: “Nothing will be done, which can prevent civil and religious rights of existing non -European communities in Palestine.”

It meant most Palestinian Arabs

In the UN in New York this week, British Foreign Minister David Lami said the UK could be proud that after 1917 he had helped the foundation of Israel. But he violated the promise of the Palestinians in the Balfur Declaration, he said, “caused” historical injustice that continues to unfold. “

In the Israeli Parliament, Simch Rotman, a Ultranationalist Member of the National Religious Party, also meant the UK’s imperial past in the Middle East. According to him, the British and the French tried to fix the borders when they took the Middle East from the dying Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Britain could no longer play imperial power.

Just like Benjamin Netanyahu and Basele Smatrich, his party leader Rotman said that Palestine’s recognition was awarded Hamas’s terrorism. He rejected Starmer’s proposal to postpone the recognition when Israel, among other conditions, agreed to the full ceasefire in the gas and the revival of the two -state decision.

“He threatens Israel with punishment and thinks it is a way to bring peace in the Middle East. He is unable to punish us, and it will definitely not bring peace.”

“And this is against justice, history, religion, culture … He gives a great reward for Yahia Sinwar (leader Hamas, who led on October 7 and was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year).

“Wherever he is in hell today, he sees what Kire Starmer says,” and says, “Good partner.”

Returning to Taipe, I asked the group of leading local citizens who drank coffee with the mayor in his office what they thought about the UK recognition plan.

One of them, a local businessman, said, “Thank you to Britain. But it’s too late.”

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