UK & German FMs: 'Israel' can't 'win' without coexistence 'prospect'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Times
17 Dec 2023 01:13

The UK and German foreign ministers published a joint article, in which they demanded the necessity of a final ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and warned "Israel" against destroying "the prospects of peaceful coexistence."

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaks with Portugal's FM Joao Gomes Cravinho, center, and Germany's FM Annalena Baerbock, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (AP)

The UK and German Foreign Ministers, David Cameron and Annalena Baerbock published a joint article in the British newspaper The Times, in which they indicated that "Israel" cannot "win the war" it is waging in the Gaza Strip "if it destroys the prospects for peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians."

The two ministers called on the Israeli occupation entity to "abide by international humanitarian law during its war in the Gaza Strip," as they pointed out that "too many civilians have been killed".

In their article, they noted that the occupation government must “do more to discriminate sufficiently between terrorists and civilians, ensuring its campaign targets Hamas leaders and operatives."

Moreover, the two FMs made it clear that their call for a sustainable ceasefire is to be differentiated from the global call for an immediate ceasefire.

The article stressed "We do not believe that calling right now for a general and immediate ceasefire, hoping it somehow becomes permanent, is the way forward," claiming "Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, and generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable."

The European ministers proclaimed "Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful coexistence with Palestinians" but also denied Palestinians their right to resist Israeli occupation and demanded, "Hamas must lay down its arms."

Away from the claims made by the FMs, it is worth remembering that UN resolution 37/43 "Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence, territorial integrity, national unity, and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid, and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle."

Netanyahu reiterates intention to rule Gaza militarly if he wins

The Gaza Strip, or as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it during a public address in "Tel Aviv" on Saturday, "Hamastan", will not be run by the Palestinian Authority, or as he said, "turn into Fatahstan", going against the wishes of the Israeli occupation's closest allies, the United States.

The Israeli premier underlined that he wanted the Gaza Strip to be demilitarized, or rather pledged that it would be so, and added that the Israeli occupation forces would "be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip."

His explanation for wanting to demilitarize Gaza instead of keeping it Palestinian or doing as the US wishes, i.e., handing it over to the Palestinian Authority is a survey conducted in the West Bank, wherein 82% of Palestinians said they supported Operation al-Aqsa Flood carried out by the Palestinian Resistance against the Israeli occupation forces on October 7.

Netanyahu said earlier Tuesday that "Israel" was preparing for the possibility of "waging war" against the security forces affiliated with the Palestinian Authority amid discussions about concessions to the Palestinians and dealing with bringing Palestinian workers to "Israel."

In a closed discussion held in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the occupation, Knesset members asked Netanyahu about the possibility of an alternative scenario wherein the Palestinian Authority's security forces would aim their rifles at the occupation forces in the West Bank, as part of possible cooperation with Hamas.

Netanyahu, according to Israeli Channel 2, said the "coup scenario is familiar and is up for discussion," adding that in the case this scenario is realized, the IOF would respond within minutes.

Moreover, he completely dismissed any diplomatic solution and justified the ongoing genocide by saying that "only military pressure" got the captives out of Gaza during the ceasefire reached in November, going on to say that only that would secure the release of the remainder of the captives. "Without it, we have nothing," he maintained.

Talking about Hamas' conditions for a deal that would see the captives released, Netanyahu said: "They have all kinds of demands" including that "the war end and [the occupation's] troops are booted out… The minute we capitulate to that, Hamas wins. And we are obligated to eliminate [Hamas] and to get all the hostages back."