Continued Conflict: Settlements & Jerusalem

Last week, we discussed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the problems that arise when the question of statehood and power relations are introduced.  As outlined by the history of the conflict, there has not been a formidable solution to the territorial disputes due to Israel's failure to recognize Palestine as a legitimate nation-state as well as Palestine's continuous demand for all of its territory back.  During the Obama administration's first year, the conflict has continued with little progress due to Israeli settlements continuously encroaching upon Palestinian claimed territory.  In September, Obama spoke in Cairo to these developments and specifically called for Israel to officially condemn these settlers; however, the Israeli government has yet to issue such a statement.  Rather than cease the building of these settlements while negotiations are happening with Palestine, Israel has stated that it has no intentions to stop its citizens from future developments and states that the delineation of national boundaries should not be negotiated until the two nations can reach a peace agreement.  Israeli encroachment upon Palestinian territory has recently lead to chastising remarks from the United Nations, the European Union, as well as various countries within the Middle East.  To me, the failure of the Israeli government to acknowledge the illegitimacy of these settlements underscores their continuing history of denying Palestinian authority and nationhood.  The imbalance of power that favors Israel has continued with the flagrant disregard for the Oslo Accords which may explain the hostility of Hezbollah and Hamas.  If Israel truly wished to succeed in peace negotiations, they must alter their approach to Palestine by recognizing it as a legitimate power and make strides towards defining the boundaries between the nations and be prepared to enforce these boundaries amongst their own citizens.