Wake-up call

Rarely was a meeting of the Untied Nations General Assembly in New York more exciting.

Until the last moment it was uncertain whether the Palestinians would be afraid at their own audacity and, under pressure from the United States and some of its European allies, would give up on its long-awaited application for membership of the United Nations.

But, if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had given in, he would have had to ask himself one question. If not now, when?

The time is right for change

After more than six decades since their expulsion from parts of the former Mandate of Palestine and the formation of the state of Israel - and two decades of unsuccessful negotiations with Israel along with recent developments in the Arab world, the time is ripe for a sovereign Palestinian state.

Can the world really enforce the existence of an economically viable state on the basis of a diplomatic request? Hardly, it would seem.

Nevertheless, the Palestinians were not to be dissuaded from their long-standing project. They appear to feel the momentum of history giving new impetus to their cause. A solution for peace in the Middle East must come as a result of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. This detour through the United Nations will give a fresh boost to the desires of Palestinians. For too long, Israel has buried its head in the sand and stubbornly refused to negotiate in an effective manner.

Efforts prove inadequate

The diplomacy of the international community has reached an impasse. America, bound by the war on terror, has had its own matters to attend to. Europe has sought to reach agreement and speak with one voice on the issue but has, as far as I can tell, failed to do so.

Germany has done what it can behind the scenes to avoid confrontation. The opportunity is still there, if the time before the application is actually dealt with by the United Nations, to put some pressure on Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu's regime must stop building settlements in the West Bank and return to the negotiating table. A corresponding statement by the already-forgotten Middle East Quartet might well provide a clear timetable for negotiation.

The genie is out

The Palestinians are not going to sit back and do nothing. If their application to full membership of the Security Council fails, they will turn to full membership of the United Nations. Here, they know that a significant majority of the 193 member nations is behind them. The Palestinians might already feel they have won a moral victory, even if their application should be thrown out by the Security Council or be vetoed by the United States. The genie is out of the bottle.

The international community, and above all the West, are under pressure to act. Germany should remain true to its historical responsibility towards Israel, and help the country find a way out of its current state of isolation. This can only really happen if Israel makes some territorial concessions to the Palestinians. The time is now at hand, and this is something that President Barack Obama should also realize.

Loss of moral leadership

The perpetual squint towards the Jewish lobby is understandable, especially in the year before the presidential elections. However, in an international context, America's moral leadership in the world will be undermined if the pressure on Israel is not now stepped up. Indeed, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama has given the Arab people his word.

Should nothing happen and should the Palestinian request be put on the backburner by the Security Council, then the Palestinians and the Arab people as a whole will make their voice heard. New alliances will go on to threaten Israel. Israel already appears to have lost Egypt as a partner and it must recognize the sign of the times and what perhaps is the final opportunity it has for productive negotiations. Otherwise, there is a great risk to peace in the Middle East.

Author: Daniel Scheschkewitz / rc
Editor: Nicole Goebel