By Janet Ekstract NEW YORK – Analysts, observers and experts alike have acknowledged that despite Palestinians having been promised autonomy and a “two-state” solution, they are living their worst nightmare. As Mustafa Barghouti from the Palestinian National Initiative, told TRT World International on January 30, “The Israeli plans show the stupidity of the system of occupation,” and he added, that Israel “has been and still is a settler colonial project.” Barghouti said that Netanyahu and far-right ministers, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich made it public that they want all Palestinians resettled in other Arab countries. U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week, requested that Jordan and Egypt take them in. Barghouti explained, “The idea is the same – destruction and ethnic cleansing, settlement expansion.” When asked if Palestinians could accept going to other countries, Barghouti said “absolutely not.” He also said that neither Israel or the U.S. has the right to decide who governs the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Amanpour and Company, aired an interview recently, and spoke to Columbia University Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies and historian, Rashid Khalidi, who made it clear that Israel and the U.S. are not operating in an effective framework with regard to Palestinian rights and a two-state solution. As Khalidi highlighted “I support a democratically elected and entirely new Palestinian leadership” and further stated “I don’t see Israel or America thinking about strategy going forward.” Khalidi explained that the issue is that Palestinians have never had the opportunity to have their own chosen leadership and that “Violence is bred by occupation” which is the title of his recent article in The New York Times. He added, “The U.S. has done nothing to foster Palestinian elections,” and “came down against it which was a “terrible mistake.” In order to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Khalidi said there must be an “end to occupation” with a deadline and a “rolling back of settlement expansion.” When asked if he has any hope of a solution to all of this, Khalidi said the “systematic killing” is “morally abhorrent” – adding “It’s a really dark, grim moment and it’s hard to find any hope.”
