Frida Ghitis: Kosovo is not the right model for Palestinians
[Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist, author and consultant.]
Not many people would look toward Pristina as the stuff of dreams. This Balkan city has come a long way since I last came here a decade ago, when the ruined place still smoldered after a vicious war. Today, Pristina’s bustling cafes and restaurants and the occasional park have their charm, but charming is not the first word that comes to mind when you think of long-suffering Kosovo. And yet, Kosovo, the breakaway province of Serbia, has become something of an inspiration in another troubled part of the world: the Middle East.
As negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians ran aground in recent months, some suggested the “Kosovo model” for Palestinian independence. Instead of negotiations aimed at working out the details of a two-state solution, some prominent Palestinians argued, Palestinians should declare an independent state and seek international recognition.
ON THE surface, the idea sounds appealing. In reality, the differences between the two situations make Kosovo a poor example for Palestinians to follow. In fact, the appeal of a shortcut to statehood may itself discourage serious negotiations. Kosovo dreams may already be derailing a negotiated solution.
When Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a leading Palestinian politician, said he found the Kosovar path appealing. The current Palestinian Authority prime minister has hinted at plans to declare independence next year regardless of the success of talks with Israel, which could soon come back to life.
Proclaiming independence with a stirring speech, a breathtaking fireworks display and a flurry of flag waving and patriotic song sounds much more exciting than sitting down with the other side and hammering out difficult compromises over complicated issues.
Already the European Union and the United States have rejected the idea of a unilateral declaration – for good reasons.
When Kosovo announced its independence from Serbia, the Serbs had categorically rejected a negotiated separation. In fact, Serbia still says it will never accept an independent Kosovo. By contrast, a succession of Israeli governments – and the majority of the Israeli people – have already accepted the idea of creating a Palestinian state. To be sure, negotiating the details is no easy matter. But the fact is that Israel has a track record of making major concessions for peace. In a peace deal with Egypt, for example, it withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula, a territory larger than all of Israel today.
Unlike Palestinians, Kosovars and their leaders never expressed a wish or intention to destroy all of Serbia. They never challenged Serbia’s right to exist, as Palestinians have about Israel. In fact, Kosovo’s new constitution affirms the nascent country has no designs on any more territory. Palestinians, even today, stand deeply divided in their aims. The charter of the radical Hamas, which rules Gaza, still calls for Israel’s destruction.
THE DIFFERENCES between Kosovars and Palestinians are, in fact, so strong that many in Kosovo have identified more with Israelis than with Palestinians...
Read entire article at Jerusalem Post
Not many people would look toward Pristina as the stuff of dreams. This Balkan city has come a long way since I last came here a decade ago, when the ruined place still smoldered after a vicious war. Today, Pristina’s bustling cafes and restaurants and the occasional park have their charm, but charming is not the first word that comes to mind when you think of long-suffering Kosovo. And yet, Kosovo, the breakaway province of Serbia, has become something of an inspiration in another troubled part of the world: the Middle East.
As negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians ran aground in recent months, some suggested the “Kosovo model” for Palestinian independence. Instead of negotiations aimed at working out the details of a two-state solution, some prominent Palestinians argued, Palestinians should declare an independent state and seek international recognition.
ON THE surface, the idea sounds appealing. In reality, the differences between the two situations make Kosovo a poor example for Palestinians to follow. In fact, the appeal of a shortcut to statehood may itself discourage serious negotiations. Kosovo dreams may already be derailing a negotiated solution.
When Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a leading Palestinian politician, said he found the Kosovar path appealing. The current Palestinian Authority prime minister has hinted at plans to declare independence next year regardless of the success of talks with Israel, which could soon come back to life.
Proclaiming independence with a stirring speech, a breathtaking fireworks display and a flurry of flag waving and patriotic song sounds much more exciting than sitting down with the other side and hammering out difficult compromises over complicated issues.
Already the European Union and the United States have rejected the idea of a unilateral declaration – for good reasons.
When Kosovo announced its independence from Serbia, the Serbs had categorically rejected a negotiated separation. In fact, Serbia still says it will never accept an independent Kosovo. By contrast, a succession of Israeli governments – and the majority of the Israeli people – have already accepted the idea of creating a Palestinian state. To be sure, negotiating the details is no easy matter. But the fact is that Israel has a track record of making major concessions for peace. In a peace deal with Egypt, for example, it withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula, a territory larger than all of Israel today.
Unlike Palestinians, Kosovars and their leaders never expressed a wish or intention to destroy all of Serbia. They never challenged Serbia’s right to exist, as Palestinians have about Israel. In fact, Kosovo’s new constitution affirms the nascent country has no designs on any more territory. Palestinians, even today, stand deeply divided in their aims. The charter of the radical Hamas, which rules Gaza, still calls for Israel’s destruction.
THE DIFFERENCES between Kosovars and Palestinians are, in fact, so strong that many in Kosovo have identified more with Israelis than with Palestinians...