A young girl in Asmara celebrates. She will get to grow up only knowing #Eritrea & #Ethiopia as two independent countries at peace w each other. May she know her history and never see the loss, fighting, suffering & trauma of war so many of us grew up with. She is our future. pic.twitter.com/QbeF7aEYDb
— Semhar (@Semhar) July 8, 2018
Over the past few days, I’ve watched as something unimaginable has happened. Two countries engaged in war for two decades, who have together killed 80,000 of each other’s citizens, have reconciled. It is beyond belief. How can these two nations, both governed by authoritarian regimes undergo such a change of heart? How did this happen? And can it offer any hints for the seven decades of war and hate between Israel and Palestine?
There are interesting colonial historical parallels between Ethiopia-Eritrea and Israel-Palestine. Ethiopia was once a colony of Italy, and fought two wars to liberate itself from colonial occupation. In 1941, it succeeded in ejecting Italy and governing itself as an independent nation. A brutal Marxist dictatorship took control of the country and overthrew Emperor Hailie Selasie in 1974. A decade later, an armed rebellion led to the fall of this regime in 1991 and the current government assumed control. Eritrea, which had been part of the larger Ethiopia fought, as part of this rebellion, for its own independence which it gained in the same year. However, territorial disputes roiled relations between the countries and led to three years of bloody conflict, which is only now seeing its conclusion two decades later.
Compare this to the situation of Israel-Palestine in which Mandatory Palestine was a colony of Great Britain. The Yishuv fought a nearly twenty year conflict to free itself of British control, which ended in 1948 with declaration of the State of Israel. Though the West Bank was controlled by Jordan and Gaza by Egypt at the time, after 1967 Israel conquered both. Since then, Palestinians have fought Israel for their own freedom. Both nations have been roiled by bloody conflicts over territory and resources. Unlike the African situation, Palestine has yet to win its freedom from Israeli Occupation and domination.
Though they are not identical by any means, Eritrea’s position vis a vis Ethiopia mirrors that of Palestine vis a vis Israel. Just as Palestine (or the Arabs of Mandatory Palestine) was a part of a larger nation freed from colonial rule, only to see itself eventually colonized in turn by the newly free Israel; so Eritrea was originally part of Ethiopia, but did not win full control of all its own territory until the latter finally agreed to settle its territorial dispute just this week. If Eritrea can do it, Palestine should too.
Many factors contribute to this week’s massive transformation in relations: partly the ceaseless wars which drained so much capital that neither country could move forward with development and social welfare projects. Feeding the war machine monopolized so many resources there was little left over for human needs. This led to unrest, especially in Ethiopia, which faced riots which led to ousting the prime minister. In turning to a successor, the ruling party named an entirely different brand of politician. Abiy Ahmed didn’t wish to continue iron-fist and the failed approaches of his predecessor. Instead he wanted radical change both at home and abroad. He made known his wish to reconcile with Eritrea and his willingness to solve the territorial disputes which divided them. It was as if a huge boulder disintegrated and a blocked river could flow free for the first time in ages.
The Ethiopian leader has just completed his first trip to Eritrea and both men have agreed to recognize each other’s governments, exchange ambassadors, reopen trade and air routes and borders:
Abiy said the two leaders have “agreed to bring down the wall between us. Now there is no border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. That border line has gone today with the display of a true love … love is greater than modern weapons like tanks and missiles. Love can win hearts, and we have seen a great deal of it today here in Asmara. From this time on, war is not an option for the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. What we need now is love.”
This advent of harmony has not been without its difficult moments. Recently, at a massive rally in the nation’s capital, unknown forces exploded grenades during the ceremony and caused chaos and one death. It’s thought that those in the old government whose power derived from maintaining the status quo, attempted to throw a spanner in the works. It doesn’t appear to have worked. Though it’s hard to know whether these dark forces will orchestrate other more damaging attacks in future.
What about Israel-Palestine? If two African nations who’ve been at each others’ throats for ages can break such a logjam, can Israelis and Palestinians? That’s a difficult question. First, Ethiopia and Eritrea are both relatively poor African countries. Their resources were limited and their ability to fund the conflict was not inexhaustible. As in the case of South Africa, in which the white leader, F.W. de Klerk, saw the handwriting on the wall and determined to end decades of white rule, that’s what happened in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
But Israel appears different. There is no dawning realization that the Occupation and apartheid is unsustainable in the long-term. On the contrary, both Israelis and their leaders believe the status quo can be maintained indefinitely. Israel’s economy is relatively strong. Its economic outlook is bright. It has a high standard of living (for the top three-quarters of the population, at least). It’s military forces are among the strongest in the region and in the top ten in the world. While Israel has few strong allies other than the U.S., many states are happy to do business with Israel and buy its exports, especially its technology and weapons systems.
It hardly matters that economists project Israel and Palestine would benefit enormously both economically and commercially from a peace agreement. Israelis prefer the thing they know, even if it is imperfect, rather than the thing they don’t.
The key to breaking through the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict was the dawning realization of one leader that his country faced a far brighter future if it compromised, rather than insisted on maintaining long-time demands. I see no hope of that happening in Israel. There is neither a Party nor a leader who has such a vision. Politics in Israel is frozen solid. The national consensus is so strong and so stubborn that any politician who attempted to break it would be made to pay. That’s why political life in Israel is so barren and infertile.
Nevertheless, I retain some hope that a miracle might happen. But most likely the only way peace will ever come to Israel-Palestine is if there is a catastrophic tragedy which compels the international community to act and impose a solution on both parties.
There is no comparison to be made whatsoever.
Eritrea was a former Italian colony that was roughly grafted to the Kingdom of Ethiopia by the United Nations.
Eritreans fought a war for independence from Ethiopia, and won their independence, and subsequently, a long ‘Cold War’ has since existed between the two independent nations.
What does this auger for the Eritreans migrants now living in Israel?
@ Peg: Of course there is. And I’ve added three paragraphs which outline what I think is almost a slam dunk case. Eritrea is a perfect corollary for Palestine and Ethiopia almost the same for Israel. Look at the colonial history of both, then the continuing fight between the newly founded country and the new country that was carved out of the larger one.
Some Eritreans may wish to return to Eritrea. But it is still governed by a dictatorship. So they might want to hold off on that for a bit…
Your comparison lends support to the two-State solution, which the Arabs rejected in 1947.
Now, many Jews and Arabs are reluctant to accept the two-State solution.
@ Peg: It does nothing of the sort. And do NOT characterize my views on my behalf because you will invariably be wrong. Nothing in what I wrote supports a 2 state solution since there is no hope of a 2 state solution. There is only hope for a one state solution. Unless of course you support international bodies imposing a two state solution on both parties and forcing them to accept it along with 67 borders. But you don’t support that so you don’t support a 2 state solution either no matter what you may claim to the contrary. And yes, I will characterize your views because they’re clear as day.
lets remember that deep inside mr netanyahu’s brain THERE IS NO DESIRE TO DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO which is to keep palestinians as subservient without country and voice. no matter what the plo may desire.
read the new law that eases the acquisition of palestinian lands if that is not annexation i do not know what else.
even if tomorrow there;s a change of gov. the instituted regulations by the religious parties will girdle any desire to find any agreement
so catch 22 or a minefield as programmed by mr. n.
Eritrea was undemocratically federated with Ethiopia in the early 1950’s. Within ten years of that federation’s formation, Eritreans had launched an independence movement that turned into a protracted armed struggle against the Ethiopian government .
Now that Eritrea is an independent nation, it can sit down on equal terms with Ethiopia, and negotiate a long term peace.
And no, Richard, you shouldn’t characterise my views, because I am a firm believer in the two-State solution, a solution that is now working for Eritrea and Ethiopia.
2 states solution, — i presume this is based on a give and take philosophy, please let me see in israel give fine prints that may show benevolence towards creating a REAL TERRITORIAL PIECE OF LAND THAT CAN BE CONSTRUED AS A COUNTRY . and not something close to an emental holed swiss cheese,.
we demand respect from the palestinians, yet we show them none in the give and take.
as this moment nothing short of an imposed peace agreement will be a solution and this will require a strong willed u.s. prez. until that the rest is wishful talk. sorry after seeing the last 20 years hegemony of the religious right built at the cost of the silenced and demonized left nothing else will suffice
@ Peg: No you don’t believe in a 2 state solution because you don’t believe in 1967 borders, you don’t believe in immediate end to Occupation. You don’t believe in a shared Jerusalem. You don’t believe In return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. Those are the requirements for a real 2 state solution. And you Don’t support them. So don’t blather about supporting 2 states. You don’t.
I don’t understand how can anyone support both 2 states solution and right of return to Israel. This kills Israel as a Jewish state. In that case, why not opt for 1 state?
@ Lior Azar: The right of return does contradict a Jewish state and there should not be a state only for Jews. There should be a state for all its citizens and equality for all its citizens regardless of religion. You can have a theocracy or a democracy, but you can’t have both. This holds true whether there is one state or two. Two states does not mean that Palestinians give up all their rights. It only means that Palestinians have a choice of whether they prefer to live in Palestine or Israel (that is, presuming they are direct descendants of Nakba expellees).
Since the problem between them started in colonialism, you should do the same with Israel-Arab conflict.
Of mandatory Palestine, the Arabs got over 70% of the land. How is that just?
Just before independce war Jews owned 6 percent of the lands in Palestine. The only way to get more for them was robbing, killing and raping using the war they started. Stop pretending to be the victims and having some devine an historical justification to what happened.
Are you saying Arabs owned the other 94%?
Because that would not be true!
The Ottoman Empire controlled most of the land and later the British crown. In addition, many of the land owners did not live in Palestine but Damascus.
To sum it up, you seem to confuse ownership with sovereignty.
Are you nuts? Private ownership of land and state sovernity of the whole area are different things. The fact is that Jews owned about 6 percent of the lands in Palestine in 1947. And much of that was owned by US Jews and their organizations. Arabs etc and the non-Jewish state owned the rest. What has the place where the Arab land owner live to do with the right to that land. Jews living every where else have been demanding western countries to compensate the lands and properties their families lost before 1945. You Israelis have a strange way of arguing by inventing a own reality which never existed and a moral code for yourself but which doesn’t include us gentiles. :).
@SimoHurtta
Correct. Jews privately owned 6% if the land, but you neglect to mention that Arabs privately owned around 18% of the land; the remainder being wasteland or State owned land.
But, SimoHurtta, pursuant to Treaty of San Remo, codified in the Mandate of Palestine, which Article 6, which I quote in full:
“The Administration of Palestine, while ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced, shall facilitate Jewish immigration under suitable conditions and shall encourage, in co-operation with the Jewish agency referred to in Article 4, close settlement by Jews on the land, including State lands and waste lands not required for public purposes.”
Notwithstanding the 1938 White Paper’s efforts to curtail Jewish immigration, Jews were entitled to settle on State lands and waste lands.
BTW.
In 1947, Jews constituted 1/3 of the entire population of Palestine.
@ Peg: PLEASE for God’s sake STOP quoting San Remo. It is a 100 year old treaty negotiated for a world body that ceased to exist 75 years ago. Anything that body negotiated is null and void. If you want to quote resolutions or treaties quote ones created by existing world bodies.
Do NOT bring up San Remo again. Hasbarists have been doing this here for years and years. It’s stupid, useless and as much a waste of time now as it was when your fellow hasbarist brought it up then.
As for size of population: if Palestinians constituted 1/3 of the population they deserved 1/3 of the land. If they constitute now 1/2 the population they deserve 1/2 of the land. In 10 years they’ll probably constitute 60% of the population. GIve them 60% of the land. We can go on like this forever.
If you look at the whole Lavant, the home of the Arab nation, Jews got 3% which is just about right for their proportion in the population.
@ Lior Azar: Gee, I didn’t know there was an official international body authorizing Israel to steal 3% of the Levant. What is the name of this august body? Or did you just make it up along with your specious claim? Please don’t post nonsense here. It’s embarrassing.
You were making calculations of 1/3 or 2/3 of population vs. land.
I just kept the same logic but expanded it to the Arab nation and the lavant.
@ Lior Azar: It has no logic or sense outside of Israel itself. Please stop. No more comments in this thread.
Well for us non-Israelis Peg the essential facts are what Jews owned in Palestine before 1947 and what did they steal during and after the war and the ethnic cleansing. Especially considering that now your cult claims rightfully to own these stolen lands without paying anything in compensation. I find it hilarious that same Jews who demand compensation for their families lands lost in Poland or Germany refuse to pay compensation to Arabs for the lands and houses were they now live.
I find it also “interesting” how Israelis constantly quote some old international and bilateral “papers” which in very unclear way give Jews some less exactly defined rights to Palestine, rights given by colonial power without asking anything from the original inhabitants.. These same persons who praise these old British treaties and commitments show total contempt to the recent tens of UN decisions, which demand rights for Palestinians. Numerous decisions where a couple of hundred nations have demanded for decades Israel to obey and respect human rights.
how can you daydream so much when the knesset is trying to pass the most racist law ever, so much so it may create areas where sephardic, ashkenazi, druze or lbgt cannot enter. as despised by pres. rivlin, and yet likud members call this zionism not racism. can you imagine you being told you cannot enter jerusalem because you are “jew” as defined by the law fine print. yes a law that discriminate jew from jew.
there is no reason for israel at this point. the likud in order to keep their paycheque would have overdone the nazis themselves and you talk about perhaps a peace between israel and palestine.
the law may force ME to move because i may not be abiding by this law regulation. i know this MAY be extreme then again maybe not