Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Israel losing support over settlements

Britain has said that continued Israeli settlement expansion into the occupied Palestinian territories has driven hopes for a two-state solution to near death.

British foreign secretary William Hague, speaking as Israelis took to the polls on Tuesday, warned the Israeli government that their actions were costing international support.

"I hope that whatever Israeli government emerges... that it will recognise that we are approaching the last chance to bring about such a solution," Hague told parliament.

"I condemn recent Israeli decisions to expand settlements. I speak regularly to Israeli leaders stressing our profound concern that Israel's settlement policy is losing it the support of the international community and will make a two-state solution impossible," he said.

Asked whether the European Union should tie trade with Israel to progress on peace talks, Hague said the bloc still had work to do, in conjunction with the United States, to establish "incentives and disincentives" regarding further negotiations.

"There is a clock ticking with potentially disastrous consequences for the peace process," he added.

'Impossible'

Opinion polls predict that Binyamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister, will return to power at the head of a coalition dominated by religious and nationalist pro-settler parties.

US-backed negotiations have been frozen since 2010 over Palestinian objections to continued settlement construction. Netanyahu has demanded that the Palestinians return to talks without preconditions.

Hague called 2013 a crucial year for the peace process given the Israeli elections and the start of the second term of US president Barack Obama. "If we do not make progress in the coming year, people will increasingly conclude that a two-state solution has become impossible," said Hague.

Both Israelis and Palestinians should return to talks without preconditions, he said.

Hague said he would make peace talks and efforts towards a two-state solution - the basis of a US-backed peace process for almost 20 years - "top of the agenda" during a planned visit to Washington next week.

Original Article
Source: al jazeera
Author: William Hague

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