FRESH from its diplomatic triumph of bringing trans-Gulf rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran to the negotiating table and hammering out a peace agreement, China has now said it is willing to offer its good offices to settle the decades-old Arab-Israeli dispute. This strengthens the view that Beijing is looking to position itself as a global peacemaker, as an alternative to the US/European bloc. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke to his Palestinian and Israeli counterparts recently and asked them to “show political courage … to resume peace talks”. Observing that his country was willing to offer “convenience” for this, China’s top diplomat also highlighted the need to respect the two-state solution. While the Saudi-Iran stand-off was comparatively easier to manage, with Tehran looking for an opportunity to break out of its West-led isolation, and Riyadh also exploring its options beyond the American umbrella, the Palestine question is a much tougher nut to crack.
Many have failed where China wishes to succeed. For example, the West-led Oslo process, once seen as a landmark peace agreement, today lies in tatters, as does the two-state solution. There are two major reasons for this. Firstly, the Western bloc, particularly the US, while making noises about being neutral, is firmly in Israel’s corner. This makes ensuring the Palestinians get a fair deal impossible. Secondly, Israel’s expansionist policies have made a mockery of international law, and any promises the Oslo process may have held out. The far right in Israel, which appears to control the national narrative, blesses illegal settlements, and wants to permanently occupy the holy city of Jerusalem, effectively extinguishing Palestinian hopes of statehood. If China can use its political, diplomatic and economic heft to convince Tel Aviv to work towards a viable Palestinian state, ensure the right of return to Arabs ethnically cleansed by the Zionist project, and stop the continuous murder of Palestinians, it will be nothing short of a diplomatic miracle.
Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2023
