Corrigan asserted that today more than 130 countries, and the Vatican, now officially recognize the State of Palestine. "Increased awareness in progressive and liberal Jewish circles has caused more and more Jews to also speak out in support of the Palestinians," he noted.
Hailing the International Conference in support of “Palestinian Intifada” held in Iran, Canadian attorney said it can marshal support from the World Muslim community to support the Palestinians and to strongly oppose US President Trump's proposal to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Israel has always sought an alliance with non-Arab countries in the Middle East namely Turkey, and Iran under the Shah and also with Ethiopia to strengthen its military position against the Arabs, Corrigan noted in an exclusive interview with Mehr News Agency:
What are the outcomes and advantages of International Conference in support of “Palestinian Intifada” held in Iran?
Hopefully the conference can marshal support from the World Muslim community to support the Palestinians and to strongly oppose US President Trump's proposal to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Trump is breaking with a long-standing American policy of keeping their Embassy in Tel Aviv until the final status of Jerusalem is decided in negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. However, words and diplomatic measures will not do there has to be real economic and political pressure put on the Trump Administration to stop this Embassy move.
How do you evaluate Trump's position and possible actions regarding the two-state solution? What would the situation (Israel-Palestine conflicts) go in Trump’s term?
US President Trump when he recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would support either a "One State" or a "Two State" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem. This statement broke with a long-standing American position of at least giving lip service to the "Two State" solution. For Netanyahu this gives him a "green light" for further
expansion of "Jewish Only" settlements in the West Bank and to support right-wing Zionist efforts to drive more Palestinians from their homeland.
The irony is that many Palestinians realize that the presence of more than 500,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, who can vote in Israel's elections, means that the Two-State solution is dead. Almost no Israeli Jewish Party can afford to alienate these hard line right-wing Jewish nationalists who live in illegal settlements and have invested billions of
dollars in expanding the Jewish presence in the occupied West Bank. The 2.5 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank cannot vote in the "Jewish State's" elections. The Palestinians are almost powerless and live under a brutal military occupation.
This harsh reality is that Trump, perhaps without knowing it, highlighted the need for a "One State" solution where all residents have equal rights.
Current Israel President Reuven Rivlin strongly opposed a law, recently passed by the Knesset which allows private Palestinian land to be expropriated in order to retroactively legalize Illegal Jewish settlements. The passage of the so-called “Regularization Law” could, according to Rivlin, cause Israel "to look like an apartheid state."
Rivlin has come out in favour of "One State" option with equal rights for all of its citizens. He knows that the alternative is a fully entrenched Jewish Apartheid State or a Jewish state that has ethnically cleansed most non-Jews from its territory. Rivlin knows that the World will not tolerate either of these options.
Why does Trump seek to move US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? Does he want to establish a political base in Jerusalem? What are the political incentives behind?
Trump is by nature a political bully. He is also catering to the well-organized Christian Zionist movement in the United States and who supported him in the US election. Trump is also attempting to get right-wing Jewish Zionists in the United States to support him. This move will in the short term embolden the Zionists in Israel to steal more Palestinian land and expand the "Jewish Only" settlements. It will be much more difficult for the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
What is your evaluation about Turkey’s conference on Palestinian issue on February 25-26 and due to the friendly ties between Turkey and Israel, will it be useful to Palestinians politically? What are the outcomes of Turkey-Israel ties for oppressed Palestinians?
The Turkish conference can only help the Palestinians. Most Turks are supportive of the Palestinian cause and even Turkey's President Erdogan is sympathetic. When Israel attacked the Turkish boat that was bringing food and medical supplies to Gaza and killed a number of Turkish citizens there was genuine outrage in Turkey.
Israel has, however, always sought an alliance with non-Arab countries in the Middle East namely Turkey, and Iran under the Shah and also with Ethiopia. Israel has sought these strategic alliances with non-Arab regional states to strengthen its military position against the Arabs. It remains to be seen if Turkey's Muslim identity will prevail over its so-called perceived benefits of a strategic alliance with Israel. It is here that the Muslim World can reach out to the Muslims of Turkey.
Why Palestinian issue is not only the issue of Muslim World anymore but expanded to the whole world?
More and more people are expressing their support for the Palestinians. More than 130 countries, and the Vatican, now officially recognize the State of Palestine. As awareness of Israel's violation of Palestinian civil and political rights and its Apartheid like policies becomes known it is difficult not to be sympathetic to the Palestinians. Increased awareness in progressive and liberal Jewish circles has caused more and more Jews to also speak out in support of the Palestinians.
In a strange sort of way Netanyahu and the other right-wing Jewish Zionist extremists, who have come to dominate the politics of the "Jewish State," are so extreme that even many European states are showing increased support for the Palestinians. The Zionist extremists are the Palestinians best friend in terms of promoting their cause. However, the West has still
not overcome their guilt over past terrible treatment of Jews in Europe and the Zionists exploit this guilt to great effect. Times are, however, changing and the current generation see's what Israel is doing to the Palestinians today and are not burdened so much by guilt from the past.
Edward C. Corrigan holds a B.A. in History and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario. He also has a Law Degree from the University of Windsor and was called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1992. His academic area of expertise is the Middle East and he has published many articles in academic publications including Middle East Policy, Middle East International, Outlook and Z Magazine.
Interview by: Lachin Rezaian
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