The issue of peacemaking between the Arabs and the Israelites is a major political concern in the Middle East. The Arab regime is trying to adjust to Israel’s policies in order to settle the conflicts between the two states. Israel is a multi-party state with more than twenty registered political parties (Arieff 4). This essay seeks to explain the views and policies of Israel political parties towards Arab countries.
Yisrael Beiteinu is one of the political parties with a strong view of promoting peace between the Arabs and the Israelites. The party was formed by Avigdor Lieberman to support the Russian immigrants who support the Palestinian Authority (Aikman 8). During the 2009 elections, the party came up with a slogan ‘No loyalty, no citizenship’ advocating for peace by preaching the integration of Israel and Arabs. The party encourages Jewish immigration as well as supports the idea of socio-economic activities for the immigrants (Arieff 6).
The party’s policy aims at drawing a clear demarcation between the two territories in the sense that the Arabian areas like the West Bank which is occupied by the Israelites as a result of the Armistice Agreement of 1949 has to be taken back by the Arab sovereignty as a way of promoting peace between the two states. The party is also pressing for a new rule which aims at changing the rules on conversions to Judaism (Khanin 3).
On the other hand, a religious party called Jewish Home, which is led by Naftali Bennett, opposes the view of the independent Palestinian state. Instead, the party proposes that the area which is occupied by the Jews in the West Bank should be extended by fifty-eight percent for the Jews to live there. It suggests that the Palestinians who are living within that territory are compelled to take Israel citizenship or move to the Palestinian territory (Khanin 2).
The Labor party, which is led by Ms. Shelly Yachimovich established a policy of establishing peace between the Palestinians and the Israelites by seeking the withdrawal of the Arabs from the Jewish territories (Aikman 10). Likud is another national party in Israel which is led by the Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu.
The party is a nationalist, and it opposed the Oslo Accord of 1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel (Arieff 6). Due to external pressures from the United States, the party changed its views towards the Arabs by declaring support for the two-state solution in response to the Israel-Arabs conflict. Mr. Netanyahu supported this issue with the condition that the Palestinians should demilitarize as well as recognize Israel as a Jewish state (Arieff 8).
Kadima national party was formed by Ariel Sharon who was by then a Prime Minister after withdrawing from the Likud national party. The party is currently led by Shaul Mofaz, who is pressing for the peace coalition between Palestine and Israel even though the party had failed in the 2009 Gaza war (Khanin 4).
Tzipi Livni established the Hatnua party after withdrawing from the Kadima party. The party was formed with the aim of creating a Zionist party to promote liberal secular and democracy. The party formed a policy that is meant to push for a two-state solution to resolve the conflicts between the Israelites and the Palestinians (Aikman 12).
During the Arab spring, she proposed that the Israelites should stop their military adventures to the Palestinian territory for the Arabs to change their attitudes towards Israel. She also advocates for military conscription for the ultra-orthodox as well as the creation of more opportunities for the young generation to lead a decent life (Arieff 14).
Works Cited
Aikman, David. “The Mirage of Peace: Understanding the Never-Ending Conflict in the Middle East.” Regal, Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2013. 11-30. Print.
Arieff, Irwin. “Middle East Peace Prospects: Is There Any Hope for Long-Term Peace.” Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies: Selections from CQ Researcher 24.6 (2012): 198-217. Print.
Khanin, Vladimir. “Israel’s “Russian” Parties.” Contemporary Israel: Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy and Security Challenges, New York: Penguin, 2011. 165-169. print.