Azerbaijan, Baku, March 4 /corr. Trend U.Sadikova, E.Tariverdiyeva /
Establishment of the Palestinian state under the conditions of the settler policy of Israel on the West Bank and military conflict with Hamas, and also political split between Fatah and Hamas is impossible, and therefore, "the optimism of the USA appears premature," experts consider.
On Tuesday, making her first official visit to Israel, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that "establishment of the Palestinian state is unavoidable," BBC Russian reported.
"We consider that the motion towards formation of two states [Israel and independent Palestinian state] is in the interests of Israel," Clinton said to joint press conference after talks with the Foreign Minister of Israel Tzipi Livni.
After Israel, the Secretary of State visited the Palestinian autonomy, where the conditions of peaceful settlement were the basic theme of negotiations with the Palestinian leaders.
However, taking into account that Israel is on the stage of forming government, the effort of the international community will unlikely be successful.
Unless a new government is formed in Israel, it is too early to speak of reconciliation with the Palestinians, Yossi Mekelberg, analyst on Middle East policy at Chatham House, said.
"The American community tries to make an effort to negotiate, but I think any optimism undue, Mekelberg told Trend in a telephone conversation. We need to see what kind of government there will be."
In spite of the victory of left Kadima Party in the elections for the Knesset, the right to form the government was gained by the leader of ruling Likud Party Benjamin Netanyahu, who urges to stop dialogue with the Palestinians.
Hillary Clinton supports the position of Israeli left Kadima, which lost political leadership in Israel, Mordechai Kedar, chief analyst of Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, said.
In reconciliation with the Palestinians, Israel will most probably support the policy of the right wing, considering strengthening of political and military influence of Hamas, Kedar said.
As a result of military coup in June 2007, the forces of Hamas dislodged the troops of Fatah from Gaza Strip and gained the control.
"In reality, there are two Palestinian states: in Gaza and on the West Bank, said Kedar. - Hamas will never give up the control over Gaza, but for Israel it is necessary to preserve security".
In response to the incessant rocket firings across the southern regions, Israel began large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip, which continued 22 days.
However, establishment of Palestinian state is impossible as long as the presence of Israel strengthens on the West Bank, Main Rabbani, former editor-in-chief of Middle East Report magazine, said.
"As long as Israel builds settlements and controls over main strategic areas [on the West Bank], Palestinian state seems unreal," Rabbani told Trend in a telephone conversation from Amman.
Jewish settlements cover 40 percent of the territory of the West Bank and constantly enlarge. The number of settlers grows 15,000 each year: in 1993 their number was 40,000, but now - 285,000 although the 1993 Oslo agreement prohibits building settlements.
As before, Israel controls Jerusalem and basin of Jordan River.
Israel's control over other regions of the West Bank is necessary, otherwise they will fall under the control of Hamas and Hezbollah like Gaza Strop, Kedar said.
According to Rabbani, Obama's policy in the Middle East differs from the politicians of George Bush Administration only in the solution of humanitarian problems in the region and in efforts to return confidence between Palestinians and Israelis.
But the changes in the U.S. policy in the Middle East will be felt if the USA not only makes decisions, but also acts.
However, American analyst Francis A. Boyle considers that the U.S.-Israeli policy in the Palestinian-Israeli talks remains as previous because of power of the Israeli lobby in the United States.
According to Boyle, who was involved in the Middle East Peace Process in 1991-1993, "since 1988 the joint U.S.-Israeli policy has always been to stall and delay a comprehensive Middle East Peace Settlement".
"Israel inflicted slow-motion genocide on the Palestinians with economic and diplomatic support from the United States," Boyle told Trend via e-mail.
According to him, it is not available to expect changes with the Democratic or Republican, because of the power of the Israeli lobby in the United States.
The idea behind all of these bogus "states" is the same to provide a thin veneer of international respectability while genocidal policies are continued to be inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples in the name of racist, colonial, settler and genocidal apartheid regimes such as Israel and the United States, Boyle said.
However, the professor of the Georgetown University, Raymond Tanter, considers that the USA more protects Israel, considering the Hamas and Hezbollah threats over Israel's security.
"No nation will suffer constant rocket attacks, therefore the positions of Israeli politicians and the USA coincide," Tanter, adjunct scholar of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Trend via e-mail.
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Establishing Palestinian state seems unreal
