All-out global pressure on Israel needed for it to change: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Paul Larudee, with the Free Palestine Movement, about a recent warning by France to the Israeli regime. Paris has said it will recognize a Palestinian state if the so-called peace talks fail to bear fruit.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of France’s warning towards Israel? Do you think it’s sincere? Are we seeing a transition by Paris in its relations with Israel?

Larudee: Hard to say whether it signifies a transition. We’ve had, as you mentioned, Sweden... that’s recognized them and there have been initiatives in other countries; but even if the entire world recognizes a Palestinian state, that doesn’t make it so.

And so, we’re entitled to wonder if this is not a distraction from the actual realization. So, it is a controversy; of course, Israel will protest and France will make much of its initiative and international law and all that sort of thing; but what does it really mean for the Palestinians on the ground? It’s not as if Israel is actually going to do anything to change anything on the ground there. So, it’s not a bad thing. The question is ‘Is it meaningful?’

Press TV: Right, you feel that nothing is going to really be accomplished. And we look at the situation, things that are taking place inside the occupied territories, the expansion of the settlements, the overall weeding away of Palestinian rights more and more, and of course we see now this Intifada that we’re involved in right now in Palestine. Do you see things coming to a head? It appears that this time around, I mean since October, we have been seeing the Palestinians being firm – it appears – in their resolve in dealing with the issue. Do you think that this aspect of things, the Palestinian side of things... that we’re seeing something different this time around?

Larudee: It’s hard to say whether there’s any significant difference at all. Things would have to escalate a great deal more in order to bring about real changes. For example, if the world were to make Israel a pariah state and that Israelis could not travel abroad anywhere and without getting very difficult to get visas and if sports teams and entertainers all refuse to go to Israel and if Israeli personalities were not welcome anywhere and might get arrested, if all of this happens, it could make a change.

Also, if the entire Palestinian population inside Israeli-controlled Palestine were to coordinate mass marches and activities and civil disobedience on a truly massive scale, then, again, that also might result in some real changes, but we’re not seeing that.

What we’re seeing is something that is not that different from what we’ve seen before. And until we do, I’m not sure that Israel is going to feel compelled to concede anything.

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