The Solution to the Palestine Issue in Two Phases
The solution proposed by the Republicans is a political one - one that requires, and can secure, the support of both the Eastern and Western blocs for its adoption and implementation. In fact, it necessitates and rallies global public opinion to support and implement it.
In our view, this political solution is a temporary resolution for the Palestine issue, as we believe that its resolution must take place in two phases: an immediate phase and a long-term phase.
The purpose of the immediate phase is to create a breathing space - or, let’s call it a truce - during which the Arabs can begin working toward the long-term solution, which is the true and final resolution.
The Arabs must pay the price for their past mistakes in order to achieve this immediate phase. They must buy a truce.
Fortunately, time is still on their side, and the price of securing such a truce remains relatively low.
Time should not be wasted on the kind of immature and futile thinking that emerged from the resolutions of the Fourth Arab Summit Conference, held in Khartoum last month.
The Proposed Solution for the Immediate Phase
1. The Arabs must refrain from resorting to armed conflict. This is because they are not fighting the state of Israel alone but are, in fact, confronting powerful countries behind Israel - namely the United States, Britain, France, and West Germany. These countries are committed to preserving Israel's borders as defined by the partition plan approved by the UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947. Since 1950, the United States, Britain, and France have pledged to uphold these borders.
2. Any reliance on arms to resolve the Palestinian issue, at the scale envisioned by Arab leaders today and the promises they make to their people, is of little effectiveness. Moreover, such an approach compels the Arabs to follow in the footsteps of the Soviet Union, opening their countries wide to communism and distancing them from their religion, if not severing their connection to it altogether. This, in itself, poses a far greater threat to the Arabs than the danger posed by the state of Israel. This point has already been mentioned.
3. To achieve a solution for the immediate phase, negotiations with Israel must take place, with the following objectives:
(a) The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Arab territories occupied during the wars of May 15, 1948, October 29, 1956, and June 5, 1967.
(b) The return of Arab refugees displaced from their homes in 1948 and 1967, along with compensation for all their lost properties. These refugees must be resettled in the lands designated for them under the 1947 partition plan - thus implementing the principle of partition.
(c) Securing a guarantee from the major powers, including the Soviet Union - meaning a guarantee from both the UN Security Council and the General Assembly - for the borders of the new Arab states. To reinforce this guarantee, Jewish immigration to Israel must cease immediately.
(d) The United Nations must secure a commitment from Israel not to pursue any territorial expansion into the lands of neighboring Arab states. If any expansion attempt is made by Israel, the responsibility to halt it will fall upon the United Nations.
(e) The termination of the state of war that has existed between the Arabs and Israel.
(f) Granting Israel the right to innocent passage through international waterways, including the Gulf of Aqaba and the Suez Canal.
The Long-Term Solution
Once the immediate phase has been achieved, the Arabs must begin working on the long-term solution by returning to Islam.
Let us be clear - we do not mean Islamic unity, or an Islamic alliance, or even Islamic solidarity. The reason for this is simple: there are no true Muslims today. What we mean is that people must return to the essence of La ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah) and revive it in a way that is fresh, creative, and powerful - just as it was when it first emerged in the seventh century and worked like magic in the hearts of men and women.
We have previously said that the challenge facing the Arabs today is their share of the challenge posed by the current environment to humanity on this planet. This challenge requires an intellectual unity that allows humanity to harmonize its life with its environment, which has become a fully integrated spatial unit - thanks to God, and thanks to the rapid means of transportation brought about by advancements in modern experimental science.
We also said that intellectual unity can only be achieved through a system that grants a place of honor to the freedom of thought. And it should suffice for you to know that the essence of duty in Islam is thinking - thinking is an Islamic obligation at which all other obligations converge. Listen to the words of Allah Almighty: “And We sent down to you the reminder so that you may explain to the people what has been revealed to them, and so that they may reflect” (16:44).
This is the Islam that the Arabs must rekindle within their hearts, after it has died there, so that they may secure their survival and, through it, offer humanity a civilization that filters out the flaws of both the Eastern and Western blocs, thereby establishing peace on earth.
For more details on this new civilization and how to revive it, we refer you to the Republican Party’s three books: The Second Message of Islam, The Path of Muhammad, and The Message of Prayer.
