Moral win for Palestine, but how to broker peace?

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been given a boost by world leaders who have united against US skulduggery and double speak on the Palestine issue and a two-state solution. President Donald Trump’s peace plan fronted by his son-in-law Jared Kushner is no longer valid for any future negotiations on the issue. It’s a snub, and the US will soon realise it has lost the plot in the Middle East. There are two ways to look at these developments. One, Abbas has won a resounding moral victory against the world’s leading superpower, which has been reduced to a bully. Trump’s foreign policy has been dogmatic at best. The Cold War mentality will not work for the new world order, which has seen the rise of China. Russia wants to make amends for the Cold War humiliation it suffered. Under Vladimir Putin, Moscow has made its presence felt in Syria and could influence the course of events even though most countries are wary of its intentions. Europe led by Germany and France wants to plant itself in the politics of the region, though its previous Middle East Quartet came a cropper the last time it tried to get the Palestinians and Israelis to talk.

French President Emmanuel Macron is keen to take the moral space ceded by the United States. What’s more, France is busy selling weapons in the region. France’s democratic credentials give it the edge as a serious peace broker, but only if the Israeli regime is willing to accept its mediation. Chances are it won’t as it already has the US in its pocket. Let’s face it, Paris does not have the diplomatic heft of the United States. It’s a former colonial power, which is trying to make amends for past excesses. A united effort with Germany might work if German Chancellor can manage to form a stable coalition at home. Throw in Britain, if it manages to extricate itself from the Brexit imbroglio. Turkey, on the other hand, has made the right noises but can do little to make a difference to the Palestinian cause. Abbas has the numbers on his side but needs the right power to back him for his push for peace. It’s the reality, a grim, sad reality. Back to square one. Whither peace?