[🇧🇩] Israel and Hamas war in Gaza-----Can Bangladesh be a peace broker?

[Bilal9]

When two wild wolves fight, can a small, harmless animal mediate? How does the idea develop?

Rather useless initiative, as I mentioned. Time waster.

Bangladesh foreign policy should be restricted to maximizing export revenue, simple enough.

 

[Old School]

Rather useless initiative, as I mentioned. Time waster.

Bangladesh foreign policy should be restricted to maximizing export revenue, simple enough.

And foreign direct investments too.

 

[Saif]

Kheyal kori nai bhai. Too many distractions.

You have been excused

 

[Bilal9]

And foreign direct investments too.

Yes of course. Any grandiose plan for Bangladesh to play in the geopolitical arena is a fool's errand, nothing more.

As we say in Bengali, small-time Adrak-seller should not worry about port news and shipping movements (Adar byaparir jahaazer khobor nia luv nai).

We are not at that stage yet.

 

[Saif]

Can nothing stop Netanyahu’s genocidal mission?

For the past five months, those with a conscience have been asking: what will it take for Israel to stop its genocide against Palestinians?

www.thedailystar.net

Can nothing stop Netanyahu’s genocidal mission?​

Israel must agree to a ceasefire immediately

For the past five months, those with a conscience have been asking: what will it take for Israel to stop its genocide against Palestinians? The UN's repeated calls for humanitarian action, mass protests across the world, and even the US pointing fingers at the country—all have, so far, failed to deter Israel. And now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that his state will push on with its offensive "against Hamas," intending to ravage the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Far from changing his stance, Netanyahu seems even more determined. "There is international pressure and it's growing, but particularly when the international pressure rises, we must close ranks," he said. "We need to stand together against the attempts to stop the war." He added that Israel must push back against a "calculated attempt" to blame it for Hamas' crimes. This begs the question: how are killing over 30,000 Palestinians (mostly women and children), instigating a potential famine, and turning a whole region into rubble not Israel's crimes?​

​

With Ramadan just a few days away, the whole world is hoping for an end to this atrocity. Unfortunately, talks of a ceasefire still show no sign of progress, as both Hamas and Israel refuse to capitulate. Hamas has given certain conditions: a ceasefire must be in place before hostages are freed, Israeli forces must leave Gaza, and all Gazans must be able to return to homes they have fled. Israel, however, merely wants a pause in fighting to get hostages out of Gaza and more aid in, and says it will not end its onslaught before Hamas is "eliminated." In short, Israel has proposed a delay of Palestinian deaths—an insult more than an offer. And yet, US President Joe Biden has said the deal is in the hands of Hamas.
History has shown how Israeli oppression ramps up during Ramadan. This year, the tyranny is on a whole new scale, as Netanyahu has announced that there will be no peace during this holy month. It's a depressing irony that right before the month of fasting, a large portion of Gaza's population is on the brink of famine, according to UN agencies. And it's infuriating when one reads that for Israel, this is merely a strategic "starvation campaign." As one UN expert put it, "Israel is not only denying and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is destroying the food system in Gaza."

For 1.4 million Palestinians, this might just be the worst Ramadan they will have ever witnessed. For the sake of so many innocent, helpless, and unfortunate lives, we sincerely hope Israel will discover some humanity in itself, and a miracle will take place in the form of a ceasefire.​

 

[Saif]

Two-state solution for lasting peace highlighted in Munich conference

Top international organisations and government officials called for a permanent settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the ongoing 60th Munich Security Conference, saying that only the two-state solution can make the region achieve lasting security....

www.newagebd.net

Two-state solution for lasting peace highlighted in Munich conference
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha/ Xinhua . MUNICH, Germany | Published: 12:08, Feb 18,2024

-- BSS photo.

Top international organisations and government officials called for a permanent settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the ongoing 60th Munich Security Conference, saying that only the two-state solution can make the region achieve lasting security.

Addressing the conference at its opening ceremony on Friday, United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for peace and better global order, highlighting the two-state solution to the crisis.


He said that the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire are the only way to massively scale up aid delivery in Gaza, and thus will lay the foundation for concrete and irreversible steps towards a two-state solution.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, expressed strong concern over the humanitarian situation and the wider consequences for the region. He emphasized the need to lower regional tensions and promote international efforts towards a two-state solution.

During a meeting here with Guterres, Borrell also underlined the need for increased EU cooperation with the UN in striving towards a two-state solution.


In his address at the conference, German chancellor Olaf Scholz also supported the two-state solution, saying that is the key for both Israel and Palestine to get out of the conflict and have a peaceful future.

Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at a penal discussion that eventually, there has to be a permanent fix, a long-term fix to the conflict, otherwise ‘we’re going to see a recurrence.’

‘India has long believed in a two-state solution. We have maintained that position for many decades. And I think today many more countries in the world feel that not just the two-state solution is necessary, but it is more urgent than it was before,’ he said.

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the audience at the MSC that he was firmly convinced that the only pathway towards security and stability for everyone in the region is through a Palestinian state.

Addressing a panel discussion on the Middle East situation, Faisal said that the greater the consensus in the international community on the two-state solution, the closer the world will get to it.

‘We agree that the two-state solution is the right solution. And it’s now time to put all of our efforts into making that happen,’ he stressed, adding that ‘we cannot hold the future of our region, the future of our generations hostage to politics or ideology, and we must push to move forward.’

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said at the panel discussion that part of the reasons behind the failure of talks on the two-state solution in the past was the lack of political will.

‘I think we are totally committed and convinced that this is the only solution, a viable solution that can bring the region out of this cycle of violence and create normal conditions for everyone to prosper and to live in peace,’ he said.

Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that what’s happening now represents ‘a wake-up call’ that the situation was not sustainable and ‘we need to step up and to look at a better future for the people in the region.’

The two-state solution guarantees an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.​

 

[Saif]

Prof Yunus for urgent action to create Palestine state

Calling upon all parties to cease hostilities, Nobel Laureate professor Muhammad Yunus in a statement on Sunday said that the solution to the long standing...

www.newagebd.net

Prof Yunus for urgent action to create Palestine state
Staff Correspondent | Published: 21:29, Oct 22,2023

Nobel Laureate professor Muhammad Yunus

Calling upon all parties to cease hostilities, Nobel Laureate professor Muhammad Yunus in a statement on Sunday said that the solution to the long standing conflict between Israel and Palestine lies in the creation of two states in keeping with a United Nations resolution.

‘The solution right now is the creation of two states something which the United Nations has a resolution on but which remains unimplemented. There is no way to escape from this resolution if we want to bring peace to the region,’ he said.

Underlining the need for creating the state of Palestine with extreme urgency, he said that the key actor in bringing this to reality was the United States.

‘If the US moves fast others will follow. The Biden administration must lead the world on this vital and urgent issue without delay,’ he made the appeal in the statement sent by the Yunus Centre in Dhaka.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine was a very old problem which has become much more complicated now because of the treatment that the people of Palestine have been receiving from Israel, Professor Yunus mentioned.

‘It has been brewing over time and suddenly recently it became very explosive and unacceptable against any civilised standard,’ said the statement.

It said the top-most priority right now was to implement the long ignored UN resolution on creating two states.

‘Otherwise we don't know where this conflict will lead us to. It has the potential to set the whole region on fire and suck in a larger part of the world into that fire,’ said the Nobel peace prize winner economist and entrepreneur.

He urgently called upon ‘all parties engaged in the conflict to immediately cease hostilities, ensure the safety and well-being of the innocent children and civilians caught in the midst of this crisis’.

‘It is imperative to facilitate and expedite the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the suffering population. It is time to focus on saving human lives, protect dignity and get to work on a permanent solution,’ he said.

He called upon all concerned to join hands to put an end to the suffering, ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access, and foster an environment conducive to meaningful peace negotiations and work out the modalities to create Palestine state at the fastest pace.

‘In this day and age, we should collectively recognise that war and bloodshed are inconsistent with the values and progress of our modern civilisation,’ he said.

Professor Yunus said that the world was watching and it was their shared responsibility to work towards a future where both Palestine and Israel can co-exist in harmony and peace together with friendly collaboration.​