"What's
the cause of this illogical Palestinian hope? It stems from the simple fact
that after decades of haphazard activity, Palestinians finally have a strategy
for statehood. This strategy is determined, well thought out and totally
non-violent. Based on this strategy, the state of Palestine will soon be a
reality, regardless of the results of the next 12 months of negotiations."
There is a chance that the
Israeli occupation which began in 1967 will soon end, and that an independent
Palestinian state will emerge. The direct peace talks taking place in
Washington are a necessary step toward that goal, but they aren't the only
option Palestinians have at their disposal.
There is hope in many
quarters, despite the Palestinian opposition to direct talks with the Israelis (and
with the settlement freeze about to expire). Before leaving for Washington,
President Mahmoud Abbas said publicly that even if the chances of success were
less than one percent, he would have gone to the peace talks.
It's so easy to be
pessimistic or apathetic. History has been very unkind to Palestinians, for
whom peace talks have accomplished nothing of substance.
Current Israeli policy isn't
helpful. Israel’s heavy-handedness in Gaza, coupled with its continued violation
of international law - by building exclusive Jew-only buildings in occupied
Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank - cause many to doubt Israel’s
sincerity or desire for peace.
The babblings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
(the spiritual leader of Shas, a major coalition partner in the government),
who wishes to see death by plague inflicted on all Palestinians, cause many to
doubt Israel’s willingness to live in peace with its Palestinian, Arab and
Muslim neighbors.
Things are no easier on the
Palestinian front. For the first time, a Fatah leader has gone to talks opposed
by his own party as well as other PLO factions, independents, and groups
outside the PLO. Hamas' opposition took a violent turn, with the gunning down
of four Jewish settlers near Hebron.
So what's the cause of this
illogical Palestinian hope? It stems from the simple fact that after decades of
haphazard activity, Palestinians finally have a strategy for statehood. This
strategy is determined, well thought out and totally non-violent. Based on this,
the state of Palestine will soon be a reality, regardless of the results of the
next 12 months of negotiations.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Palestine’s new strategy has
been spearheaded by Prime
Minister Salam Fayyad, an energetic, Western trained, former World Bank
executive. The Palestinian side is focused on the building up of a Palestinian
state rather than cursing the Israeli occupation. The two-year blueprint, which
was unveiled last year to international praise, has resulted in tangible change
on the ground.
Fayyad’s government has
succeeded, as Israeli army generals have admitted, by delivering security and
the rule of law while introducing far-reaching reforms in education, health,
and the local economy.
It's true that Abbas only reluctantly
agreed to go to Washington. Palestinians and the Arab League had hoped for some
agreement on borders during the four months of proximity talks. The idea was
that if Palestine's western borders were already agreed upon, it would then be
obvious that Israeli settlement building would have be restricted to its recognized
international borders, just as the status of lands and property in areas set
aside for the state of Palestine would be decided by Palestinians.
As it is now, when the
10-month partial Israeli moratorium ends on September 26th, it will come
without any clarity about whether settlement-building activities must cease.
America's commitment is
another reason for Palestinian hope. It was in the end the Americans that
pulled the talks through. With Americans chairing tripartite talks and committed
to stay in the negotiating room for an entire year, Palestinians felt assured
that the stronger party, the Israelis, wouldn’t try to bully the weaker
Palestinians. By agreeing to participate (and not just mediate), the U.S. has
negated those who argue that the U.S. can't be more interested in peace than
the parties concerned. The creation of an independent, contiguous Palestinian state
has been declared in the U.S. national interest by both former President Bush
and now President Obama.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
The talks were cleverly
organized to allow for positive press and photo opportunities before the
mid-term elections, and the needed arm-twisting will be complete long before
the beginning of the presidential reelection season.
If talks fail as a result of
Israeli obstructionism, Palestinians will have no choice but to declare their
state unilaterally and hope the world recognizes it. The Americans, who will
witness Palestinian conduct in the negotiating room, will then have to decide
whether to support such a declaration, or keep this conflict festering on.
*Daoud Kuttab is the
General Manager of the Community Media Network, with PEN Media, based in
Jordan.
