Rendering the PA irrelevant

[ProgressiveMuslim]

by Ghassan Khatib

(snip)

The ceasefire may be the first of its kind. It was mediated by Egypt and hinted at by Israeli officials at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denied it. This double talk resulted from the fact that Israel needed the ceasefire but was embarrassed to admit it.

Hamas' "primitive homemade rockets" have proven a significant irritation to Israel, which faced two unacceptable possible scenarios. The first was to re-occupy Gaza, something Israel is trying to avoid because it has enough experience in Gaza and had enough reasons to leave. The second was to live with the rocket fire, which would be a domestic embarrassment for the current Israeli leadership. These possibilities seem to have forced Israel to go for a ceasefire, which in turn granted Hamas a sizeable victory and boosted its public position.

What aggravates the situation for the PA is that these developments in Israel-Hamas relations, fierce confrontations that ended in a ceasefire, came in parallel with the disastrous situation of the Annapolis negotiations. Israel is still refusing even to talk about final status issues and has meanwhile announced yet new tenders for construction in the illegal settlements of the West Bank. This is pulling the carpet from underneath the PA, rendering it further irrelevant.

If Israel by its behavior vis-a-vis Hamas--including the siege and the boycott, the bombardment and ceasefire--and its behavior vis-a-vis the PA in Ramalllah--including the continued settlement building, more checkpoints and its refusal to enter into any substantial negotiations--is trying to shift the balance of power within Palestinian society in favor of Hamas and against Fateh and the PA, then it is achieving its aim.

There have recently been some relatively clear statements against Israeli settlement expansion from both Europeans and Americans. This has made an impact on the Israeli leadership. If this is the beginning of a responsible international attitude, then that might create some hope. If it is simply paying lip service yet again, and these are words that will not be followed by any serious attempts to force Israeli compliance with the legal and political requirement of ending settlement construction, then the deterioration will continue as will its negative reflection on the region as a whole

http://www.bitterlemons.org/issue/pal1.php

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. Let Egypt handle the Gazans. They're proved incapable of managing

their own affairs. I don't care how they spin it ... stop using civilians as shields. Palestinians have been driven from Jordan, let Beirut be their "last stand" ... just stop!

Declare victory - you need to feel strong? Fine ... homemade rockets were all you needed to be rockets scientists.

Now go educate your children ... let men learn useful skills again ... but stop glorifying violence.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Are you actually suggesting that Palestinians don't bother to educate their children?

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. The level vitriol you spew brings to mind the very groups you hate. How ironic. nt

[Fredda Weinberg]

10. Yes, you need a devil for opposition, else you destroy your own kind

And I don't think DUers are fooled anymore either. You're the one who's embraced hate ... I'm here because I walked away from bigotry on my own side.

I'd laugh, but you can't handle reality. I'd say salaam, but you don't want it.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

19. You walked away from bigotry? That's a laugh. The mods had to delete it. nt

[wellst0nev0ter]

4. No, I Think He's Saying Only The Israelis Can Use Human Shields

http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20021114.asp

I always love the one-sided conditions people demand before they entertain the thought of peaceful reconciliation.

[Vegasaurus]

9. Palestinians have been driven from every country

from Iraq, from Jordan, they;re still in camps in Lebanon, Egypt closed all the shops and then the borders after the breach.

It it time for the Palestinians to devote their lives to something other than hatred and violence. Then they have the possibility of a good life.

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. Success is frightening, so we often sabotage ourselves. But Gazans

voted with their feet ... Egyptians didn't hunt them down when Rafah was briefly re-united. So this is an experiment of their own.

Honestly, if declaring victory gets them out of this dead-end, I say let 'em. If Egypt will play her historical role, I say more power to 'em.

But DUers should think twice about embracing terror tactics. It threatens all of us here ... saying it's acceptable anywhere, anytime is the evil we claim to oppose.

[Vegasaurus]

20. I agree

which is why I don't understand the terrorist supporters, especially those who claim to be progressives.

[bemildred]

5. Well, the ceasefire was certainly one of the shortest of it's kind. nt

[ProgressiveMuslim]

7. The OP's analysis that Israel seems to be working at cross purposes to its supposed goals

is a good one.

Makes one question their commitment to their goals, doesn't it?

[bemildred]

8. I don't think there is any controlling intelligence at the top anymore.

It's all knee-jerk reaction and political opportunism. Meanwhile, down below, various parties pursue their own interests, as they see them. For the most part, they seem to see them narrowly, like the Haredi, or Nuttyahoo, or the IDF. I thought the bit a few days back where the IAF decided that the IDF needed to solve the rockets-from-Gaza problem was amusing.

[Fredda Weinberg]

12. Israelis don't hurt Israelis ... even Israeli Arabs are safe. Can any

Palestinian feel the same?

Don't compare Jews to Palestinians ... not this generation. In this past half century, my family has taken adversity and produced success, while those who choose to remain refugees are squabbling over charity. Pitiful.

Rockets from Gaza amusing? That says it all about you.

[bemildred]

13. Bullshit. Yitzak Rabin?

Did you read this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=202793

Where you and I differ is you think Jews are different, I think they are just like everyone else. I didn't say rockets-from-Gaza was amusing, I said the IAF reaction was amusing, but suit yourself.

[Fredda Weinberg]

14. I condemn Yigal Amir and the parochial

schools he attended. In fact, in defiance of my father and my mother's father ... I left one to attend public school.

Yes, Jews want to be different and we are and will remain because it is beneficial to us as a community.

If you think provoking military action against a civilian population by terrorist provocation is funny, you are lower than Yigal Amir. Get it? Less than the worst my people could produce ... because our universities don't celebrate this assassin.

[bemildred]

15. Good for you.

I am glad we agree about your views.
Again, I was talking about the IAF, but as I said, you will suit yourself and pretend otherwise.

[MaryCeleste]

16. The article appears to deliberately ignore the Grad rockets

which is not surprising. Few outsiders realize what they mean in terms of escalation and resultant pressure they put on the IDF to neutralize Gaza.

[Vegasaurus]

17. This is because the Palestinians favor violence over peace.

This is according to a new poll.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/world/middleeast/19mideast.html?_r=1&ref=middleeast&oref=slogin

[Violet_Crumble]

18. If yr gonna post the same thing over & over, at least make it relevant to what yr replying to...

Somehow I doubt the Palestinian people have any sway over what is and isn't included in the OP.