Palestine: The end or a new beginning?
In the past I have advocated that Palestinians in the diaspora should take the lead in bringing the side-lined Palestinian parliament-in-exile, formerly known as the Palestine National Council (PNC), back to life, refreshed and re-invigorated by elections to it in every country where Palestinians live. But… On reflection as I write this article I think that idea needs to be modified.
I still believe there needs to be a new institution elected by Palestinians everywhere with the prime task of debating and determining Palestinianpolicy and then representing it by speaking to power with one voice, but I think it should not style or present itself as a Palestinian parliament-in-exile.
In reality there’s something almost absurd about having a parliament for a state that does not exist. And if an institution elected by Palestinians everywhere did pose as a parliament-in-exile, its American representatives and those who are residents and citizens of other countries could be accused of having dual loyalty.
The B-I-G question is this.
Are there enough diaspora Palestinians who care enough to become politically engaged to rebuild their national institutions on democratic principles and standards of accountability?
It isn’t a question of resources because there are many very wealthy diaspora Palestinians. It’s a matter of will.
If the answer is “Yes” there could be a new beginning for the Palestine liberation movement.
If the answer is “No” it can’t and won’t happen. Then, when Israel’s leaders conclude that they can’t force the occupied and oppressed Palestinians to abandon their struggle for an acceptable amount of justice, the most likely endgame will be a final Zionist ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
If such an obscenity is allowed to happen I think future honest historians will conclude that the Palestinian diaspora was complicit by default.
Page 3 of 3 | Previous page
Sami:
September 7th, 2015 at 9:43 am
I disagree that there is a case to say Palestine is a lost cause.
It wasn’t all that long ago when if Israel wanted to eliminate an imaginary or potential threat, all it had to do is show a picture to its lackeys in the west and say the word ‘fetch’.
Some five years ago, it showed a picture of the Syrian president and gave the magic word ‘fetch’. Apart from causing severe hardships and damage to his country, Pres Assad is still there and is going nowhere. However, the west did not give up and are still trying to quench Israel’s thirst for Arab blood as evidenced by the statement made this morning by a buffoon on the Today Programme who wants to set up camps inside Syria for displaced Syrians by force, using, of course, the bogus excuse of humanitarian intervention.
Thank God that at last; a credible major power, or two, is not buying the benevolence of western interventions.
Despite all the gloom and doom, I still believe we are now witnessing the start of a new chapter where the will of the people of Greater Syria will eventually prevail over their enemies.
Rehmat:
September 11th, 2015 at 2:42 am
Mr. Hart, I tend to agree with you on several points – but as student of history – I do know that the Supreme Creator has “mysterious ways” to punish the so-called “super powers”.
In 1099, powerful European Franks (Crusaders) occupied Muslim-majority Palestine. However, by 1186, they’re kicked out of Palestine by Kurd Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi.
In 2006, Israeli nukes could not save the Jewish army its first major military humiliation at the hands of nearly 1500 Hizbullah fighters carrying only guns and non-guided rockets.
http://rehmat1.com/2013/07/13/seven-years-on-hizbullah-defeated-israel/