For several years I have been wondering, sometimes on public platforms and in writing, if Palestine is a lost cause. I have now come to the conclusion that as things are it is and will remain so unless the Palestinians, the occupied and oppressed and the diaspora, put their political act together in order to give their cause new life with some real hope of justice eventually.
In my view the most telling indicator of the political bankruptcy and irrelevance of the leadership provided by the Palestinian Authority (PA) was the recent statement by its president, Mahmoud Abbas, that it’s up to international community to bring about a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The reality Abbas chooses to ignore is that as things are there is absolutely no reason to believe that the American-led Western powers (or any others) will ever use the leverage they have to try to cause Israel to end its defiance of international law and denial of justice for the Palestinians.
Western (and other) governments and their diplomats continue to pay lip-service to the two-state solution but they know it’s dead, killed by Israel’s on-going colonization of the occupied West Bank which, as I have previously noted, is a process best described as ethnic cleansing slowly and by stealth. (They also know that implementing a two-state solution would provoke a Jewish civil war and – as Shimon Peres said to me in 1980 – no Israeli leadership is ever going to do that).
There is also no reason to believe that the regimes of a deeply divided, corrupt, authoritarian and repressive Arab Order will ever use the leverage they have to press the U.S and other Western powers to do whatever is necessary to oblige Israel to be serious about peace on terms the Palestinians could accept. (A truth of history is that when Israel closed the Palestine file with its victory on the battlefield in 1948, the Arab regimes, behind closed doors, shared the same unspeakable hope as Zionism and all the major powers – that the file would remain closed. In other words, the Arab regimes hoped the Palestinians would accept their lot as the sacrificial lamb on the altar of political expediency. If there had been no Yasser Arafat to oversee the relighting of the fire of Palestinian resistance to Zionism’s fait accompli, the file might well have remained closed for ever).
In my analysis the realities summarised above invite only one conclusion. It is only the Palestinians who can change the dynamics of the conflict in a way that could generate real pressure for action by the governments of the international community.
What action? Putting on Israel on notice that if it doesn’t end its defiance of international law and denial of justice for the Palestinians, it will be isolated and sanctioned. (Yes, I know that governments won’t go down this road unless they are pushed by public opinion, but changing the dynamics of the conflict could provide the understanding necessary to motivate more and more citizens to do the pushing).
Changing the dynamics requires for starters the dissolution of the PA and handing back to Israel complete responsibility and full accountability for occupation.
This would impose significant security, financial and other burdens on Israel. Its response would undoubtedly bemore and more brutal repression of all kinds, but this could (I think would) benefit the Palestinians because the true face of Zionism would be exposed, fully naked, like never before for all the world to see. And that in turn could lead to mounting public pressure on the American-led Western powers, perhaps at some point enough pressure to cause them to say to Israel, “Enough is enough” and put it on notice that it will be isolated and sanctioned if it does not end its defiance of international law and denial of justice for the Palestinians.
The dissolution of the PA would open the door to rebuilding the institutions of the Palestinian national movement on the basis of unity which by definition would mean an end to factionalism and political tribalism. At top level, and to enable the Palestinians to determine policy and speak to power with one credible voice, this in my view would require bringing the Palestine National Council (PNC) back to life refreshed and reinvigorated by elections to it in every country where Palestinians live.
Even if there are enough Palestinians in the diaspora who would be prepared to become engaged to make it happen, elections to refresh and re-invigorate the PNC would take time. So after the dissolution of the PA and handing back to Israel complete responsibility and full accountability for occupation, what would be the most effective resistance strategy for the occupied and oppressed Palestinians to adopt?
Their incredible almost superhuman steadfastness in staying put is proof that Zionism’s policy of making life hell for them in the hope that they will leave to make new lives elsewhere has failed to date and is unlikely ever to succeed. But that’s not enough. The steadfastness of the occupied and oppressed Palestinians needs to be reinforced by peaceful, absolutely non-violent, demonstrations, preferably on a daily basis, across the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, calling for peace with security and equal political, civil and human rights of every kind for all. This would be in effect a campaign for one state for all.
Demonstrations of resistance would have to be peaceful, absolutely non-violent, because escalating Palestinian violence would play into the hands of those Israeli Jews, leaders and others, who would welcome a pretext for a final round of ethnic cleansing.
In theory equal political, civil and human rights for all in one state would lead in time to the de-Zionization of Palestine; and it’s not unreasonable to assume that Israel’s leaders will never allow that to happen,
In that light, and despite what I have written above, the question that has to be asked is this.
Even if the Palestinians do put their political act together in the way I have suggested, is there any reason to entertain real hope that there can be in future in which they enjoy an acceptable amount of justice?
In my view that’s a question only the Jews of Israel can answer.
If the Palestinians remain steadfast and do put their political act together to keep their cause alive, they will bring about the day when the Jews of Israel will have to address the question of what kind of future they want.
Do they want to live in an obnoxious, apartheid state which has to resort to ever more brutal measures to maintain its domination of the Palestinians, with the very real danger that the ever more brutal measures will transform the rising global tide of Israelism into anti-Semitism, setting the stage at some point for Holocaust II (my shorthand for another great turning against Jews everywhere); or, do they want peace and security in one state with equal political, civil and human rights for all – even though that that would mean the end of Zionism’s colonial-like enterprise?
If by putting their political act together in the way I have suggested the Palestinians can cause the Jews of Israel to make that choice, there will be some hope (perhaps not a lot but some) for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
I once said, and I think it bears repeating, that there is not and never has been a Palestine problem. There is only a Jewish problem. And only the Jews can solve it. Or not.
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Hart -- You have a lot of things right here and a lot of things wrong. First, the Palestinians have "pulled together" in fostering BDS and it is already "putting Israel on notice...etc." Second, it is inevitable that the PA will be dissolved by the Palestinians (over Abbas's dead body!). Third, the Jews of Israel are not the determining factor at all; indeed, they are the criminals "on the ground" and will never change. The key are the American Jews who could change I/P by getting off the Zionist AIPAC bandwagon. Once they do -- and demographics favors this as young American Jews today are not inclined to Zionist murder -- they can dictate the facts to Israelis.
The key to American Jews are American Jewish institutions and organizations because it is these organizations that dictate the Zionist attachment for American Jews in the first place. American Jews do not want to learn all the history etc., so they do what their organizations tell them to do. These organizations were not all Zionist in 1948, not at all. But it became increasingly difficult in the US to serve a dispersed Jewish community, that is, after the major waves of immigration and the dispersion of Jews out of ghettos and even out of the cities. Accordingly, it was harder to raise funds and keep the organization alive. And then along came Zionism, a fresh start, a sympathetic credo, and more money, much more money.
Institutions attempt to survive and, in order to stay alive, they changed their coloration and became -- every last one of them -- Zionist in very short order. The last of them came on in the 60's. These organizations, which btw are now thriving by scaring American Jews, have to be embarrassed out of their Zionist beliefs. The blood of Zionism needs to be at their doorstep. The racism implied by the Israeli mogen david flag has to be pointed out such that the flag is an embarrassment. The flag is as racist as the Confederate Stars and Bars. Once the organizations are dissolved or driven out of business, American Jews will do what they really want to do which is apply universalism just like they, as second, third and fourth generations, have been taught. In this innocent appeal is the end of Zionism which was already an anachronism in 1948. The tragedy of Zionism is that it has always been outside of history, trying hard to synthesize a "history" where there was nothing. Twenty centuries of absence is not a good starting point for Jewish nationalism. Jews do not enter history through Zionism, they leave history behind and the energy, money and guns it takes to maintain the mythology is a good measure of how distorted Jewish history has become by Zionism.
The newer technologies are bringing the immediacy and bloodiness of Zionism into each US Jew's smartphone. They cannot get free of this. In fact, these little clips and photos will eat away at them at an increasing pace with time because virtually everyone will have access to the technology. Victims will photograph and send their murderer's pic around the world. It will happen. Newspapers will have to publish these bloody realities in order to get a readership or keep a readership. The way is clear for change and American Jews will get it right eventually. They will understand the bottomless lies they have been told. They will understand that they are attempting to destroy an entire people for what? A "Jewish" state? What is that? The Jewish identity is so screwed, that a state cannot even be defined. It is bizarre that perfectly ordinary appearing Europeans stomp around pretending to be Jews and yet their physiognomy and appearance have no trace of the ME, not a single ME wart! How can these "Jews" pretend to represent an ethnic biological "people" originating in the Levant? Pretty bizarre. Even more bizarre it is that nobody mentions this obvious fact. Look at these Russians, Brits, Australians...they are clearly not Jews OR being Jewish is a nothing. Either way, they lose. Frankly, the most radical Jews will not only undo Zionism but will abandon Judaism as well. This is a religion that should have disappeared long ago, subsumed by universalisms like Christianity. It is as repugnant now as it ever has been, this stupid idea of choseness and a deity who fights on one's side against other human beings...absurdity writ large. Any G*d that would favor one people over another is not a G*d anyone wants or needs, it is barbarism or it is stupid or both.
There are a lot of contradictions in this essay, starting with the assertion that the Palestinian cause is a lost cause despite the caveat unless...
Granted that the PA and its leadership are largely to blame, but one should remember that they are entirely at Israel's mercy.
The real problem which is not addressed is the total effective Zionist control of the western media which feed the largely unsuspecting audiences a diet of lies and conceals Israel's most horrendous crimes against humanity.
Also, there is a lack of recognition of the fact that it is also in the very best interest of the people of the western world to free themselves from the Zionist stranglehold on the corridors of power in their respective countries.
In a nutshell, the burden of failure to tackle the evils of Zionism should not be solely and squarely placed on the shoulders of the beleaguered Palestinians as deduced from this essay.
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I agree with almost everything Alan writes here. Dissolving the PA and thus putting the whole administration of the West Bank back into Israel's lap would make Israeli apartheid visible to the last person on earth, and human beings know how to fight a clear fight against apartheid. The international community would be faced with a clear situation and would repeat what happened against South Africa.
Replacing the PA with a newly-elected PNC is a must, and this can only be done by Palestinians. Many want this, but nobody is doing the nuts-and-bolts work to get it to happen. We in solidarity cannot do this.
What little thing can we in solidarity do? Alan correctly calls twice for 'isolating and sanctioning' Israel. This is indeed what we can do, in addition to the boycott and divestment already happening under the BDS Call.
Some of us have brought a motion for the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Annual General Meeting of 23 January in London calling for the PSC to lobby the British Government to use its position on the Security Council to move for Israel's expulsion from the UN under UN Charter Article 6.
I hope Alan and others will support this during the next 10 days before the vote and thereafter, as a long-term project, from the solidarity grassroots, in hopes that leading BDS people will also support it. This is a measure of 'isolating and sanctioning' that would really hurt Israel's elite.
Motion text and arguments for it: www.blakealcott.jimdo.com/Publications
If not for U.S. arms and funding, Israel would not exist. The Amerikkkan government is responsible for the continued oppression of the Palestinians.
Unfortunately our political "leaders" are all bought and owned by the zionazis. BDS is having an effect and this is of concern to the zionists and their apologists!
To be SURE>..Sammi And Also, Ontogram.. Both Brought up Many Points I was Going to Bring up. One Comment Caught my Attention ( Loud and Clear ) That The ""western media '' .. [In fact..The Whole Universe] should stop making false assumptions and misleading statements. that are meant for but one Purpose...To Keep Right on Stirring Up As much Angst As Possible. Don`t ever think..for one second...That THE ""Whole World Might NOT ? Know What is Really going on In that Confiscated piece of Territory ! WE Do KNOW. And yes.. agreed, it would be the Best Move This USA Could Make.. TO Dump Isitreal >>And Stop Coddling That Money-grubbing ,war-mongering Bunch right now, and FOREVER.
As for The Poor Palestinians Being Able to Do Anything To "Help improve Their Circumstance..The DAY will Never Arrive When They will 'roll over And Play dead '.. to please These ""Usurpers of their homes And 'Guardhouse Criminals ? ' YES ! Wouldn`t that Please This Bunch of Zionists who Must be Thinking.. that enough TIME Under Captivity Will Force them to 'Give Over .' IT will Not happen. AS For Thinking This sort of ""GIVE' Would be Beneficial to The Gazans`./// How Foolish Can ONE Get ?? Alan,,Surely YOU do not Believe That would Ever Work..much less, come to Pass .
The real reason behind Palestinians' failure to recover their stolen land was described decades ago by the famous Orientalist, professor Edward Said.
"Palestinians will get their freedom only when American receive their freedom (from Jewish Lobby)," he said.
One cannot expect the western powers to destroy the sanctuary they created to solve their centuries-old "Jewish Problem". The PLO, Fatah and other secular resistance groups are controlled by the US and EU, which themselves are controlled by the Organized Jewry. Islamic groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah are the only ones some successes against Israel on battle grounds and in PR. That's why these Islamist are declared "terrorist organizations" by the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Israel, etc. while western puppet Arab regimes have declared Palestinian cause as "Iranian problem".
PA president Mahmoud Abbas is known USraeli poodle. His mandate expired in January 2009, but is kept in power by the US, EU Israel, and Vatican as counter-balance to Hamas.
http://rehmat1.com/2015/05/17/pope-francis-abbas-is-an-angel-of-peace/
You advocate the Palestinians to protest on a daily basis in a non violent way? They already protest on a weekly basis non violently - and their people are shot, tear gassed, imprisined and killed indiscriminately. I appreciate some points in your approach to finding the solution, but I am sure that Palestinian residents are dying at a quick enough rate as it is in their quest at dying for freedom!
It will require a superhuman effort of restraint for young Palestinians to be all totally non-violent. Colonial powers always subvert the "elders", sometimes crudely, with bribes (no names given !) sometimes a bit more subtly. Younger people can fall into the pattern set by their elders, or, as I think many young men in Palestine do, try to work out how they can be different from the corrupted, a process that takes time. With a heavy proportion of young men unemployed and possibly with little prospect even of finding a wife, frustrations must overwhelm many. Then, as we all know, the occupiers can use agents, including agents provocateurs.
I hope that Alan Hart's solution will occur, but the difficulties are huge, partly because of demography.
It is So Clear That Imprisoned, Starved down And Beat down..Shot at.. Palestinians Can do Very Little BUT TRY TO Survive such Horrific Actions against Them . The Truth and THE Problem there has been ongoing for years...Is being FED and Kept Alive Against These Palestinians who have Been Ousted From their Lands And Made Prisoners on that sliver of their own land that is called Gaza, by these Usurpers. How is This Made Possible..For All of These YEARS ?? The Citizens Of This USA Knows This IS A Horrible Wrong that is being ""Kept Going' Because our GUVMT ? IS>>Using OUR TAX Money To Support The Zionist Madmen in This Horrendous-on-going Action against a Helpless Population . IT Has to be STOPPED. Get these Zionist Dual Citizenship Mongrels OUT of OUR Congress..And Run Out of This Country All of hem , and Their Mongrel Puppies Who are Also Paid Well TO Keep This Wrong Going. People ! Haven`t you noticed..yet..That our daily newspapers are All taken over by these Zionist ( soulless Creatures and are filled with Nothing of Any Real substance for The People Is Ever Present.. And The paper Gets Thinner Every month ! and soon even It will Soon be Totally Missing For are All owned By these Zionist jews who Print The ..News..Lies.. but too many people are now beginning to Wise up. When It Is the Democratic Thing to do.. [OUR 'Peaceful Path'] ..is to VOTE these ""Members OUT of Congress and OUR ? White House...while expecting the system not to be Rigged Against them !] they have to be dumb as a rock. Change Does not Come To those IN Power.. Not unless THEY are the ONES Opting for That Change. Does Anyone Honestly Think for One Second That the Change that HAS TO Occur.. in our favor... Is going to Happen At THE Polling Booths ? You`d Have to be More naive than A Two year old Child .
A round-a-bout Way To say... This USA has Got to Get these Traitors OUT of Our Politics, Completely..THEN It Will be Possible TO Do What Needs to be Done..FOR these Helpless Palestinians. It has to Begin AT THE Source. The USA is Guilty of Assisting and Abetting These Cruelties That ARE Being Carried OUT..There..And All Over. It HAS TO Be Stopped. WAKE UP..Find your Conscience.. People !
Zionism controls world politics not just a small country in the Middle East.
It is apparent to me that the real goal of Israel ultimately is rule of the entire world from Israel under its New World Order aristocracy, and not just a greater Israel. Zionists believe they can rule better than anyone. I much appreciate Alan's proof that it is Israel that has resisted peace when the Palestinians have been amenable via Arafat's efforts. Generally, the world is blind to this truth. I believe Israel's lack of desire for peace is rooted in its quest to rule the world from a third temple in Jerusalem.
I think Palestinians want to be more active politically, but, as you know, Mr. Hart, the media has poisoned the well against them. To this, add the outright harassment, blacklisting, and sabotage of diaspora Palestinian organizations. If there is some kind of short and sweet solution, it has not become apparent yet.