Palestine – What Next?
Not only to bring about the dissolution of the PA but to have it replaced as soon as possible by a re-structured and re-invigorated PNC (Palestine National Council). Once upon a time this now side-lined, parliament-in-exile was the supreme decision-making body on the Palestinian side. Even Arafat was accountable to it. (It did, in fact, take him six long years to persuade a majority of PNC delegates representing Palestinians nearly everywhere to endorse his policy of politics and compromise with Israel. That happened towards the end of 1979. The PNC vote in favour of Arafat’s policy – the two-state solution – was 296 for it and only four against. From then on the Palestinian door was open to peace on terms which any rational government in Israel would have accepted with relief).
For the PNC to be brought back to life re-structured and re-invigorated, there would have to be elections to it in communities/constituencies throughout the Palestinian diaspora. The following by country and numbers of Palestinians is the most recent available estimate of its composition that I am aware of.
The occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip – 4,200,000
Jordan – 2,900,000
Israel – 1,600,000
Syria – 800,000
Chile – 500,000
Lebanon – 490,000
Saudi Arabia – 280,245
Egypt – 270,245
United States – 270,000
Honduras – 250,000
Venezuela – 245,120
United Arab Emirates – 170,000
Germany -159,000
Mexico – 158,000
Qatar – 100,000
Kuwait – 70,000
El Salvador – 70,000
Brazil – 59,000
Iraq – 57,000
Yemen – 55,000
Canada – 50,975
Australia – 45,000
Libya – 44,000
Denmark – 32,152
United Kingdom – 30,000
Sweden – 25,500
Peru – 20,000
Columbia – 20,000
Spain – 12,000
Pakistan -10,500
Netherlands – 9,000
Greece – 7,500
Norway – 7,000
France – 5,000
Guatemala – 3,500
Austria – 3,000
Switzerland – 2,000
Turkey – 1,000
India – 300
That global spread of the original (1947/48) and subsequent (1967) Palestinian refugees and their descendants is an awesome tribute to the success of Zionist ethnic cleansing.
The prime task of a re-structured and re-invigorated PNC would be to debate and determine Palestinian policy and then represent it by speaking to power with one credible voice. That, I believe, would significantly improve the prospects for getting a real peace process going. By definition a real peace process is one that would require the major powers led by the U.S. to confront the Zionist monster.
The organizational effort required to bring the PNC back to life, re-structured and re-invigorated, is massive, but what might have taken years in the past could be done in months by making best and most effective use of the internet.
If diaspora Palestinians do not now make the effort and put their act together, I think it’s possible, even probable, that future Palestinian historians will conclude that they betrayed their occupied and oppressed brothers and sisters as much as the regimes of an impotent, corrupt and repressive Arab Order did.
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rosemary spiota:
November 15th, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Alan for what it is worth, why does the unrepresentative UNSC decide on a member’s entry? Can the General Assembly be the decider, and would that do any good?
Sheila Coombes:
November 15th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Wow, what a powerful article – a call for action to the Palestinian diaspora for a genuine ‘Palestinian Spring’ – unfortunately I can’t see the assistance given to the ‘Arab Spring’ by outside influences being offered to the Palestinians.
Great info. on Abbas and the legitimacy of his ‘democratic’ leadership at this point i.e. none.
| Palestine – What Next? ~ Alan Hart | | truthaholics:
November 16th, 2011 at 3:20 am
[...] Palestine – What Next? ~ Alan Hart Posted on 16 November 2011 by truthaholics Palestine – What Next? ~ Alan Hart In advance of the formal burial of the Palestinian Authority’s bid for state [...]
John Robertson:
November 16th, 2011 at 5:08 am
“require the major powers led by the U.S. to confront the Zionist monster.”
There is not much chance of that happening Alan.
JRobertson
| Palestine – What Next? ~ Alan Hart. | | War Crimes International:
November 16th, 2011 at 5:10 am
[...] Palestine – What Next? ~ Alan Hart In advance of the formal burial of the Palestinian Authority’s bid for state recognition at the UN, BBC Radio 4′s flagship Today programme was on the right track. In his introduction to a quite revealing report, presenter John Humphrys said reporter Kevin Connolly had gone to Israel to find out “what hopes there are, if any, for the establishment of a Palestinian state.” [...]
Joslyn Hibbert:
November 16th, 2011 at 7:16 am
Hi Alan,
I reiterate the questions posed by rosemary spiota.
Israels rascist apartheid is also fascist in nature, all of which I believe will increase as peaceful resistance actions increase amongst Palestinians. Yesterday, to highlight Israels racist apartheid nature, in the same vein as Rosa Parks, several Palestinian “Freedom Riders”, boarded a Jewish only bus, on a Jewish only road, in the West Bank bound for Jerusalem where Palestinians need a pass to enter. The “Freedom Riders” were isolated and driven to prison.
Gene:
November 16th, 2011 at 7:29 am
Hey, that’s a lot of Palestinians who have been divided and conquered. Just what and who is going to reunite them into a viable force for peace? How about an Occupy Israel movement?
Mhara Costello:
November 16th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Brilliantly powerful article. Every word, perfect sense. Statistical info tremendously helpful too.Thanks Alan.
Graham Griffiths:
November 22nd, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Thank you, Joslyn Hibbert, for that information. The analogy with the Freedom Riders is, I think, very appropriate. And why is it that we have to trawl so assiduously to have any chance of finding out about these events from our own media?
One of the hopes I keep faith in, is the support from within, i.e. the not inconsiderable number of liberal-minded sympathisers for the Palestinian plight who exist within Israel itself. Like the white Freedom Riders, whose bravery simply humbles me, we have to hope groups like Gush Shalom can have some success in getting through to Netanyahu’s right-wing bigots.
Peter Eyre:
November 25th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
If I read between the lines are you saying that not to have a Palestinian Government would be good for Palestinians?….if that is the case I would totally disagree with you because then we would not have the building blocks for a two state solution (that is assuming it were every possible.
Yes you are correct Abbas is not legal in his office and a democratic election should have taken place a long time ago and I would assume that if it did Hamas could well have the majority…..so the US/UK/France and Israel are more than happy to press on with this non effective leader who certainly is a US puppet!!
You have to remember that in West Bank 2/3rd’s of the territory is under Israeli control anyway.
Alan Hart stil Worried and Dreaming: “Jews and Palestinians in peace and partnership could become the light unto nations”. | Uprootedpalestinians's Blog:
November 6th, 2013 at 7:07 pm
[…] 2 years ago, instead of assking, you asked Palestine – What Next? I answered you Nothing but […]