Only
Palestinians Can Change Their Reality
The Palestinians are captives who are convinced
they could not manage without their donating
captors
By Amira Hass
August 25,
2017 "Information
Clearing House"
- Let’s start from the end: Even if the
Palestinians had a single, united, respected
leadership that had a reputation for integrity,
and even if its members excelled intellectually,
were committed to their people and strategically
capable, it would have been difficult for it to
challenge the dispossessive/acquisitive
enterprise that Israel keeps strengthening and
enhancing. Difficult, but possible.
There is no single leadership, however, but
several, and they are squabbling with each other
even when they are from the same party (Fatah),
organization (PLO) or institutional umbrella
(two governments). It’s not because of
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but because
of a system and modus operandi, of which he is
one of the creators and products at the same
time.
The Palestinian public’s attitude toward the
leadership is characterized by suspicion,
disdain and contempt, along with fear. The
milder accusations directed at the leadership in
Ramallah speak of a lack of organization,
inefficiency and laziness. The more serious
accusations are of corruption and clinging to
power for personal and sectarian motives.
Similar accusations are somewhat less bluntly
leveled at the Gazan government and at NGOs.
For many it’s clear that the Oslo framework,
which expired in 1999, was a trap. The countries
donating to the Palestinians continue to uphold
it for fear of an even greater humanitarian
disaster and loss of control, and because they
are boundlessly loyal to Israel. The donations
have decreased but remain a trap. They require
obedience and maintenance of “calm,” or permit
only low-intensity rage. But the Palestinians
are captives who are convinced they could not
manage without their donating captors.
The head spins and the heart aches, because
facing them is a sophisticated, wicked,
effective enemy who has no borders.
Visually, the image of an octopus might be
appropriate, but there are two problems with
using it to depict the Israeli regime. One is
that it recalls anti-Semitic caricatures, but
that’s the problem of a regime that imitates
caricatures. The second is that Israel sends out
far more than eight tentacles as it cooks up a
mix of several traditions of domination –
military occupation, colonialism (the removal of
a people from its homeland to settle others
there instead) and apartheid (since the
expulsion wasn’t totally successful, there
followed separation based on inequality). It
should be clear that this refers to the
situation on both sides of the Green Line.
Israel was given a chance to change in 1993. It
chose to miss it.
A better image would be that of a computer that
spews out commands in every direction. Once
programmed, it doesn’t stop. It sends official
armed gangs to burst into people’s houses as
they sleep and to confiscate money and property;
destruction squads to crush kindergartens, homes
and wells; and unofficial armed gangs to boot
out shepherds and farmers. It also employs land
thieves – the clerks, planners, architects and
building contractors – who make sure that the
Palestinians suffocate in their built-up areas.
The space is all for Jews, says the supreme
command. The computer also issues intellectual
commands: Ignore everything by indulging in the
depths of Jewish heritage. Nullify everything as
unimportant through pride in our nation, which
produces Nobel laureates. Declaim our suffering
and heroism in Auschwitz.
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Against
the efficient and complex Israeli apparatuses
stand the Palestinians with a host of competing
leaders, conflicting strategies, uncoordinated
government ministries, information that isn’t
public knowledge and is not accurate, the
tiresome duplication of institutions whose work
overlaps, the empty slogans and despair. One
expression of this despair is the declaration
that Israel is the strong one, therefore change
can and must come only from Israel. But no;
Israelis have no interest in changing the
situation. We benefit from it. The initial
change can and must come from the Palestinians
themselves, in their own home.
Amira Hass is the Haaretz
correspondent for the Occupied Territories.
Born in Jerusalem in 1956, Hass
joined Haaretz in 1989, and has been in her
current position since 1993. As the
correspondent for the territories, she spent
three years living in Gaza, which served of the
basis for her widely acclaimed book, "Drinking
the Sea at Gaza." She has lived in the West Bank
city of Ramallah since 1997.
Hass is
also the author of two other books, both of
which are compilations of her articles.
This
article was first published by
Haaretz
-
Palestinians in Ramallah Protest Visit of White
House Delegation
By i24NEWS
Many Palestinians in
Ramallah protested on Thursday
afternoon against the
arrival of a White House
delegation to Israel on Thursday
that is on a visit to further
advance a peace process between
Israel and the Palestinian
Authority (PA).
According to a Tweet published
by the new Israeli Public
Broadcasting Corporation known
as “Kan,” the demonstrators
accused both President Donald
Trump along with his son-in-law
and close adviser, Jared Kushner
of being a “Zionist dog.”
Kushner, along with Trump’s
Israel adviser Jason Greenblatt
are a part of the visiting
delegation.
PA officials
recently, have shown growing
frustrations
with the Trump administration’s
handling of the peace process
and in particular with its
refusal to explicitly call for a
two state solution.
Omar al-Ghoul, a Palestinian
political analyst, said there
was little optimism from the
Palestinian leadership.
"The level of optimism from the
Palestinian leadership and
people towards the Trump
administration is zero," a
Palestinian political analyst,
Omar al-Ghoul told AFP.
Just yesterday, US State
Department spokesperson Heather
Nauert
reiterated the Trump
administration’s continued
opposition
towards calling for a two-state
solution, arguing that doing so
would show bias.
This
article was first published by
i24NEWS
-