By Abu al-Sous (Salah Mansour)*
Since al-Jazeera TV and The Guardian paper have disclosed the Palestine Papers, it seems everybody has been surprised! The majority of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims were shocked with the level of concessions conceded to Israel, and in the West (especially Europe and the USA) they're perplexed how could Israeli refuse such a generous Palestinian offer to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, such as dissolving the Palestinian refugees' Right of Return, and relinquishing sovereignty over much of Haram al-Shareef and East Jerusalem! In this article, I will present analysis why we should not have been surprised; this has been predictable for a long time.
Many Palestinians (especially within Fateh party) and Arabs have deluded themselves that they can actually fool Israelis. They have convinced themselves that
- Israeli and the Western powers will actually allow a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip,
- Israeli will be receiving all Palestinian refugees who wish to return, and
- Israel will be giving up sovereignty and control over East Jerusalem.
In a nutshell, the deluded people still believe that Israel will dissolve itself as a Zionist state (where Jews are the majority) and it is a matter of time until both states becomes a one bi-national state; what a pipe dream! Sadly, what fueled this delusion that the Palestinian leadership (Yassir Arafat included) were incapable of telling the Palestinian people at what cost their "Swiss Cheese" Palestinian state will be. To have such a state, not only Palestinians have to give up most of their property rights in Israel (who still own over 94% of historic Palestine), Palestinian have to give up their sacred right of return, give-up sovereignty over much of East Jerusalem, and ending the conflict once and for all. Privately, these leaders negotiated with the Israelis and the US as if Palestinians don't exist, and spoke to Palestinians as if Israelis don't exists too! For example, here is a portion of an OP-ED piece by Yassir Arafat published in the NY Times in February 3rd, 2002 clearly giving up Palestinian refugees' right of return, however, to this date this article is being denied by Fateh and of course the double talk continues:
"We understand Israel's demographic concerns and understand that the right of return of Palestinian refugees, a right guaranteed under international law and United Nations Resolution 194, must be implemented in a way that takes into account such concerns." Click here to read the full article.
Let us be frank about this, the problem here isn't limited to Yassir Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmad Qurai', Yasser Abed Rabbo or Saeb Erekat, the problem here that the democratic institution within the PLO body have been systematically destroyed; not only from within the PLO but also within most Palestinian political parties especially Fateh (which was the backbone of Palestinian politics). Lack of accountability within the PLO, made its leadership take the Palestinian people for granted and of course that leads to corruption and to more corruption.
Let us look at the failure of the Oslo Accord as an opportunity to rebuild our democratic institutions from the ground up. Our institutions have to be accountable and transparent especially when it comes to national security matters as the right of return, compensation and Jerusalem. This failure should be the incentive to all of us (especially within the Fateh) to clean house.
For a second, let us assume that you are an Israeli leader and you really want to reach a settlement with Palestinians:
- Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who tell you one thing and tell their people a totally different thing?
- Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who are willing to sellout cheaply the most basic of the people's rights? Such as their people's right of return and compensation.
- Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who were thrown out of office in 2006 election?
- Would you be willing to negotiate seriously knowing the Palestinian people are divided?
When Israel negotiates with Palestinians, it expects something real in return. Israel is willing to allow a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza only when it is confident that the Palestinian people (not just their leaders) will deliver on ending the conflict once for all. Sadly, the current PLO leadership are pathetically weak and the only thing they can provide to Israeli is to become be its jailers in Palestine; what a shame; what a shame.
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Our DATE is 60 years LATE, God willing sooner or later we shall return.* Salah Mansour is the founder and editor of PalestineRemembered.com, the largest Palestinian online community.
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Abu al-Sous (Salah Mansour)
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in addition to the above argument, accomplishing a jewish state is argued to be almost impossible. according to several statistics, the Israeli Palestinians (Palestinians lives in Israel)only by themselves, most likely, will compromise the Jewish state. of course, this analysis is apart from all other, and more influential, factors and may greatly contribute to the end of the injustice in Palestine and the return of historic Palestine.
giving this context, I don't find the role of the PA is very influential in this historical context - I think they are all corrupted and running firms, the negotiations and the cause is a minor thing if compared to the business and the power they acquire from the Israelis. Thanks to the author of this article who pinpointed several truths about the corrupted PA's CEOs. They will all vanish in shame when the apartheid is over.
The PA is simulating a police state, that is still under occupation, something that I've never comprehended! no one can speak, or protest- the many security forces in the PA were well trained by gen Keith Dayton, the security coordinator, I think this is shame career-end for Dayton to leave the Palestinian with plethora of security forces and mafias - following the raw model of the government forces in Egypt that everyone saw in media recently. I guess the training of Mubarak's mafias and forces were also supervised by Dayton - same school.
As Haifa mentioned in her comments down, Occupations come & go, conquerers triumph & parish. History speaks for itself in this land, particularly Jerusalem. It is a holy land, and no injustice can last or thrive on its soil.
Horay for the lovely people in Tunisia & Egypt ... we love the change.
Its time to dismantle the PLO and ban the fate7 party because it is a rotten party consisting of corrupt puppets. Look at how much harm yaser arafat caused our people (thanks to him, we got slaughtered in lebanon, kicked out of kuwait due to his stupid desicion to support saddam hussein, we got the zionist oslo agreement, torture and basicly a dictatorship in the form of fate7.)
Its time to destroy the PLO and make them pay for their crimes.
As for the ONE STATE SOLUTION, i say, such a solution is not a real solution if it doesnt mean expelling each and every soul (whether jew or arab) who entered the israeli army. Nobody who served in the israeli army or in any other way worked against the Palestinian people via zionism should be allowed to be a part of the future state of Palestine who will be located in ALL OF PALESTINE and not only 20 % of it. However, the immigrated jews who did not take part in terrorism or zionism against us should be offered Palestinian citizenship.
1) Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who tell you one thing and tell their people a totally different thing?
2) Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who are willing to sellout cheaply the most basic of their people's rights? Such as their people's right of return and compensation.
3) Would you be willing to negotiate seriously with such Palestinian negotiators who were thrown out of office in 2006 election?
4) Would you be willing to negotiate seriously knowing the Palestinian people are divided?
--But Abu has it wrong!!! Of course Israelis would be MORE than happy to split the Palestinian leadership from their people by exacerbating any rifts between the two. Israeli leaders WANT to negotiate with quislings. 'Divide and Conquer' is as true in the days of ancient Rome as it is today. Israel wants exactly what it's got: a divided Palestinian leadership and a dis-spirited Palestinian people! The REAL question is, "How could Abu al-Sous not see this?!"
Do not blame the Israelis for failure, what is blatantly obvious is the unreliability of the present Palestinian representatives to deliver on their promises; promises which will never be accepted by the Palestinian people.
Perhaps now, given the reference to percentages, for instance, you cite Israel still owns over 94% of historic Palestine, you will go back to 1921, when the British unilaterally gave away 73% of Palestine to the foreign Hashemite caliph. For some reason, Palestinians rejected King Hussein of Jordan's comment that Jordan is Palestine, and even with the present Palestinian majority in Rabat Amman, Palestinian politicians dare not whisper a word about the major portion of their homeland.
Now is the time to confront Abdullah, and demand Palestine be returned to the Palestinians.
82. Thou shalt certainly find the Jews and those who associate partners with ALLAH to be the most vehement of men in enmity against the believers. And thou shalt assuredly find those who say, `We are Christians,' to be the nearest of them in friendship to the believers. That is because among them are savants and monks and because they are not arrogant.
لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الْيَهُودَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ الَّذِينَ قَالُوَاْ إِنَّا نَصَارَى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَاناً وَأَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ }المائدة82
F R E E D O M F O R P A L E S T I N A ! ! ! !
When will Allah destroy them?
Hasbee Allah wa na3m al wakeel!
Hit abass and his cronies with your heaviest shoes on their ugly, damned, cursed faces!
The information revolution will unite the children of our world who will unite in search for real truths, in true spirituality that equalizes all earth, the real holy land, and all the chosen ones, and their bretheren the other species. We will go back the way we came, and when we return again it will be through truth, not the lies of old preliterate scribes writing to please the king empowering his clan perpetually, keeping the world at war, with one victim fighting another, the will of kings, fueled by lust and greed, possessed by the demons of ignorance, worshiping, gold, diamonds, seeking title to perceived worlds productive assets with lawyers and judges, real criminals seeking the return of nobility hiding behind title deed, and predatory law, used to steal assets and enslave people.
No Israel will not stand the test of time, Only " Truth " shall pass. And no matter how powerful they become, using misdirection and deception as their tool, the spirituality that possesses man and indeed nature, shall set things right------change or perish.
I am with you.
Michael S. Moore
Also. The writer whome i never heared about is asking for a country with governmental organizations , well, this is what abbas is trying to do and they are not allowing him to do (israel and people like this writer).
one final comment. When abo ammar worked for oslo, he created a new place for the palestinian leadership instead of being far for thousands of kilometers back in tunisia. Oslo was just a part of the palestinian journey toward freedom and npt the last step, you need to believe in leadership and the vision, and you need to beloeve that the revolution is not only a rifle, it much much more bigger than that.
In the end, supposedly representative Palestinians did not sign away the Right of Return, etc. If they had, it would have been damaging, to be sure, bolstering the Jewish sense of justification in their state. But it would not have been as definitive a thing as the article treats it as being.
At this point it doesn't matter much that the UN gave most of Palestine to the Jews, which it did (through duress by pro-Israel Jews). What matters more is that the Jews have the power to keep it. This power includes complicated power over Western governments and media, including those individuals who wish to enter and remain in the US Legislature. It likely also includes fostering disagreement and antipathy between Palestinians.
Don't blame your fellow Palestinians. They aren't the problem.
Palestine was stolen from the Palestinian Arabs 1948 by the World Jewish community and the assistance of politicians in the USA and UK. All real and personal property, banks accounts, the expulsion of 800,000, and the death of many thousand took place. Since then Palestine has been a Jewish prison for the past sixty years with continuous oppression and murder.
Until Palestine is returned to the Palestinian people there will never be any peace. The continued presence and interference of the illegal Israeli State that ignores numerous United Nation mandates is one of the greatest crimes on this planet, and the cause of ever incresing international friction.
The Palestinian people must never allow themselves to be deluded and distracted by other issues - the real issue is 1948.
المتتبع للأحداث ويملك الحفاصةفب أبسط حالاتها يدرك أن هذه الزمرة برفضهاوتهربهامن التئام شقي الوطن يدرك أن في رؤوسهم شيئا يخفونة ويدبرونه. السماسره حاضرون وليسوا ببعيد عن المسرح الهزيل فاتحين أفواههم للدولارات التعيسةليقبضوها فوق ماقبضوه يوم نكبتناولم يكتفوا لعنهم الله سبعين لعن لمافعلوه بنا وما زالوا.هذه الطغمة الفاسدة يجب اجتثاثهابالقانون أو بغيره لانها لم تفوض من كامل شعبنا في الداخل والشتات ليتنازلوا عن حقوقنا.لقد استهانوا بناالى أبعد حد ويبدو أنهم بسكوتنا أن فلسطين لهم وحدهم يبيعون فيها وفينا كيفما شاءوا.يجب ايقافهم والحجر عليهم لأنهم في حالهم هذايشكلون خطرا على القضية وعلى أهلها. واني أشكر الله الذي حفظ لساني من قول مايستحقون ولكني احتراما للناس ترفعت عن ذلك مع شديد غضبي وحزني في ان معا