Don’t Feed the Animals
David Gerstman writes on Israpundit,
Khaled Abu Toameh releases this bombshell:
Those who decided to boycott the ceremony include Fatah officials Hatem Abdel Kader and Muhammed Hourani, who played a major role in the behind-the-scenes talks that resulted in the Geneva Accord.
Abdel Kader told The Jerusalem Post that the main goal of the Geneva Accord was to create a schism inside Israel and undermine the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. “Our aim was to create divisions inside Israel and block the growth of the right-wing in Israel.”
So the Geneva Accord is a Trojan horse. And […] Ha’aretz sees no problem using its news pages in supporting this effort whose admitted goal is to undermine Israeli democracy.
I’m going to have to counter the spin here. How any of this is a subversion of democracy is beyond me. Helping people understand the nature of their political allegiences strengthens democracy; it does not subvert it.
While the Accords may very well have been created, in part, with the interest of creating a rift among Israelis and impeding the growth of the Right, as a Jew and a Leftist Zionist, I am completely in favor of the same ends. The Right’s rejection of the Geneva Accords is a perfect illustration of their disinterest in peace and their committment to the expansion of settlements and “greater Israel.” By being as vehemently opposed to the Accords as he is, Sharon’s actions are sure to cause the well-needed rift required to push Israel back towards the Left, and a path of peace.
At the same time, this serves a similar cause in the occupied territories. If ever there will be peace, a moderate Arab leadership is necessary. And while Arafat is singing praise of the Accords to the media, Fatah’s on PA radio calling the signers of the Accords “traitors and collaborators.” The Jerusalem Post reported today that one of the authors was shot at in his home last night. People should be seizing this as an opportunity to demonstrate that the extremist Arab leadership is turning on its own people to deny peace in the region. We should be asking Washington to publically denounce the actions of Fatah (specifically pertaining to this topic) and condemn Arafat for his doublespeak, and then (this’ll fuck their shit right up–they won’t even know what to think) call on the UN to send in forces to protect the drafters of the Accords from being assasinated.
Thus, the term Trojan Horse is rather misleading. Perhaps Arafat and certain members of Fatah saw it could be used that way; but I believe there are moderates who have actually invested real hope in it. Sadly their hopes have been quelled by the disturbing reality of militarism and extremism which can, with ease, translate into threats against their lives.
We need to make dissent safe in Palestine. We need to find ways of protecting people who dare speak out against extremism from the extremists themselves, without moving them to safehouses in foreign nations. That way we can cultivate a moderate Palestinian leadership that will be a true partner for peace.
Other than that, you’re just on a one-way road to ethnic cleansing.
We need to make dissent safe in Palestine. We need to find ways of protecting people who dare speak out
I beg to differ-
It seems to me that the Palestinians who negotiated the Geneva accord have bent over backwards and sold out the #1 goal of the Palestinian movement – the right of return.
And yet – fatwas considered – they seem to be in much better shape than say, Yitzhak Rabin for example
It seems to me that the Palestinians who negotiated the Geneva accord have bent over backwards and sold out the #1 goal of the Palestinian movement – the right of return.
first of all, justify that statement. the only stipulation by any “legitimate” palestinan body (the plo) is the total destruction of israel. there’s nothing about the right of return in the plo charter, so please, show me where hamas, hizbollah, islamic jihad, the people’s front for the liberation of palestine, the popular front for the liberation of palestine, fatah, the al aqsa martyr’s brigade, or any of these other organizations demand a right of return, and demand it as the primary focus of their struggle.
they don’t want the right to return–they want “from the river to the sea.” that’s not return, nor is it an acceptable concession for israel either.
dude, why are you being an apologist for arab extremism? you make it sound as tho, for making legitimate concessions, fatah is justified in killing these people. that, friend, is morally reprehensible.
man, sometimes your spot on, and other times i can’t believe i even talk to you.
also, show me where in the geneva accords the palestinians are denied the right of return. it simply isn’t stipulated. neither is the p.n.a. required to recognize israel’s sovereignty. or did you miss that part? this plan sucks just as bad for israel as it does for the palestinians, but at least it’s something they both agree on.
it’s either this or unilateralism.
first of all, justify that statement. the only stipulation by any “legitimate” palestinan body (the plo) is the total destruction of israel. there’s nothing about the right of return in the plo charter, so please, show me where hamas, hizbollah, islamic jihad, the people’s front for the liberation of palestine, the popular front for the liberation of palestine, fatah, the al aqsa martyr’s brigade, or any of these other organizations demand a right of return, and demand it as the primary focus of their struggle.
I think this is simply a misunderstanding.
You seem to be assuming I only was referring to Palestinian extremist and militant groups, as opposed to the Palestinian people themselves.
When I said “the Palestinian movement” I suppose I really meant “the Palestinian people”, which as you know number in the millions, above and beyond terrorists and militants. Of course, any reasonable person must admit that the vast majority of Palestinians are not terrorists, and do not realistically expect or demand “from the river to the sea” for a Palestinian state.
if you can show me west bank or gaza based organizations that are non-violent and truly represent numbers in thousands, tens of thousands, or millions which say that they demand the right of return, i will cede your remark
besides, what’s wrong with undermining this f*cked up right wing gov’t? secular centrists on both sides should be helping each other to undermine the far-right, fundamentalist, minority nutcases on both sides. when more of that starts to happen, we’ll all be in a lot better shape.
kol hakavod!
israel does not exist. palestine should not be considered israel.