Monday, June 21, 2004
A COMMON SENSE OBSERVATION ON THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE PALESTINIANS
By Michael Totten.
Where I'd disagree is that I believe in a free election in Gaza and the West Bank...or what would pass for one given the goon squad nature of the PA...that the Palestinians would probably elect Arafat as their negotiating spokesman simply to spite Israel( though a hardline Islamist candidate would poll well. A moderate candidate who seemed to have more potential than just a fringe candidacy would probably be assassinated by the Islamists or jailed by the PA).
My reasoning is that in public expression of political feeling, nationalism among the Palestinians takes a backseat to anti-Zionism at the present time. Privately expressed opinion may differ but apparently harming Israelis through terrorism is still valued too highly by a large enough minority of Palestinians to make peace negotiations, much less a lasting peace, impossible. The two state solution will work only when a large enough majority of Palestinians strongly value the establishment of a state enough to want their representatives to use force to suppress the bitter-end militants.
¶ 7:40 PM
By Michael Totten.
Where I'd disagree is that I believe in a free election in Gaza and the West Bank...or what would pass for one given the goon squad nature of the PA...that the Palestinians would probably elect Arafat as their negotiating spokesman simply to spite Israel( though a hardline Islamist candidate would poll well. A moderate candidate who seemed to have more potential than just a fringe candidacy would probably be assassinated by the Islamists or jailed by the PA).
My reasoning is that in public expression of political feeling, nationalism among the Palestinians takes a backseat to anti-Zionism at the present time. Privately expressed opinion may differ but apparently harming Israelis through terrorism is still valued too highly by a large enough minority of Palestinians to make peace negotiations, much less a lasting peace, impossible. The two state solution will work only when a large enough majority of Palestinians strongly value the establishment of a state enough to want their representatives to use force to suppress the bitter-end militants.
¶ 7:40 PM
