The War On the Palestinian People

It is so sad. Before Arafat initiated the Second Stupidfada, Israeli and Palestinian economies were integrating. In four years Pali unemployment had gone from around 35% to around 15%. One of Arafat's lieutenants said at the time something like: "men who are eating do not become martyrs". In other words integration was a threat to Arafat's war plans.

The pivotal event in this process was Chairman Arafat's strategic decision to launch the armed uprising of September 2000, popularly known as the "El-Aqsa Intifada," both in its own territories and the State of Israel.10 This followed the breakdown of the Camp David talks of July 2000, and signified Yasser Arafat's rejection of a negotiated settlement. Even before this event, disturbing facts began to surface indicating that the leadership of the PLO had made a policy decision against the creation of a democratic society and to stop the development of economic ties with Israel, one of the main pillars of the Oslo Accords.

The purpose of the suicide bombers was not to kill Jews. Let me state that differently - the killing of Jews was incidental. The purpose of the suicide bombing campaign was to isolate and impoverish the Palestinians. It has served this purpose very well. No lack of martyrs now.

Before Stupidfada II I was a supporter of the Palis. Since then - not so much. They elected a government with a war platform. They are getting the war they wanted. I'm wondering why they are not happy? After all they are getting what they voted for.

It looks like some folks in the Middle East are finally getting it. Here are a few quotes from Iraq the Model

"The problem with the thinking pattern of Arabs is that-unfortunately-it got dominated by the way of thinking of the rulers. The rulers are essentially the enemies of the people and our intellectuals are suffering from schizophrenia. But did the Arabs and Palestinians learn anything from the Israeli reaction?

Did they learn that the human life is the most precious of all the treasures of nations and that all tools of war and peace are reserved to serve this life? Did they learn that for the sake of one person in danger a whole nation would care and worry? While thousands of lives are taken in the secret prisons in Arab countries without remorse or deterrence!

How many Palestinians lost their lives or homes because of this or that reckless mischief of Hamas? Is the Palestinian so cheap to be spent for the sake of a record of fake heroism? Shame on the kidnappers who keep their families and money away from the danger while using the poor as human shields"
Hatif al-Iraqi: Baghdad/Iraq.

So at least some are waking up to who the real enemies of the Palestinians are.

Technorati:
Israel, Shalit, Olmert, Palistinians, Middle East, Hamas, Middle East Rules, Lebanese Rules, Iraq