6 March
2006
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DISPOSSESSING, CONTROLLING and
PERMANENTLY
SUBJUGATING the PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
FRIENDS as well as FOES have done this to the Palestinians
The
Israeli-inspired mention of 'Palestinian Territories' at the Oscar's
Sunday night in a sense telecasts the new language far and wide --
no
real state, no real homeland, nothing even close to self-determination
but rather permanent dispossession and in effect imprisonment on the
now scattered, divided, controlled and individually cut-off 'territories'.
MER -
MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 6 March.
There are well-meaning but oh-so-naive do-gooders -- especially many of
those in th U.S. and Europe -- pleading for funds
for the Palestinians to keep the 'two-state solution' and the
'Palestinian Authority' in the person of Mahmoud Abbas alive even if
very unwell. Many of these are the same persons
and
groups who promoted the 'Oslo Peace Process', supported the miserably
corrupt PA, and in too many cases themselves benefited in the bank from
a 'peace process' that was oh-so disingenuous and dishonest. from the
start and always designed to screw the Palestinians.
Now in 2006 the
suffering of
the Palestinian people is far worse than ever, Israeli settlements have
more
than doubled in the past 'Oslo Peace Process' decade, and the
apartheid
realities of the Palestinian predicament have escalated far beyond all
previous conceptions.
The do-gooders, now championed by former World Bank President James
Wolfensohn who was replaced by Paul Wolfowitz, are clammering again to
do this and do that -- obliious it seems to how wrong they have been
for so long about so much, refusing to face their own responsibility
for how much worse a situation they are partly culpable for having
brought about.
What the Israelis are really
doing to the Palestinians behind all their masks of 'security', and
'PA', and 'Hamas evil', is to still further divide, disenfranchise, and
permanently
subjogate the Palestinian people. It's considerable worse in many
ways than Indians on Reservations in America; worse than Blacks on
Bantustans in the former Apartheid South Africa. The Israeli-inspired
mention of 'Palestinian Territories' at the Oscar's Sunday night in a
sense telecasts the new language far and wide -- no real state, no real
homeland, nothing even close to self-determination but rather permanent
dispossession and in effect imprisonment on the now scattered, divided,
everywhere controlled and individually cut-off 'territories'.
The results of these policies have
aleady been tremendously negative for the region and for the world. The
future results of what is happening today could well be catastrophic in
the future.
This reflective article from Israel's leading daily, Ha'aretz,
a few days ago. There are interesting insights into the current
political gerrimandering underway, but the article hardly begins to
give the many sordid details of how bad things have now been made for
the Palestinian people, what the terrible costs have been for so long
in so many ways, and what worse things are still being planned and now
likely to be brought about.
----------------------
Three states for two
peoples
By Akiva Eldar
Ha'aretz, Tel-Aviv - 1 March: A small group of Israelis and Palestinians, including senior and
retired security officials, academics and political activists, were
invited by IPCRI, the Israel Palestinian Center for Research and
Information, to discuss the status of the two states for two peoples
idea following Hamas' victory in the Palestinian parliamentary
elections.
Dr. Riad Malki, the head of the Panorama Research Institute in
Ramallah, surveyed the political situation in the territories and
presented the new reality materializing there. Without anyone realizing
it, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are being transformed into two
separate entities.
"Israel's decision not to allow passage of Hamas ministers between Gaza
and the West Bank has far-reaching ramifications," Malki pointed out.
"The significance is that prime minister designate Ismail Haniyeh and
most of his ministers will be Gazans, and the Gaza Strip will be
transformed into the Palestinian Authority's main headquarters. The
important decisions will be made there and most PA activities will take
place there. The government offices, located in Ramallah, will be run
by deputy ministers."
Even though PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas can access both regions - unlike
Haniyeh, who is not permitted to enter the West Bank - Fatah is likely
to lose what little remaining influence it has in Gaza. In Malki's
forecast, when Gaza is transformed into Hamastan, the West Bank will be
transformed into Fatahland. Over five years of assassinations and
arrests have diluted the Hamas leadership in the West Bank and swung
the balance of internal power within the organization in favor of the
Gaza Strip. The institution of the presidency is now essentially being
transformed into a source of power, a mini-state, a counterweight
against the government, says the Palestinian researcher, a man with
access to the political corridors of power. Therefore, he is willing to
bet that Fatah will not be tempted by Hamas' offer to join its
government. At most, a few party activists will join the Haniyeh
government under the guise of being "independents."
According to Malki, associates of Abu Mazen are now working on
entrenching his status through legislative and practical means, such as
command of the security apparatuses and the administrative offices, as
well as control of ties with the international community, the Arab
world and Israel. Hamas' refusal to recognize the state of Israel will
turn Abu Mazen's office into the only address for foreign leaders
coming to visit the territories. Every photo of a meeting between Abu
Mazen and a foreign dignitary will further highlight Haniyeh's
isolation.
Arafat is laughing in his grave
Malki reminds Israelis that the Sharon government was among those
pressuring Yasser Arafat to institute a mixed political system -
presidential and parliamentary.
"The office of prime minister was an addition that was made solely in
order to alter the balance of power and weaken Arafat's power," Malki
explained. Now Arafat can laugh in his grave at the distress of those
who did not want him and instead got the heirs of Ahmed Yassin, another
deceased person who can roar with laughter.
"At that time," noted Malki, "the president and the prime minister were
members of the same party and the transfer of authorities from one side
to the other was all in the family. No one ever imagined that Hamas
would run in the elections for the legislative council, not to mention
the elections for the post of prime minister.
"The political system and the basic laws are having a hard time dealing
with the new situation of a two-headed administration," added Malki.
"The laws passed dealt only with the transition period after Oslo and
did not consider the long term. The result is that there are no laws
that can provide legislative support for the division of powers. The
basic law was written for the president, and the prime minister's
authority evolved afterward and derived its power from that. In effect,
the president is the one who bears supreme responsibility and is the
most significant figure."
Malki says Hamas' internal campaign focuses on the authorities and
responsibilities of the parliament and the government, as if the
institution of president did not exist and its powers were of no value.
"They built on the fact that Abu Mazen would not utilize these powers
to fight against them, but he surprised them and showed that he won't
hesitate to use them. They also understood that Abu Mazen is their
safety net against the world and that they need him like air to
breathe. That is why Hamas changed its tactics and is trying to
neutralize Abu Mazen by making flattering declarations and showing some
respect for the man. This is a very clever group. They know that in our
culture, a bear hug is an acceptable means for reducing the danger of
your rival. Abu Mazen never dreamed that his position would be so
strong. Who knows, perhaps this new situation is affecting his quiet
nature and extracting from him leadership qualities."
The comments made by Malki, who for years was a key member of the
Popular Front, did not reveal any tinge of regret. He even noted that
on the eve of the elections, when Abu Mazen sought to take some
preventive action in advance of the impending blow from Hamas, Fatah
leaders thwarted his proposal to introduce amendments to the
constitution that would enable him to appoint a vice president, another
counterweight to the prime minister, and enact an emergency law
authorizing him in special cases to cancel the elections and announce
new elections.
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