*Agustín Velloso is Professor of Education Sciences at the Spanish Distance Education National University (UNED) in Madrid.
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"Let the Palestinians engage in never ending discussions about ministerial appointments and accountability, let the world talk about P.A. democratic ways and performance, let Western think tanks and newspapers elaborate about this new discovery of Middle East policy. In the meantime Israel can keep on with its well known dreadful policies. What the old Zionist guard used to say in the last century, still holds true today: 'it does not matter what the gentiles say or do, what it matters is what Israel does' -and what the US approves of". While rank and file Palestinians of the resistance against the occupiers of their land are risking their lives everyday in an unequal war; while Palestinian civilians, many children amongst them, are striving for survival; while many non Palestinian people are carrying out solidarity actions in favor of the Palestinian cause all around the world, Palestinian political leaders in the Authority and in the Legislative Council waste their time picking up a new speaker to talk on their behalf with the other "partner in peace", that is, Israel, and the "honest broker", that is, the United States. Do not they have anything better to do for the struggle of national liberation, while their constituents are being killed by the hundreds? Could Abu Mazen protect a single child from being shot at by a snipper -soldier or settler, in any event both largely equipped, supported and financed by the US- since the second Intifada began? Did he say he is going to do it from now on? But, wait a minute, several mistakes have slipped in. The authority stopped fighting for liberation some time ago. What they have been doing lately is trying to find an accommodation between the Zionist movement and its aims and the Palestinian people and their aspirations. Perhaps, one of the signs of this -although not the only one- is that Israel kills children and freedom fighters, but not Authority representatives. Incredible as it may seems, Arafat and Co. are still unaware that Zionist and Palestinian goals are totally conflicting. What any stone-thrower under 18 years of age knows, Arafat does not know. That is why that child goes to the Gaza streets to confront the Merkavas, and Arafat goes to Camp David to shake hands with the one who sends the tanks to Gaza. Nobody pays attention to the P.A. lately. People is concerned about events in Iraq and stopped caring for the what Arafat say and do even before the crisis erupted. However, as it happens with children, P.A. leaders like to get some attention from their tutors. Now you can hear a Prime Minister is going to be appointed. The appointee is Abu Mazen. The news bulletins in the West say again and again that both the position a new one- and the person -a senior one- are a must for the Palestinian democracy and management and for a better relationship with Israel. Why, then, do not these bulletins call for general elections instead? Why, then, do not these bulletins criticise P.A. security forces interrogation methods of political detainees and the Authority treatment of opposition leaders? In any event, what kind of democracy are the critics aiming for? A democracy made in the US, or in Israel, which send tanks and war airplanes to kill civilians in their homes and children in their way to school in Iraq, Palestine and some other countries? The truth is that there are no constituents in the Occupied Territories, there is just a whole population living inside an ever shrinking and suffocating prison. Most of the Palestinians are not only prisoners but third class prisoners, that is to say, they have all kind of constraints, many are even malnourished. Neither human rights nor democracy for these millions. Western leaders talk about democracy for their counterparts, just for the P.A. leaders, they never mention the remaining three million prisoners. There will be some democracy for the prison jailer deputy and the much heralded Prime Minister: the Authority and Abu Mazen. It is enough to compare Abu Mazen's luxurious villa in Gaza with any refugee's house in the same city, although not in the same area, to realise that the owner is not the kind of leader a people fighting for national liberation needs now. But, in case you still have some doubts, listen to what Israeli or US commentators say about him to be sure he is definitely not the right person for Palestinians and the favourite of those. Dennis Ross, for example, says he is the best partner as far as he really has executive power. In other words, if Abu Mazen can once and for all crush the Palestinian resistance movement, then, he, and not Arafat, will receive the prison's keys and will be allowed to travel to Camp David and to appear in front page pictures with world leaders. But this crushing and this travelling is what Israel and its main supporter, the US, want. Only traitors, collaborators in Palestinian parlance, could accept this proposal. Israel, as any other occupying power, is very conscious abut the real leaders of the people it has to keep under the boot. That is why Bargouti is in prison and that is why HAMAS and Islamic Yihad leaders are trying hard to avoid being the target of the IDF missiles. If hundreds of your people are being killed, if thousands are being injured, if hundred of thousands are being fiercely repressed by an occupying force, you can do many many things for them before accepting the position of Prime Minister that will only satisfy the occupier. This is the double tragedy of the Palestinian movement nowadays: Palestinians confront both a very powerful army commanded by a remorseless leader, and a leadership that has totally renounced to its national aims. There is no way for the resistance to win in both fronts at the same time. At the same time, unfortunately, the Zionists have placed themselves, again with invaluable US help, in a winning position. With a Palestinian Prime Minister, Israel will change a tired and incompetent old leader for a new and more compliant one. It also buys time. Now, Abu Mazen has to prove he deserves this new opportunity the Palestinians have been given. The only way for him to do so is to satisfy Israel and US demands, which are not the Palestinian needs. If he fails, Israel will win, since it and the US will put the blame on him and Israel will crush the Palestinian by itself, with renewed US support. But if he succeeds, Israel will win as well. Neither the IDF, nor Israeli prisons, but the Palestinian security forces and Palestinians prisons will repress the Palestinians. No more Western TV crews filming the Israeli soldiers breaking into Gaza streets and shooting at Palestinians. The myth of the ethos of the Israeli soldier will shine again. An up to date version of occupation by remote control. Let the Palestinians engage in never ending discussions about ministerial appointments and accountability, let the world talk about P.A. democratic ways and performance, let Western think tanks and newspapers elaborate about this new discovery of Middle East policy. In the meantime Israel can keep on with its well known dreadful policies. What the old Zionist guard used to say in the last century, still holds true today: it does not matter what the gentiles say or do, what it matters is what Israel does -and what the US approves of. |
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