What Palestinians Think Today
Nadene Goldfoot
Mohammed Daraghmeh and Dan Perry wrote from Ramallah about what Palestinians are thinking about today, seeing all the Arab states revolting and wanting more freedom and democracy. Right next door to them they have seen Egypt in an uprising and Syria with deadly riots wanting freedom.
They complain about Israel's control over Palestinians' lives without realizing that it stems from the volatile attacks of their Hamas rulers against Israel, causing Israel to have to take protective steps for their own citizens. It comes from their Fatah Authority wanting all or nothing and leaving the peace table. A law student in Gaza, Saed Issac, 22 yr old said they have to have national unity first, elect new leaders, and work to achieve an end of the occupation. Israel pulled out of Gaza 5 years ago, and they're under Hamas rule, but they still blame Israel for their ills.
In the meantime, Palestinians are going under the table trying to gain statehood without talking peace with Israel. They have approached the eager UN countries in which 120 out of 192 joined their bandwagon to recognize a Palestine. Even though in 1967 all the Arab countries attacked Israel and Israel managed to win, the countries are dismissing that huge fact and just want to reward Palestinians anyway.
Besides the barrage of missiles and mortars that are raining in on Israel, they have used Facebook as a social tool to get names for support called "Let's End the Occupation." If they ever thought of "Let's end the belligerency against Israel and make nice" --but then I'm dreaming. Right now the only idea of a peaceful presentation is talk of a peaceful march, shades of Gandi.
According to Mohammed's article, officials are thinking that militants could take over the effort and become violent. Another threat to Israel is that the Palestinian Authority could disband and saddle Israel with responsibility for civil and security affairs in Judea and Samaria.. That's sort of what happened to Israel by defending themselves and winning in 1967. If they hadn't done that, they would have lost the country they had prayed for for 2,000 years and all their citizens of 5 million would have been slaughtered.
Evidently there have been protests in Gaza but Hamas supported them as well as dispersed them with violence. It sounds rather bi-polar to me. As it turns out, the young generation is not happy with Hamas. I wonder when these young unhappy people will decide that it's time to live in peace instead of war. How Israel lives is actually what all the other Arabs actually want to copy, of course without the dodging of missile and mortars of their neighbor. A democracy has been sitting in their midst and they have seen a free people, even their own Arab countrymen living freely in Israel. But then they voted in Hamas.
You know, Israel wants freedom too, freedom from threats coming from Palestinian leaders that would put an end to Israel. Our people have suffered so much in the past 2,000 years to the point of almost being decimated betweeen a Crusade, an Inquisition and the Holocaust. From our midsts came some pretty fantastic people, yet we seem to be the scapegoat of the world. We have a lot to offer and just want to live in peace. It's time the Palestinians thought about making peace with Israel.
3/27/11 Gaza Youth want to join with Fatah only want their own movement and are against Fatah trying to make peace with Israel yet don't want Hamas. It looks like the youth want everything but on their own terms.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110326/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_arab_spring/print
3/27/11
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110328/wl_time/08599206166100
