After Arafat died, there was a general sense that things may improve. Olive branches were being extended, apologies for the armed uprising prompted by basically nothing were flowing, and all seemed to be improving.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking the end of the father of modern day terrorism means a new era of peace for Israel and the PLO. In fact, judging from the new head of the Fata Movement’s recent words to the Iranian media, I would say there’s as small a chance now as ever because some Palestinians just can’t seem to get through their heads that the answer to peace is not shoving Israel into the sea.
“At this stage there will be two states,” Khaddoumi told Iran’s Al Aram television last week. “Many years from now, there will be only one.”
Khaddoumi in no uncertain terms has basically thrown down a gauntlet here.
For years, the mission of the PLO and in particular Arafat’s Fata Movement have existed with the sole purpose of pushing Israel into the sea. Their very logo is the entire land from Israel to the West Bank and Gaza. Why would the Palestinians have a logo that includes land that is not theirs? Because the people running the show have a goal of cleansing the land of Israelis, by violent means if necessary.
For all the talk about cycles of violence from certain critics, we always here how Israel can stop the cycle of violence. The Palestinians get a pass for starting the intifada. The Palestinians get a pass for suicide bombings both by vocal supporters and the UN who couldn’t bring itself to call the bombing of a discotheque or pizza parlour a war crime.
Imagine if an Israeli leader had said something akin to “Many years from now, there will be only one state on this land.” The outrage that would follow would be palpable. The horror would be played in every media outlet. We’d hear about what Israel must do to end the cycle of violence. Look at the settlements in the West Bank! Enclaves of Israelis living in the West Bank and they must be removed! We must cleanse the Palestinian homeland of the evil Zionists! Imagine if the rest of the world thought that way? Black people would have to live in Africa. Chinese in China. It wouldn’t fly for the rest of the world, but it works just fine for the Middle East. After all, it’s only the Israelis.
I rarely hear from the critics of Israel what the Palestinians can do to stop the cycle of violence. Usually what Israel can do.
Well, you don’t hear Israel talking about a one state solution, do you? Maybe the first thing we can do to stop the cycle of violence is to stop trying to push the other guy ™ into the ocean?
I would think that would be a good place to start.