(New York Post) Amir Taheri - The Palestinians are divided. In one camp we have Fatah and its allies who have never formally committed to a two-state formula but have dropped hints that they might accept such a solution as a first step toward liberating the rest of Palestine, that is to say, what is now Israel, later. The second camp is dominated by Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel. In the third camp, there are more radical Palestinian groups, including the Islamic Jihad, now the favored protege of the Islamic Republic in Tehran. Those familiar with the Palestinian public mood in the West Bank and Gaza know that there is great certainty that any Palestinian state manufactured through diplomatic games may become as corrupt and despotic as almost all Arab states are today. Gaza, which is already a Palestinian state in all but name, is a bad poster for a future state. Proportionally, Gaza has more political prisoners than any Arab country. Hamas imposes a regime of censorship and intimidation little better than that of Assad in Syria. Living with a problem, by managing it better, may be wiser than rushing into a mirage of a solution that could produce even bigger problems.
2015-03-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive