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The Real Nakba

[Ha'aretz] Shlomo Avineri - While Palestinians may see themselves as the victims of the Zionist movement's successful establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel, the reasons for their historical failure should be sought elsewhere: in the inability of the Palestinian national movement to create the political and social institutional framework that is the necessary foundation for nation-building. The history of national movements teaches us that national consciousness is not enough: Movements that could not create the institutional system vital for their success failed. Even now the Palestinians are inclined to blame Israel, the Americans, the international community; but the real, essential responsibility ultimately lies with the Palestinians themselves. Elections were held, Hamas won, Fatah lost - and both groups have been unable to sustain a framework whose legitimacy is accepted by both sides. All pan-Arabic attempts to unite them, such as the Mecca agreement brokered by Saudi Arabia last year, have failed in the face of this reality. If the Palestinians do not find a way to extricate themselves from their harsh historical reality, they ultimately will not have a state. The writer, professor of political science at Hebrew University, served as director-general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2008-05-09 01:00:00
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