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The Road Ahead for Palestinians

(San Francisco Chronicle) Samir S. Rantisi - * Regardless of whether Mahmoud Abbas is someone who can be viewed as more realistic and moderate, even today, the focus seems to be on how to maintain the 4-year-old militant intifada, a militancy that has not only brought about human tragedies, but in every sense of the word amounts to another nakba (cataclysm) in our [Palestinian] history. * The problem is that my people still lack vision, strategy, and definitely a statesmanlike leadership that can move them up the ladder to the place they have long deserved among the world's democratic and freedom-loving nations. * After more than 50 years of an exhausting struggle for freedom, national independence, and statehood, there is still no agreement over the objectives of the struggle. The Palestinian Islamic movements (including Hamas and Jihad), both of which enjoy widespread grassroots support, perceive their struggle's final objective as complete liberation of British Mandate Palestine and the eventual destruction of the Jewish state, or the defeat of Zionism. * Such ideologies unfortunately have led in the past to prolonged suffering for my people. A newly elected Palestinian leadership needs to have the decency and courage to start reversing this political thinking, beginning with an educational effort to moderate political thought. The objective of a Palestinian state living in peace side by side with Israel requires a new indoctrination based on acceptance of the Israeli people. * My people must acknowledge that violent resistance has failed and that only a nonviolent and peaceful strategy can bring them closer to their objectives. All significant achievements that they can account for (including establishing their own authority) have definitely come as a result of their nonviolent strategies - not from violence and militancy. The writer is former senior media adviser to the Palestinian Authority.
2005-01-13 00:00:00
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