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Palestinian Society Will Not Change Overnight

[Jerusalem Post] Efraim Inbar - The goals of the Annapolis conference were to facilitate the creation of a democratic Palestinian state - free of corruption and militias - that will live peacefully alongside Israel. However, the American initiative rests on several unfounded premises. The first is that Palestinian society can be reformed by outsiders. It is naive to believe that political and social dynamics rooted in centuries-old traditions can be easily manipulated by well-intentioned, but presumptuous Westerners. Change among Palestinian and other Middle Eastern societies can only originate from within. The second fallacy is that economic assistance to the Palestinians can alleviate political problems. Since the Oslo Accords in September 1993, the PA has received the most economic aid per capita in the world. The PA has been ingenious in siphoning a not insignificant amount of the aid it gets to those least in need of outside support. The third fallacy is that Mahmoud Abbas can become the agent for change. The fourth fallacy is that Palestinian society can be quickly transformed into a good neighbor of Israel and that a stable settlement is within reach. Since the Oslo Accords, the PA's education system, media, and dramatic militarization process have done great damage to the collective Palestinian psyche. A society mesmerized by the use of force and embracing the shahid (martyr) ready to explode among the hated Israelis will not change overnight. The writer is director of the Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
2007-11-30 01:00:00
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