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The End of the Palestinian National Movement

[Ha'aretz-Hebrew] Danny Rubinstein - It would not be a great exaggeration to conclude that the Palestinian national movement has ceased to exist in recent years. The institutions of the PLO, which were to represent all groups among the Palestinian people, have become outdated and of little importance. One of the clearest signs of the decline of the Palestinian national project is the departure of many of its key figures. Nabil Shaath, a PLO veteran who was a minister in the Palestinian government after returning with Arafat and settling in Gaza, has return to his home in Cairo where he runs a thriving business. Muhammad Dahlan and Hasan Asfor, who not long ago were ministers and powerful advisors in Gaza, now spend most of their time in Cairo with their families. In Ramallah, it is estimated that 50,000 residents have left the West Bank in recent years, most to return to their homes and property in Amman. They had come to Ramallah and Nablus to work in PA offices there. With the failure of the PA experiment, the Arab states have begun to return to the scene. The Jordanian government, with the encouragement of Israel, is establishing a renewed presence in the West Bank, especially in eastern Jerusalem. King Abdullah II and government leaders in Amman are careful to publicly announce that they have no designs on the West Bank. While this may be true, there is no doubt that their interest in events there is growing. There is every reason to expect further cooperation between the West Bank and the East Bank in Jordan, which will also have political consequences. As long as the separation fence between Israel and the West Bank continues to be built, relations between the West Bank and Jordan will strengthen.
2007-11-06 01:00:00
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