There is always a threshold of tolerance to pain before a people with a common cause (despite differing means) decide to put temporal survival before pre-conceived ideals. The Palestinian people are reaching that point.
The Russians reached that point in 1991, when they decided to follow through with Boris Yeltsin and topple Communism despite his complete lack of tact and democratic tradition. Some Germans reached this point in 1944 when followed Claus Von Stauffenberg in his attempt to eliminate Hitler. South Africans, post 1991 forgot the past and embraced Mandela's peace-offer despite the fresh and bleeding wounds of Apartheid.
The Russians reached that point in 1991, when they decided to follow through with Boris Yeltsin and topple Communism despite his complete lack of tact and democratic tradition. Some Germans reached this point in 1944 when followed Claus Von Stauffenberg in his attempt to eliminate Hitler. South Africans, post 1991 forgot the past and embraced Mandela's peace-offer despite the fresh and bleeding wounds of Apartheid.
For four decades, the Palestinians accepted that their future be dependent on, and thus confused with the personal destiny of Yasser Arafat. Arafat's death produced nothing more than rivalry between his lieutenants and PLO factions. I'll never stop repeating that Palestinians do not realise the land they vowed to get in 1948 is getting smaller. And Hammas...?
Hammas was elected for sure! But Hammas' refusal to declare a ceasefire with Israel, or at least stop rockets from falling in Israel is a manifestation of one fundamental problem in Palestinian politics. There are two kinds of politicians in Palestinian territories. Those who have the prestige and those who have the streets. We know where Hammas stands. Hammas' inability to declare a ceasfire stems from the fact that she does not control those who send rockets into Israel. As such, declaring a ceasefire and still see rockets flying to Israel will expose Hammas as a "not so crucial" factor in the Palestinian equation. In fact, Hammas prefers not to declare that ceasefire so she may still virtually control that perception of mass-violence over Israel. The question is how much longer this will last? How much pain can Palestinians endure in the name of an ideal that makes them start from scratch every other time the Israeli tanks roll in. Or do we really want to accept that a new page in human psychology is being written in Gaza and the West Bank? A whole society has become suicidal? Not true. Mahmoud Abbas is part of that society ... and he doesn't throw bombs at his enemy. Like to say, a Hammers without Sickles are just carpenter's tools.
Hammas was elected for sure! But Hammas' refusal to declare a ceasefire with Israel, or at least stop rockets from falling in Israel is a manifestation of one fundamental problem in Palestinian politics. There are two kinds of politicians in Palestinian territories. Those who have the prestige and those who have the streets. We know where Hammas stands. Hammas' inability to declare a ceasfire stems from the fact that she does not control those who send rockets into Israel. As such, declaring a ceasefire and still see rockets flying to Israel will expose Hammas as a "not so crucial" factor in the Palestinian equation. In fact, Hammas prefers not to declare that ceasefire so she may still virtually control that perception of mass-violence over Israel. The question is how much longer this will last? How much pain can Palestinians endure in the name of an ideal that makes them start from scratch every other time the Israeli tanks roll in. Or do we really want to accept that a new page in human psychology is being written in Gaza and the West Bank? A whole society has become suicidal? Not true. Mahmoud Abbas is part of that society ... and he doesn't throw bombs at his enemy. Like to say, a Hammers without Sickles are just carpenter's tools.
