Arafat Aide Cites Uprising's Failure

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Well, DUH. About time that someone actually voiced the obvious and admits that the uprising has accomplished nothing except for destroying the Palestinian economy, innocent lives on both sides and delaying chances for a real state for the Palestinians. Too many macho egos have been urging the Palestinians to sacrifice themselves to kill some Israeli’s, while ignoring the utter failure of the Palestinians to gain any type of political advantage from the bloodshed.

Arafat Aide Cites Uprising’s Failure
Wed Nov 27,11:53 PM ET

By GREG MYRE, Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) - Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s top deputy said taking up arms against Israel has been a mistake for the Palestinians and must be stopped, declaring that the use of weapons had held up Palestinian independence and led to a reoccupation of West Bank cities by Israeli troops.

The comments by Mahmoud Abbas, a possible successor to the politically weakened Arafat, were made at a closed-door meeting of party leaders last month and constitute the harshest criticism a senior Palestinian figure has leveled at militants since violence erupted in September 2000.

The remarks come at a time when Islamic militants and other extremists are pressing ahead with bombings and shootings, while ordinary Palestinians are increasingly split on whether the uprising is moving them closer to — or driving them further from — Palestinian statehood. The statements thrust into the open an issue Palestinians have previously debated only in private.

“Many people diverted the uprising from its natural path and embarked on a path we can’t handle, with the use of weapons … such as mortars, grenades and shooting from houses and populated areas,” Abbas said in a closed-door meeting with activists of Arafat’s Fatah (news - web sites) movement in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) on Oct. 24.

“If we do a calculation of the gains and losses … we will see that without any doubt is that what we lost was big and what we gained was small,” he said.

“We should ask ourselves, ‘Where are we heading?’ We should be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves — not by beating ourselves up, but by reviewing the mistakes we made.”

Abbas, widely known as Abu Mazen, was en route to Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday and was not available for comment. The Associated Press obtained a full transcript of the private meeting from Abbas’ office on Wednesday after Al Hayat, an Arabic-language daily based in London, published excerpts Tuesday. Those excerpts were reprinted Wednesday in the Palestinian daily Al Quds.

For two years, Palestinian leaders and the public have strongly endorsed the intefadeh, or uprising, and public debate has been minimal, despite heavy losses.

2

No doubt, the way the Palestinians chose to tackle the occupation was wrong, and has done more damage to their own legitimate cause than have the Israelis. Whats worse is that they are faced with an enemy that is just as dumb, or even worse, Israels method of suppressing this opposition has been just as big a failure, and has only helped to bring it to be mentioned in the context of war crimes, and apartheid, and to top it off, their cause is illegitimate as well.

Palestinian citizens have no choices. The Hamas militants are too deep into this uprising to simply fold up and reverse course. Now its more a matter of ego for them than anything, similar tlo what Arafat is doing...hanging on for dear life, to get one sliver of peace, and then slip off to switzerland, to live a retired life, with the legacy of having engineered 'peace' in Palestine.

Both sides are being ruled by chuckleheads, and they dont seem to be going away anytime sooon. In the meantim, the only ones that get affected are innocent folks on both sides. Its always open season on them.

3

Hi there OG,long time no see.

It is just a pity that more Palistineans dont speak out against the Intifada,surely there must be more who feel the same as this guy.

There is no way it will gain them anything,except the emnity of the free world.

4

Some may say the Intifada has been a success in a way, i mean before the uprising not many had heard much of the plight of the palistinians or the occupation for that matter. Even if they did, noone bothered to check the realities behind it which gave Isreal the green light to do as it pleased behing closed doors.

The uprising brought the issue to world media attention and more people are beginning to understand and are prepared to voice thier opinions against the occupation. Isreal is under the spotlight (despite the attempts to silence the media), any move she makes will be questioned (by the sane world atleast).

The suicide bombing on innocent may have been the cause of the loss in the intafada so far...but then even a mouse will fight against a cat when its cornered....

5

Abbas said:
"If we do a calculation of the gains and losses ... we will see that without any doubt is that what we lost was big and what we gained was small," he said.

"We should ask ourselves, 'Where are we heading?' We should be honest with ourselves and ask ourselves — not by beating ourselves up, but by reviewing the mistakes we made."

Gee. OhioGuy, Braveheart, Seminole, myself and others have been posting this same sentiment in GupShup for some time. Usually, we get stuck with the pro-Zionist label for our trouble. It really is a welcome sign that an emerging Palestinian leader has the nerve to analyze the tactics being employed, realize they have failed and criticize them. Maybe Abbas’ statements will help people to realize that you can be pro-Palestinian (or at least very sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinian people) and still criticize the strategy and tactics being used to obtain their goals.

6

both sides have handled the situatiuon in a poor way. Hopefully saner minds will prevail and some progress can be made to solve this issue.

Again, people on both sides should focus on the feasible rather than the optimal solutions becuase i think the optimal solutions on both sides do not match up.

7

Hello again Braveheart,

Perhaps we should resurrect some of the pieces that Myvoice and I did regarding civil disobedience and the possibilities for the Palestinians. Oddly enough, this is how the first intifadah started, and not only did it grab a lot of media, but it portrayed the Palestinians as rebellious but responsible. The death toll on both sides was considerably less, and the economic infrastructure of the Palestinian territories was largely untouched.

No one says that the Palestinians do not have a legitimate claim, and a sympathetic cause. The current incarnation of the intifadah is working against them, and should be revised by clear thinking and effective leaders. An honest and uncorrupted PA would be a good start too.