© 2005 Arabic Media
Internet Network - Internews Middle East
May 24, 2005
'Sentinels of
the causes' undermine Palestinian freedom
By Ray
Hanania*
Irrational rejectionism is a disease in the Arab and Islamic Worlds
that stands in the way of Palestinian freedom and promotes intolerance. It
broadens Israel’s
occupation to create a self-occupation mentality.
It must be stopped.
Suffering under years of Israel’s oppressive occupation and by the
suppression of Democracy and freedom in the Arab World, too many
Palestinians find all they have left is to criticize and reject.
When it comes to Israel,
there is a lot to criticize. But when it comes to preserve the Palestinian
nation by achieving peace, rejection must give way to compromise.
Palestinians are burdened by self-appointed “sentinels of the causes” who
claim to protect many of the sacred cows of the Palestinian national
tragedy such as the Right of Return.
But instead of protecting these causes, these “sentinels of the causes”
create a destructive environment that encourages extreme acts of violence.
That violence goes far beyond the rights of resistance and instead include
the immoral acts of suicide bombings and the murder of Israeli civilians
or other Palestinians.
Recently, the “sentinels of the causes” turned their ugliness on Sari
Nusseibeh, the president of al-Quds University. Nusseibeh is a leading
moderate and co-signer of the Geneva Accords which defines a vision of a
two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis.
Nusseibeh dares to prompt Palestinians to find ways out of the conflict
through non-violence and uses free speech to define a new public dialogue.
This week, Nusseibeh weighed in on the emotional debate over whether or
not Israel’s Bar Illan University should affiliate with a college in
Ariel, a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The move by Bar Illan
University prompted a boycott by the British Association of University
Teachers. Boycotts are common weapons not just by pro-Palestinian groups
but by pro-Israeli groups, too.
The issues of Ariel extend beyond a simple matters of academic freedom.
Ariel is an illegal settlement allegedly created to provide “security.”
Israel said Ariel was temporary, as it violated international laws
regarding the confiscation of occupied lands.
As time has passed with no solution, partly because of the rejectionists
themselves, Ariel turned into what Israel calls a permanent city.
But Nusseibeh wasn’t addressing the issue of illegal settlements,
something that must be decided in negotiations. He simply described the
BAUT action as “wrong and unjustified,” arguing that this and other issues
must be settled at the negotiating table.
The Palestinian Union of University Teachers quickly condemned Nusseibeh
saying his comments constituted a “normilization” with Israel and it’s
rightwing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
They called for Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to fire Nusseibeh
as al-Quds president and “to put an end to this behavior.”
Palestinians are living under difficult times. The Israeli occupation,
despite all the talk of peace, continues to be oppressive and claims
innocent lives on both sides.
But maybe the PUUT hasn’t read the news lately. President Abbas is engaged
in “normalization” with Israel. The late President Yasser Arafat, a
Palestinian hero, was engaged in “normalization” with Israel. Palestinians
who elected Abbas embraced the concept of normalization, an end to the
violence and peace based on compromise
Abbas is seeking to negotiate an end to the conflict and it is the PUUT
that must accept some facts. Compromise is unavoidable. The belief that
Israel can be destroyed is a pipe dream. More importantly, uncompromising
extremist positions continue to condemn Palestinians to a life of bitter
oppression and unending suffering.
Yes, Israel is the
occupier. But the “sentinels of the causes” who easily turn public reason
into fierce and vicious mob-like hatred, are the occupiers’ greatest
weapon.
In these times of increased individual freedoms, Palestinians and many
Arabs find themselves burdened by restrictions on free speech making it
nearly impossible to achieve an end to the bitter Palestine-Israel
conflict.
Ironically, these “sentinels of causes” fail to achieve any of their goals
such as restoring the legitimate rights of the refugees, destroying Israel
and re-establishing “1947 Palestine,” or undermining the oppressive rule
of Arab and Islamic World dictatorships. Incapable of achieving, their only power is in their ability to block,
prevent, stop or destroy.
* Ray Hanania is a Palestinian American award winning syndicated
columnist. He can be reached at
www.hanania.com. |
