Y
YESHUA
Guest
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
For more than four years Israel has been plagued by violence, but the death of Yasser Arafat and the election of a new Palestinian leader has - at least for some - brought a sense of cautious optimism to a seemingly hopeless situation. The Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to negotiate and both sides claim they are willing to compromise, yet most observers remain skeptical. The ceasefire agreement reached last week between Abbas and Sharon is good news, but many question how long it can last. Hamas has already defied the agreement by firing 30 mortars and 26 rockets at two Israeli settlements in southern Gaza, which prompted the newly-elected Mahmoud Abbas to dismiss 20 of his top security advisors.
There are some who believe Abbas will put an end to the violence. His victory in last month's elections has even been called "a mandate for peace with Israel." However if you are familiar with the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the outcome of the election and the current ceasefire agreement should not come as a surprise, nor should they garner much hope for a peaceful end to the conflict. The Palestinians say they want peace, but on what terms? In 2000, Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli leader Ehud Barak agreed to meet at Camp David in a last ditch effort by President Clinton to reach a settlement. Despite considerable concessions by Barak the negotiations fell apart, and on September 29, 2000 violence erupted and the current Palestinian Intifada (Arabic for "uprising") began.
So what is different this time? The answer: very little. Some may have high hopes for Abbas, but his terms for the establishment of a Palestinian state are no different than those of his predecessor. He continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied areas back to the 1967 border, the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, a Palestinian capitol in east Jerusalem, and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees. Abbas has also called for the removal of Israeli roadblocks, the release of some 8,000 Palestinians being detained in Israeli jails and military prisons, and the dismantling of the controversial barrier wall.
For most Westerners it is difficult to understand why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continued for so long or why it has resulted in so much violence. The fundamental problem is that the Palestinian leadership has ardently resisted making any concessions toward Israel and have maintained an all-or-nothing approach to peace negotiations. Too few Palestinians truly desire peace. Palestinian children are consistently taught in school to hate Israel. Most Arab nations have yet to officially recognize the right of Israel to exist, and many Muslim groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah, will not allow peace unless it comes in the form of Israel's destruction
For more than four years Israel has been plagued by violence, but the death of Yasser Arafat and the election of a new Palestinian leader has - at least for some - brought a sense of cautious optimism to a seemingly hopeless situation. The Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to negotiate and both sides claim they are willing to compromise, yet most observers remain skeptical. The ceasefire agreement reached last week between Abbas and Sharon is good news, but many question how long it can last. Hamas has already defied the agreement by firing 30 mortars and 26 rockets at two Israeli settlements in southern Gaza, which prompted the newly-elected Mahmoud Abbas to dismiss 20 of his top security advisors.
There are some who believe Abbas will put an end to the violence. His victory in last month's elections has even been called "a mandate for peace with Israel." However if you are familiar with the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the outcome of the election and the current ceasefire agreement should not come as a surprise, nor should they garner much hope for a peaceful end to the conflict. The Palestinians say they want peace, but on what terms? In 2000, Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli leader Ehud Barak agreed to meet at Camp David in a last ditch effort by President Clinton to reach a settlement. Despite considerable concessions by Barak the negotiations fell apart, and on September 29, 2000 violence erupted and the current Palestinian Intifada (Arabic for "uprising") began.
So what is different this time? The answer: very little. Some may have high hopes for Abbas, but his terms for the establishment of a Palestinian state are no different than those of his predecessor. He continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied areas back to the 1967 border, the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, a Palestinian capitol in east Jerusalem, and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees. Abbas has also called for the removal of Israeli roadblocks, the release of some 8,000 Palestinians being detained in Israeli jails and military prisons, and the dismantling of the controversial barrier wall.
For most Westerners it is difficult to understand why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continued for so long or why it has resulted in so much violence. The fundamental problem is that the Palestinian leadership has ardently resisted making any concessions toward Israel and have maintained an all-or-nothing approach to peace negotiations. Too few Palestinians truly desire peace. Palestinian children are consistently taught in school to hate Israel. Most Arab nations have yet to officially recognize the right of Israel to exist, and many Muslim groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah, will not allow peace unless it comes in the form of Israel's destruction