A detached, unemotional analysis of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must conclude that Palestinians in particular, and Arabs in general have demonstrated little, if any power to influence Israel to end its illegal occupation, end the siege on Gaza, halt construction of the segregation wall, and dismantle the settlements. A quick stroll in recent history offers ample proof.
The first intifada in 1987 may have won world sympathy towards the Palestinian cause and exposed Israel’s immorality and brutality. It also put a dent in Israel’s tourism and services sector. But the outcome was an imploded Oslo Peace Process which did not, even in the letter of the agreement let alone in action, yield to any of the Palestinian’s rights, rights already recognized by the UN and the International Community. The only outcome was a bland recognition by Israel of the PLO, while on the land, the expansion of settlements went into high gear under Rabin. In the words of Edward Said, the “Intifada was squandered.”
The second intifada, an understandable outburst of a suppressed people, at a high cost in life and material did not bring the Palestinians any closer to realizing even the slightest of their aspirations.
The Saudi-inspired peace plan, adopted by the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002, was completely ignored by Israel and the U.S.
So it warrants to stop and ask: Where is all this leading to?