Edward Said: Palestine Authority and Occupation

Source: MER, July 1995

[4/20/95 - Lecture delivered at Tufts University,  by Dr. Edward Said]

     "With Oslo the peace process entered a new and much more destructive
phase. Far from bringing peace, it brought greater suffering for
Palestinians, the main victims of the mess, and a much greater threat to the
long term interests of the Israeli people.  Every leader involved with the
Oslo process - Palestinian, Israeli, American or European - has acted, in my
opinion, without principles and without anything remotely resembling vision
and truthfulness.  Worse, large droves of intellectuals, scholars and experts
have in my opinion betrayed their vocations, to say nothing of their
expertise and knowledge.  And this betrayal has contributed to the amazingly
compliant attitude of the American media in particular, who have celebrated,
extolled, saluted and rejoiced, where there has been neither occasion nor
cause to justify such excessive handclapping and jubilation...

     "I don't think its wrong or any kind of exaggeration to say that Arafat
and his Palestine Authority have become collaborators with the military
occupation, a sort of Vichy government for Palestinians."