It is late afternoon in Ramallah, a town not far from Alquds (Jerusalem) and this Palestinian woman in her early 40s is waiting nervously in front of the hospital, makeshift stretchers piled up near the door and occupation gunships hovering above in the sky. Her two school kids are not back yet and she fears they are both inside.
Is this the preferred lifestyle in Palestine? Do Palestinian ladies bring up their kids to be consumed by Israeli bullets sponsored, usually, by the free world? Are we created differently and with less emphasis on the value of our lives?
The Palestinian answer to all above questions is no, and a thousand times, no. Of course, the occupation and its sponsors think, or pretend to think, differently and they do act accordingly.
It is not easy to set a recent time or space marker and say it all started then and there. In fact, it is naive to do that and it would be no more than advertising one's ignorance. Following the first Intifada (Dec., 8, 1987, then ignited by what could have easily be termed a tragic car accident) and six years of blood and tears - while the rest of the world was watching - there came Oslo I (Sept., 13, 93) then Oslo II and other side meetings.
Those who were familiar with situation on the ground in Palestine, Mr Arafat not included, and read Oslo_I carefully, realized then that the Palestinians were promised a bad lemon and they have to work hard to get it (then, we used the term "political condom" to refer to Oslo and still haven't changed our minds).
Oslo was nothing but a mechanism of resetting the timer of an ever exploding time bomb. There are only 24 hours of manuevering and you have to reset it before the critical tick. This is, of course, a vulnerable strategy since the oppressed also have access to the ticking clock and when the pistons press too hard on them they get squeezed beyond patience and guess what? They reset the clock to the dislike of the oppressors and it'll be too late to diffuse the situation.
That is exactly what happened recently. For various reasons, the Palestinians in general swallowed the humiliation they got from the legacy of Oslo. Having been tired from six years of struggle and saw the indifference of the official international community and the blunders of those who appointed themselves as leaders and wanted to reap the results of their struggle and having realized the non-existence of a responsible alternative to the PA, ... the immediate reaction to Oslo was hard to gauge. There were different interpretations (most Palestinians are not that good understanding the play on words in English) and some thought it is a beginning, it is guaranteed by the big shots and it was signed in front of the world, it was done in the 90s and so on and so forth.
Oslo failed to address principles vital for a peaceful settlement and it was about avoiding these more than anything else. Mr Arafat acted on his own and received political baptism at the white house without consulting "his" people. In short, Oslo came to serve two particular purposes: First: to re-set the timer on the Palestinian time bomb and rid the Israeli forces from having to do the dirty work chasing Palestinain demonstartors. Second: to perform a plastic surgery and improve the Isareli picture in the region and internationally, hence paving the road toward an open arab-israeli cooperation. It would be better for Israeli prime ministers to walk in the streets of arab capitals and establish companies and embassies there rather than holding meetings in secret and having to re-label products before they are shipped to arab markets.
Of course, as dispalyed on CNN and other world TV channels and in shing articles in the political tabloids, things looked so great. People shaking hands, others clapping, the big guys pledging support and assistance to rebuild confidence, economy, welfare, human rights ... you name it. What materialized on ground? Almost nothing as far as the average Palestinian is concerned. Life went from bad to worse. The Israelis squeezed the lemon and delayed handing it for more and more compromises and they got all of those. The donors (came to be known in Palestine by the Arabic name: ad-duwal al-maniHah then changed cynically to ad-duwal al-maliHa (the one consonant changes meaning to salty nations instead od donor nations)) had little interest in paying those sums of money without seeing quick results and as usual, talking is much easier than actions, plus for many states, it wasn't them who brought misery to the region, so why should they be responsible for the clean up when those who made the mess are not held accountable?
Under the late Y. Rabin (well known among Palestinian kids for his policy of breaking their bones during the Intifada), the Labor party continued the policy of expansion on the expence of palestinian land and resources, building settlements, demolishing Palestinian houses, uprooting trees, zionizing Jerusalem, administrative detention, liquidation of those against Oslo and delaying implimentation with lots of talks about peace, keeping low profile on the internal policy and stretching hands to arab regimes for peace and prosperity. Various "breakthroughs" on this last fronts were achieved with exclusive Israeli profit and more misery for the participating countries.
Time was approaching for the Israeli election campaign and the Likud wanted to prepare for it as early as they can. It was obvious the Labor will win again as they engineered Israeli control over the Middle East without waging another war and without any significant concession. The camapaign kicked off with bitter langauge against Rabin and his followers and the extreme right took it seriously. They finished Rabin as a first step. Peres stepped in but was less popular as he did not have enough Palestinian blood on his hands as the late Rabin did. He continued Rabin's policy to press Arafat to do him some favours and crack down on those against Oslo. At that time, Arafat (who is a good survivor) was talking to his opponents (most of whom lack political vision and act irresponsibly or like amateurs) to re-organize the Palestinian house and make his life a bit easier (in preperation for that council elections) and in fact made some progress. For a few months there was barely an incident against the occupation as part of an unwritten agreement between Arafat and his rivals in preperation for the so called legislative council elections. Life was still getting worse and people were waiting, patiently, for the promised paradise brought by the council and those shiny campaigning leaflets promising the impossible.
On January 6, 1996, the Israelis assasinated Yahya Ayyash, nicknamed the Engineer and blamed for manufacturing suicide bombs. Ayyash was hiding in Gaza and the Israelis planted a bomb in a cell phone he used. They did it remotely from a heliocopter plane that hovered over Arafat-controlled Gaza. By that time, they have already liquidated other Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza either by car bombs or by destroying hideouts with anti-tank rockets.
That was an add-on to the frustration and betrayal felt by the average Palestinian still waiting for deliverence from the upcoming council. Ayyash was seen as a legend during the Intifada and is known to the Palestinians as the person who put a price tag on the life of a Palestinian by replying in kind to Israeli killings. Unlike Abu Jihad ( assasinated in Tunis during the Intifada), Ayyash lived among Palestinians and his death generated even more anger and added more tension to the situation. On January 20, Legeslative council elections took place and, of course, brought a modest mid-east style victory to Mr Arafat (his was not 99.9% as scored by the rest of the guys, it was a modest 88.8% or something like that).
On Feb., 12, 1996, the Israelis closed the autonomy areas (once more) and prevented traffic and workers from crossing the "green line". That was not the first time. In fact, closure became the rule and relatively free movements was the exception (around Feb., 15 was 40 days since the assasination of Ayyash). That closure remained till February, 25th, 1996 when the Iaraelis decided to lift the closure. Feb., 25th is, of course, the anniversary of the Israeli massacre at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron (Al-Khalil). Shortly after the order, a bus exploded in Jerusalem followed by around three more bombings in different parts of Palestine the following couple of days. Closure was re-imposed the same day and workers were turned back. More collective punishment came when Israelis imposed curfew on Palestinian towns and villages and prevented movement between them.
Arafat was asked (by Peres and Clinton) to round up Hamas, Islamic Jihad and leftist opposition (who are usually enlisted by the media alongside Hamas and Islamic Jihad these days). Arafat did a good job. He rounded hundreds and put them in jail without trial. Many, including college students, are still in jail up to this moment. Arafat quickly found those who recruited suicide bombers and had them tell stories on PA radio and TV (if you believe that) but to the Israelis, that was not enough. The Israelis continued their oppressive measures and delayed redeployment from parts of Hebron and the right wing had what they wanted: an atmosphere to call an early election and preach security (there was a serious debate on Israeli involvement, directly or otherwise, in those last bombings). So, there came the early Israeli elections which brought the right wing to power by a tiny margin three months after the bombings.
The closure remained, workers were imported from the Far East to replace the Palestinian (cheap) workforce and unemployment rocketed to more than 60%. For many Palestininas, survival meant earning enough money to afford meals on a daily basis. Those who had savings spent them and ended up grounded. Entry to work places long ago required extensive screening and ability to get one of those sacred magnetice cards, now there is nothing. The PA had little to do and little to offer. Their resources were low, help from the donors still did not materialize and only a few millions arrived. All country resources are under Israeli control, there is no social security that helps the unemployed and basically, most Palestinians, many of whom under 30 years of age, were sentenced to a slow death by starvation.
Once Bibi was inaugurated for president, he had to please his supporters, many of whom are fanatic extreme right wingers, so he decided to tighten the rope around the Palestinains' neck and to let it be known campaign style. Those silk gloves used by the Labor were not necessary. There was no redeployment in Hebron, the Palestinian women prisoners were not released, land confiscation continued, house demolitions became a daily dose for Palestinians and olive grooves were bulldozed on a daily basis to make room for so many by-pass roads. Administrative detention continued and daily provocation went on at higher levels. Unlike Labor, settlement policies were announced in the media rather than in secret, zionizing Jerusalem was an advertised policy with eviction of Palestinian quarters, demolishing of scores of homes and establishments, humiliation of Palestinians, including police, at roadblocks and blocking worshippers from entering Jerusalem for the last six months.
It was this build up that led to the explosion. Those who listened to people in Palestine commenting on the general situation in the last few weeks would have heard the word second Intifada frequently. Even those interviewed on PA's TV did not hide it. When asked they usually say: "things are going from bad to worse, there is likely to be a second Intifada". The provocations in Jerusalem were not new. Digging has been performed long ago and in different places. Various attempts to destroy the mosque were launched by "crazy" people who travelled from as afr as Australia to pick the mosque for their "crazy" target practice. It was burned in 1969, attacked several times in the 80s and 90s (including a recent rocket attack that was fioled). Changing the features of the city has been going on with a race against time, but it took a different dimension lately.
The opening of the tunnel and the way it took place was but the straw that broke the camel's back. It was the minimum ignition needed to put afire that time bomb that almost ticked its zeroth hour. Everything was there ready to go and those who could were not interested in diffusing it. The same story with the car "accident" nine years ago repeated itself.
Did Mr Arafat take credit for "inciting" it? No. In the first place, Mr Arafat is still to release hundreds of political detainees held without trial or even charges against them, for no other reason but to please the Israelis. The recent revelation about corruption in the PA (made news in daily papers in Palestine earlier this month) and violation of human rights among others are the things expected from Mr Arafat to put the Palestinian house in order (if he really wants and have the authority to do it). So, why did he call for the three day strike? Good question. The answer is: what if he did not call for it? In fact, this is not the first time he calls for a strike (and it ws just a simple, commercial strike: businesses close their doors and that's it). From a survival point of view, one way of "leading" is to move in the direction where you expet the flow to be. One other good survivor in the Middle East grew a beard and became a saint during the gulf war. Now the same guy trusts the CIA who use him and report his activities to their buddy Saddam Hussein after his role is over.
So, there was a protest and the usual kind of confrontations known in Palestine. People vent their anger, throw stones on Israeli jeeps and roadblocks then go home. A couple of days later, things are back to normal. But why it was different this time? The situation on the ground changed a little: people had to walk a few hundred yards outside the towns (area A acording to the Oslo II convention) to find a pure Israeli roadblock. The responsibilty to keep them away is that of Palestinian police who did try their best, but apparently couldn't help it. At al-ma'luufiyyah roadblock near Ramallah, the Palestinians marched toward the roadblock, reportedly manned by 4 Israeli soldiers. Those guys called for reinforcements (not far away as those who are familiar with the place know very well) and decided to defend the cement blocks no matter what. On the other front, Palestinian police is trying desperately to keep the Palestinians away but no one listens to them. Fearing for their life (and disciplinary actions by Bibi's generals), the Israelis fire at the crowd and some members of the Palestinian police (encouraged by the masses and the emotion of the situation) fire back and a battle erupts. Israelis bring their tanks and gunships and spray fire on Ramallah then advance only a few hundred yards inside !and the news spread like fire and clashes erupt in different parts of the country. Arafat calls on his police to cease fire but it was too late. He claims control over some 80% of them, the rest are either fighting for their lives or already joined the angry masses. It must be said that the Palestinian police is credited for success in minimizing losses and taking their own while protecting stranded Israeli soldiers (an example is the 42 soldiers rescued in Nablus). [For the record, Palestinian Police are issued 30 bullets each, have no helmets or bullet-proof vests and use out-dated Russian AK-47s which, with their ammo, are inventoried by the Israeli forces under the Oslo accords. It doesn't require rocket engineering to know that a gunfight against tanks, armored vehicles and gunships is disastrous. See also quotes by members of police and others]
Of course, the Isarelis are very good at reformatting the story. Those who have enough memory to recall the latest massacre in Qana (Lebanon) remember those video game screens they showed to convince the world they are innocent and can't be blamed for it. They had more than one version of the story and you pick what suits you: One was hiding in a building and fired at them first; Hamas implants in PA police started firing and it was a plot; they (Israelis) started it but with rubber bullets (they also used rubber bullets only when they stormed Al-Aqsa on Friday. Then you ask: how come rubber bullets fracture the skulls of victims and blow them apart? Well, this is the land of miracles - you know).
So, where are we heading? Shall the tunnel be closed (for now)? Shall the two guys (Arafat and Netanyahu) sit together and "calm down" the situation? Shall the donors send more checks? more ambulances amd medication? More painting or paving of a street here and a sewege system there? Or shall the Israeli government stop "stalking" the Palestinians and every body shuts up and wait for the next round of violence? And more than anything else, how come this happens without the high tech and official media even predicting or hinting it may happen? Were they silent all the time during the hypernation process to give the readers more excitement? How much should the average international citizen know or care about the situation? And from how many sources?
The root to the conflict is not digging here or there. These are elements in the build up toward disaster but are not the foundations of the problem. There are essential principal issues that need to be addressed and in due time. Those involved know all of this and this is not the place to list the basic requirements for a true, stable and lasting peace. The concequences of ignoring the sensitivity of this issue may reflect on the world as a whole. It is so easy for the situation to explode anywhere in the Middle East at a very short notice, and the latest incidents are the bitter reminder.
On the scale of the international community, the responsibility (abandoned by policy makers) lies upon the shoulders of you - world citizens - especially if your tax money is used to finance misery and death in Palestine and elsewhere in the third world. Most dictators and occupation regimes are supported and financed by the free, democratic, civilized and industrial world. The media is "covering" the truth by painting false or half truths and it is time to ask both the policy makers and news makers (manipulators) to act responsibly and invest in real peace and build international bridges of trust and understanding rather than maintain a policy that prosper on disaster. You have the magic keys to stop bad things from happening before they do. The middle east is in need of fire extinguishers, not assistance to fan out the flames.