by Sam Bahour & Michael Dahan
In the wake of the horrific suicide bombings in Israel over the last 48
hours
hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made his address to the
nation
as he simultaneously increased, by yet another step, Israel's part of
the
violence in the ensuing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Sadly, no
end is in sight and it is likely to get worse, much worse. If this
statement
sounds like a broken record, it's because it is.
The suicide attacks, brought on by the deplorable Israeli policy of yet
another
state sanctioned extra-judicial assassination of a Hamas member last
week,
have brought Israelis and the Palestinians to the brink of total war.
Unfortunately, neither Israel nor the US Administration has come to
their
senses to realize that, after 34 years of military Israeli occupation,
the
burning question is not why was there was another suicide bomb attack,
but
rather, why there are not more?
Some things in life are either right or wrong. Slavery and Apartheid
were
wrong. Not wrong until African Americans proved their worthiness of
freedom. Not wrong until South Africans reached the brink of
annihilation.
No. These historical flaws were not partially wrong; not debatably
wrong,
they were outright outcasts to humanity, each worthy of abrupt
termination.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem
joins these ranks, albeit this historic wrong comes during an era of
media
clips, political spin, and satellite TV. Nevertheless, the time has
come for
the world community to bring Israeli occupation tumbling down, and with
its
fall will be the start of the end of the breeding grounds that suicide
bombers
feed upon.
More and more voices are being heard within the Israeli leadership to
either
kill Arafat or to remove him from the area, and to 'topple' the
Palestinian
Authority. Most Israelis are now firmly convinced that there is
absolutely "no
partner" for peace, nor is peace possible. Naively, the Israeli public
is taking
security refuge in the graphic missile attacks on Palestinian cities
while
forgetting that for each missile fired into Palestinian neighborhoods
more and
more potential suicide bombers make the decision to take innocent lives
while taking their own. Destroying Arafat's helicopters will not bring
hope to
the growing number of Palestinians who have equated life under
occupation
to death.
The Israeli side must realize that the solution for the occupation is
not, nor
can it ever be, more occupation, more bombings, and more state
assassinations. It is the occupation itself and the closures and the
resultant
levels of poverty, unemployment and utter despair that provide a fertile
ground
for the recruitment, deployment and support of suicide bombings and
terrorist
attacks. It is the senseless death of children and adults that are
feeding the
flames of hatred on both sides.
As the legitimate elected representative of the Palestinian people,
Arafat
must make sure that his voice and intentions are clear, and that there
is a
national, not only personal, strategy for working toward a negotiated
agreement. It is up to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to convince
the
Palestinian and Israeli public that there is indeed hope for an
agreement, that
there is indeed a future neighbor on the Palestinian side. Much of the
action
needed to make this conviction a reality are the same issues that are
being
called for by Palestinians themselves, the establishment of rule of law,
accountability of decision making and collective leadership - in other
words,
concrete progress toward the competency to establish a viable state.
Occupation being 100% wrong does not give credence to chaotic, non-
transparent development and solo leadership.
The only way to break the brutal circle of violence is to end the
occupation
immediately, unilaterally if need be, institute a peacekeeping force in
the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to begin to dismantle the settlements.
The only solution that we can see is the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state along the lines of the 1967 borders, with a capital in
East
Jerusalem, and to work toward a just, fair and creative solution for the
right of
return for the Palestinian refugees. The occupation, as such, is evil.
Further
occupation as being proposed now by senior decision-makers on the
Israeli
side would only increase that evil, raise the stakes on both sides, and
the
past 48 hours will repeat endlessly.
Mr. Sam Bahour is a
Palestinian-American businessman, born and raised in Youngstown,
Ohio, who relocated to his family's home in Al-Bireh, West Bank
immediately following the signing of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. He
is co-author of HOMELAND: Oral Histories
of Palestine and Palestinians (1994). Mr. Michael Dahan is an
Israeli political scientist currently conducting postdoctoral
research at the University of Cincinnati. Mr. Bahour and Mr. Dahan
are co-founders of MEViC, the Middle East Virtual Community.
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