A look at possible Palestinian presidential candidates

[oberliner]

Some excerpts:

MAHMOUD ABBAS, 71,: Incumbent president from Fatah, commonly known as Abu Mazen, elected overwhelmingly in 2005 to succeed longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after his death. A pragmatist who opposes violence, Abbas has called for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

MARWAN BARGHOUTI, 47: Charismatic leader of Fatah's young guard, serving multiple life sentences in an Israeli jail on murder convictions related to Palestinian uprising. Considered presidential run from jail in 2005, but withdrew from race under pressure from Fatah. Supports Palestinian state alongside Israel, but advocates using force to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

ISMAIL HANIYEH, 46: Current Palestinian prime minister and senior Hamas leader. Defers to Hamas' supreme chief, Khaled Mashaal, in Damascus, but is seen as most popular Palestinian politician after Abbas. In keeping with Hamas' line, he does not recognize Israel, says he will not renounce violence, and calls for Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza in return for a 10-year truce

MOHAMMED DAHLAN, 45: Fatah lawmaker widely considered to be the most powerful figure in Gaza Strip, but has little support in the West Bank. Former Palestinian security chief, has been involved in peace negotiations with Israel and speaks fluent Hebrew from time spent in Israeli jails.

Also included: AHMED QUREIA and MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI

Full text: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/16/africa/ME_GEN_Palestinians_Possible_Hopefuls.php

[Tom Joad]

1. I met Mustafa BARGHOUTI, not related to the more well known

MARWAN BARGHOUTI.

Independent lawmaker who heads the Palestinian National Initiative, a small left-leaning grouping that favors a two-state solution. Attracted recent media attention for his failed attempts to mediate between Hamas and Fatah in coalition talks. Ran for president against Abbas in 2005, receiving about 20 percent of the vote. A September poll gave him just 5 percent.

What this leads out about Mustafa is that he spoken out strongly against Arafat's (and later Abbas') capitulation to Israeli dictates, and actively supports nonviolent resistance to the occupation. Given Israel's very violent and brutal responses to any and all nonviolent protests, such positions take much courage and faith. Talking nonviolence while families are being blown apart during picnics on the beach is very difficult.

[oberliner]

2. Talking nonviolence while Qassam rockets blow apart nursery school children

is also quite difficult.

[Tom Joad]

3. Oberliner, i have no expectation of Israel committing to nonviolence.

Because it is impossible to colonize, to dispossess, to ethnically cleanse in a nonviolent manner.
Israel would have to completely change, to have a reversal of its goals.
Nothing less than a revolution, a complete changing of its identity would be required.

It would have to commit to living in Israel/Palestine as equals, to saying and acting as if that land is for all that live there, rather than seeing itself as Jewish state that merely tolerates the remainders of the people indigenous to that land. It would either have to give up the West Bank & Gaza, and allow full sovereignty for the people there or it will have to incorporate these lands as part of a democratic state with full and equal rights for all... a democratic secular state.

Otherwise, of course, the military option will be necessary for Israel to continue the status quo. Forever.

[oberliner]

4. Tom Joad, I have no expectation of Hamas committing to nonviolence

Because it is impossible to destroy the State of Israel and replace it with an Islamic state in a nonviolent manner. Hamas would have to completely change, to have a reversal of its goals.
Nothing less than a revolution, a complete changing of its identity would be required.

It would have to commit to living in Israel/Palestine as equals, to saying and acting as if that land is for all that live there, rather than envisioning an Islamic state that merely tolerates the remainders of the people indigenous to that land. It would either have to withdraw claims to the land that is currently Israel and accept an independant Palestinian state in the West Bank & Gaza living side by side at peace with Israel or it would have to give up any aspirations towards creating an Islamic state and move towards a desire to create with the Israelis a democratic secular state with full and equal rights for all.

Otherwise, of course, terrorist attacks on civilians will be necessaary for Hamas to continue in its attempts to achieve its goals of creating an Islamic state in place of what is currently Israel.

Just as the Palestinians are not all Ismail Haniyeh, neither are the Israelis all Avigdor Lieberman.
My hope is that that those Israelis and Palestinians who want to find a peaceful, equitable solution to this conflcit will be able to sit down and make some difficult compromises in an attempt to move to a new reality in the Middle East, one where all Arab countries recognize, establish normal relations, and make peace with Israel and where a Palestinian state is established in the West Bank and Gaza strip as outlined in the Arab Peace Initiative produced at the 2002 Beirut Summit.

[IndianaGreen]

5. The pox on both!

America must withdraw from the Middle East. The Western colonial era is on its death throes.