A Third Palestinian Intifada in the Making (Ramsy Baroud)

[Tace]

Ramzy Baroud -- World News Trust

Oct. 31, 2008 -- At a recent conference I was repeatedly asked about the prospects for a third Palestinian uprising, or Intifada. The question, although seemingly uncomplicated, is both loaded and important, and cannot be answered in a mere two minutes or less.

A 'third Intifada' would imply that the second has already ended. But has it? Or did it simply lose momentum, sense of focus and direction, or were its energies squandered -- as a popular uprising -- on factional disputes and internal division?

Some of its initial leaders are no longer involved, and a cohesive uprising cannot exist if too many of its players have switched sides, changed roles, or are absent altogether. To approach this subject more practically, the first Intifada in 1987 must be thoroughly scrutinized.

Palestinian collective revolts are not a singular response to singular problems caused by outsiders, for example the British mandate, Zionist colonial designs, Israeli occupation, and so on. What is often missed are the internal factors which anger the Palestinian masses, such as their leadership's failures, divisions, u-turns, corruption, nepotism, and so on.

The 1987 uprising was consistent with this model, although it certainly inspired a paradigm shift. On one hand, it was a collective cry for justice and an earnest attempt at ending an Israeli occupation of Palestinian land occupied in 1967. But it also represented the instinctive desire to reclaim the Palestinian struggle, which had for long been managed from abroad: Jordan, Lebanon, then, more or less, Tunisia.

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http://www.worldnewstrust.com/wnt-reports/commentary/a-third-palestinian-intifada-in-the-making-ramzy-baroud.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Very interesting

I have always thought that the Palestinians have been badly treated by everyone: the Israelis to be sure, but also the Arab states and their own leadership. Their ultimate success must involve freeing themselves from *all* who oppress them.

[Kurska]

2. We can only pray not

Such a thing would be good for neither side, thousands of men and women dead has never been fertile ground for peace. One would even have to question it's possible effectiveness, given the security wall it would be near impossible to carry out operations on the scale of the first or second Intifada

[LeftishBrit]

3. There was a big difference between the first and second intifada

The first intifada was relatively non-violent (of course in the region, nothing is non-violent); and actually achieved something. The second intifada was violent and IMO very counterproductive.

[SweetStephanie]

4. say it

dont know what to say