Undecided
07-19-04, 06:15 PM
The situation in the Middle East is again degenerating into a spiral of violence, but this time it is not against the other it is against the brother. After 4 relentless years of intifada, painfully slow and basically ineffectual reforms, Israeli illegal provocations, and corruption has hit the Palestinian Authority and people like a brick, something has to change:
TEN years after returning in triumph from exile to take charge of a newly formed interim Palestinian Authority (PA), Yasser Arafat is feeling the wrath of his own people, who have become increasingly frustrated at the corruption, nepotism and sheer uselessness of his crumbling regime. On Monday July 19th, following a weekend of violent protests in the Gaza strip, and the resignation of Ahmed Qurei, his prime minister, Mr Arafat was forced to reverse a decision made only two days earlier, to put one of his cousins, Musa Arafat, in charge of the strip’s security forces
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The great survivor of Middle East politics, Mr Arafat has for months been resisting pressure from America, Egypt, the United Nations and other powers to merge and revamp the PA’s 12 overlapping, ineffectual and mutually hostile security forces, and to put them under the control of someone acceptable to international negotiators. While Mr Arafat has stalled, the disorder in Gaza has intensified, as Hamas and other militant groups prepare to fill the power vacuum in the strip that will be created if Israel proceeds with its plan to pull out by the end of next year. On Friday, four French aid workers, Gaza’s police chief and another Palestinian official were abducted by gunmen and briefly held hostage by militant groups, as a protest against corruption in the PA. Mr Qurei said this “unprecedented chaos” was the final straw, and announced he was quitting.
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The resignation of his second prime minister in less than a year prompted Mr Arafat finally to unveil the long-awaited reforms of the security forces on Saturday, streamlining the 12 organisations into just three. But his choice of Musa Arafat to oversee the merged forces’ operations in Gaza only increased the outrage among militants in the strip, who see the younger Arafat as just another corrupt crony of the elder.
---------------------------------
The Palestinians’ first prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, was appointed in early 2003 but quit after less than a year, finding that Mr Arafat had little intention in reality of giving up much power. Now the same has happened again. However, Mr Arafat is now under more pressure than at any time since his return from exile to stick to his promises and carry out reforms. Among those most openly challenging him are his former security minister, Muhammad Dahlan, who has publicly criticised sleaze in Mr Arafat’s leadership (though Mr Dahlan has also had the finger of suspicion pointed at himself). America, Israel and other powers see Mr Dahlan as a man they can do business with, and just the sort of person they think should take control of the Palestinian security forces.
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Though Palestinians are angry as never before at Mr Arafat’s misrule, there seems as yet no move to topple him among the young guns jostling for power in the various factions surrounding the PA leadership. What discourages them is the thought of even worse chaos and bloodshed if the ageing figurehead of the Palestinian struggle were deposed and a bitter leadership battle ensued. Thus, for the time being at least, it looks like Mr Arafat will cling to power and Mr Sharon will press on with his plan for disengagement, on his own terms and in his own time—providing he can convince the doubters among Israelis themselves.
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2939581
It’s not the best of situations now is it, Gaza is a much traumatized area and it is politically very contentious. Gaza is much more radicalized then their brothers in the West Bank. Overcrowding, illegal settlers taking a disproportionably large amount of land, and resources, the Rafah crisis of this year, and the illegal Israeli assignations of Palestinians haven’t made the situation better for Arafat. But the reality is also the inability of the P.A to do anything substantive over the past 4 years to curb the spate of violence. Arafat will always be regarded in some esteem by all Palestinians for fighting for their cause since the mid-60’s but his time is coming to an end. The question becomes what will happen after the eventual demise of Arafat? When he does die I for one is uncertain as to the fate of the P.A. I don’t think the Authority has much credibility without Arafat, and will be perceived to soft on the Israeli’s. Because of Israel’s actions and P.A inaction the more extremist elements within Palestine are gaining ground. Because of the 10 years of little to no progress vis-à-vis the Israeli’s the Palestinians could be looking for someone new, and much less favorable to Israel and to the Palestinians long term goals. The chaos in Gaza doesn’t help the plight of the Palestinian cause, it creates the impression that Palestinians cannot rule themselves, if this situation is not calmed down soon the situation could spiral out of control, and only Sharon will be grinning at the end of this one.
TEN years after returning in triumph from exile to take charge of a newly formed interim Palestinian Authority (PA), Yasser Arafat is feeling the wrath of his own people, who have become increasingly frustrated at the corruption, nepotism and sheer uselessness of his crumbling regime. On Monday July 19th, following a weekend of violent protests in the Gaza strip, and the resignation of Ahmed Qurei, his prime minister, Mr Arafat was forced to reverse a decision made only two days earlier, to put one of his cousins, Musa Arafat, in charge of the strip’s security forces
--------------------------------
The great survivor of Middle East politics, Mr Arafat has for months been resisting pressure from America, Egypt, the United Nations and other powers to merge and revamp the PA’s 12 overlapping, ineffectual and mutually hostile security forces, and to put them under the control of someone acceptable to international negotiators. While Mr Arafat has stalled, the disorder in Gaza has intensified, as Hamas and other militant groups prepare to fill the power vacuum in the strip that will be created if Israel proceeds with its plan to pull out by the end of next year. On Friday, four French aid workers, Gaza’s police chief and another Palestinian official were abducted by gunmen and briefly held hostage by militant groups, as a protest against corruption in the PA. Mr Qurei said this “unprecedented chaos” was the final straw, and announced he was quitting.
----------------------------------
The resignation of his second prime minister in less than a year prompted Mr Arafat finally to unveil the long-awaited reforms of the security forces on Saturday, streamlining the 12 organisations into just three. But his choice of Musa Arafat to oversee the merged forces’ operations in Gaza only increased the outrage among militants in the strip, who see the younger Arafat as just another corrupt crony of the elder.
---------------------------------
The Palestinians’ first prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, was appointed in early 2003 but quit after less than a year, finding that Mr Arafat had little intention in reality of giving up much power. Now the same has happened again. However, Mr Arafat is now under more pressure than at any time since his return from exile to stick to his promises and carry out reforms. Among those most openly challenging him are his former security minister, Muhammad Dahlan, who has publicly criticised sleaze in Mr Arafat’s leadership (though Mr Dahlan has also had the finger of suspicion pointed at himself). America, Israel and other powers see Mr Dahlan as a man they can do business with, and just the sort of person they think should take control of the Palestinian security forces.
-------------------------------
Though Palestinians are angry as never before at Mr Arafat’s misrule, there seems as yet no move to topple him among the young guns jostling for power in the various factions surrounding the PA leadership. What discourages them is the thought of even worse chaos and bloodshed if the ageing figurehead of the Palestinian struggle were deposed and a bitter leadership battle ensued. Thus, for the time being at least, it looks like Mr Arafat will cling to power and Mr Sharon will press on with his plan for disengagement, on his own terms and in his own time—providing he can convince the doubters among Israelis themselves.
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2939581
It’s not the best of situations now is it, Gaza is a much traumatized area and it is politically very contentious. Gaza is much more radicalized then their brothers in the West Bank. Overcrowding, illegal settlers taking a disproportionably large amount of land, and resources, the Rafah crisis of this year, and the illegal Israeli assignations of Palestinians haven’t made the situation better for Arafat. But the reality is also the inability of the P.A to do anything substantive over the past 4 years to curb the spate of violence. Arafat will always be regarded in some esteem by all Palestinians for fighting for their cause since the mid-60’s but his time is coming to an end. The question becomes what will happen after the eventual demise of Arafat? When he does die I for one is uncertain as to the fate of the P.A. I don’t think the Authority has much credibility without Arafat, and will be perceived to soft on the Israeli’s. Because of Israel’s actions and P.A inaction the more extremist elements within Palestine are gaining ground. Because of the 10 years of little to no progress vis-à-vis the Israeli’s the Palestinians could be looking for someone new, and much less favorable to Israel and to the Palestinians long term goals. The chaos in Gaza doesn’t help the plight of the Palestinian cause, it creates the impression that Palestinians cannot rule themselves, if this situation is not calmed down soon the situation could spiral out of control, and only Sharon will be grinning at the end of this one.