Posted on 02/26/2004 3:25:09 PM PST by yonif
Public opinion and the people's will by Hani Masri The Jerusalem Times (independent Palestinian weekly) 26 February 2004 www.jerusalem-times.net/article/news/details/detail.asp?id=4840
Last Sunday's bus bombing in Jerusalem is an example of great sacrifice. Nonetheless, despite the noble motives that brought about the military operation, it served to strengthen Israel's ians. Hamas and Jihad movements have broached ideas about taking civilians off their list of targets.
Their other declared objective was to wipe Israel off the map. This is no longer part of their rhetoric. Today, one discerns a trend among those factions to consider the idea of accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Palestinian resistance at its most effective is expressing itself in an altogether different quarter.
Monday, the 24th of February, 2004, will go down as a historic day in the annals of the history of Palestine. This is the day the Palestinians joined their voices everywhere in a show of resistance to the presence of a wall in their lives. When a people sets forth in all of its ranks and factions, the young and the old, it is invincible. But when the choice of initiative is left to separate and disparate factions to make pacts and sign agreements, be they official or virtual, the result is chaotic and ineffective, and leads to realizing little, or worse to total disarray. Equally, confusion may follow from military operations which take place as a result of an on-the-spur-of-the-moment judgment by a faction, reacting to Israel aggression.
We believe that the military operation that occurred in Jerusale m will have not a major impact on the panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. After all, they have before them the facts and it is on this basis and from this pile of evidence that the judges will have to reach conclusions. This is a profound process which one doubts will be disturbed by the consequences of the operation. And should we need proof, let us remind ourselves that the issue of the wall was accepted by the court at The Hague despite the numerous operations undertaken by Palestinians inside Israel.
Where we should be concerned is the impact Sunday's operation will have in an arena no less important than that of the forum of jurists at The Hague. While we may feel relatively safe in court, we are vulnerable in the war over the heart and mind of world public opinion, which is deeply influenced by the media. If world public opinion were won over, our struggle would be reinforced by a thousandfold. For public opinion on a global scale is the second mightiest power in the world and in recent times has grown to rival that of the United States of America, the superpower of the contemporary world.
It is doubtful we should ever be in a position to defeat Israel by military means, nor can we hope to ever tip the balance of political forces in our favor unless we firmly base ourselves on the undeniable fact that our cause is just and strive to gather the rest of the world around it. Those we see as joining us should include Israelis in large numbers. This could well be the way to win world public opinion to counterbalance and defeat the edge Israel has had in military matters.
As opposed to most days when the Palestinians join their voices in support of murdering Israel's women and children and driving Israel into the sea for no reason at all.
It's a pile of cold dog sh*t. A Palestinian "militant" is a pile of dog sh*t that's still hot and steaming.
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