...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

Rare event: Has the moon turned blue? Are piggies flying? Has Hades developed permafrost? The only reason I ask is because Rami Khouri, the Palestinian who serves as editor-at-large for Lebanon’s The Daily Star and occasional columnist for the Globe and Mail, has written a piece in which he—gasp—actually holds the Palestinians accountable for their own haplessness (sort of):

…Fatah and Hamas are both slowly relinquishing their once respectable standing among fellow Palestinians. As they fight it out in village streets and refugee camp alleyways, they make it ever more difficult to wage a principled and credible struggle against Israeli expansionism.

At an international level, the Palestinian cause is the longest running anti-colonial movement of its kind, which is one reason it generates so much support around the world. Ordinary people understand that Palestinians fight against a Zionist foe whose predatory territorial aims are anchored in the ugly soil of 19th-century European imperialism and colonialism.

The Palestinians have continued to struggle for the integrity of their community and their national rights for over a century, but they have lost at every decisive moment. The poor quality of Palestinian leadership has always been one reason. Political immaturity, reflected in fighting within the community, is another constant. Israeli oppression has also helped fracture Palestinian society and turn some of its groups into desperados who fight one another to maintain a modicum of control over their increasingly restricted and empty lives. Disarray and weakness among Arab supporters has also been a problem at times. The international community's virtual indifference to the consequences of Israel's harsh policies makes the entire regional context more conducive to such irrational and self-destructive Arab behaviour.

Yes, this is a dark day for the Palestinians. But they will eventually find better leadership to help them regain their cohesion and credibility - and their self-respect. From the rubble of their own criminal attacks against their own people, the Palestinians will recognize that living in a tree house is exciting for a nine-year-old child, but is very unbecoming a national political movement.

Way to look on the bright side, Rami, but I doubt your prediction will come to pass. More likely Hamas will gain control over the West Bank, and Iran will be the only “leadership” calling the shots. You see, that’s what happens when “a national political movement” isn’t a “movement” at all, but part of the larger jihad against the West.

On second thought, call off the search for airborne swine. It turns out that Rami's engaging in the same old kvetching--blaming the Jews for the Arabs' "irrational and self-destructive behaviour." Nice try, Rami, but that one's never going to fly.

Posted by: scaramouche at 10:17 | link | comments

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