Next steps after the Palestinian election
The road ahead for Palestinians

by Samir S. Rantisi
Monday, January 10, 2005

Regardless of the elections in the Palestinian territories Sunday and whether President Mahmoud Abbas is someone who can be viewed as more realistic and moderate, Palestinian society still seems far from any serious review of its most recent history -- if not the past 40 years of Yasser Arafat's rule.

No Palestinian can doubt the role that the late Arafat has played in our current history and the achievements he was able to reap, yet the past 40 years were also full of failures, tragedies and catastrophes. Even today, the focus seems to be on how to maintain the 4-year-old militant Intifada, a militancy that has not only brought about human tragedies, but in every sense of the word amounts to another nakba (cataclysm) in 50 years of our history.

The problem is that my people still lack vision, strategy and definitely a statesmanlike leadership that can move them up the ladder to the place they have long deserved among the world's democratic and freedom-loving nations.

As for vision, after more than 50 years of an exhausting struggle for freedom, national independence and statehood, there is still no agreement over the objectives of the struggle. While the Palestine Liberation Organization has set its objectives to achieve an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza (22 percent of British Mandate Palestine), the Palestinian Islamic movements (including Hamas and Jihad), both of which enjoy widespread grassroots support, perceive their struggle's final objective as establishing a state on all of British Mandate Palestine (including Israel). A third vision (especially common among those living abroad) is to establish a binational state over the whole of British Mandate Palestine, where Jews and Palestinians can live with full equal rights together.

Reality, however, is so vivid and stark. Despite the prevailing political realities on the ground, which at the most can allow an emergence of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza in the foreseeable future, some main and dominant political schools of thought continue to thrive on unrealistic aspirations, such as complete liberation of British Mandate Palestine and the eventual destruction of the Jewish state, or the defeat of Zionism.

Such ideologies unfortunately have led in the past to prolonged suffering for my people. A newly elected Palestinian leadership needs to have the decency and courage to start reversing this political thinking, beginning with an educational effort to moderate political thought. The objective of a Palestinian state living in peace side by side with Israel requires a new indoctrination based on acceptance of the Israeli people -- provided that the latter end their military occupation of Palestinian territory and recognize the rights of my people to freedom and independence.

Still, much more is required from the elected Palestinian leadership. A new vision must also start with cleaning house. Corruption in all its forms must not be tolerated anymore. A good reason behind Palestinians' strong grassroots support for the Islamic movements can be found in the mounting anger of the impoverished masses over widespread official corruption. During the past decade, some officials turned their authority into sources for personal gain. Donors' money as well as government funds were channeled several times into privately owned companies and enterprises and never reached the intended purposes. Even some of the financial assistance allocated for nongovernmental institutions was also mismanaged or channeled into private accounts.

The Palestinian Legislative Council also failed in general to assume its role of setting regulations and standards. The newly elected legislature must assume wide responsibilities, not only as a legislative body, but also as a monitor of the Palestinian Authority's performance.

As for strategy, it has become clear that militancy and violent ways adopted to achieve national objectives have not only failed to bring these objectives closer, but they have also resulted in setbacks and human tragedies. Despite the fact that Palestinians are entitled to resist military occupation, they must at the same time choose the least costly and most efficient and time-saving means to achieve their objectives. This is not only a responsibility, but it is also the duty of a wise and good leadership.

My people must acknowledge that violent resistance has failed and that only a nonviolent and peaceful strategy can bring them closer to their objectives. All significant achievements that they can account for (including establishing their own authority) have definitely come as a result of their nonviolent strategies -- not from violence and militancy.

Finally, my people need a statesmanlike leadership, one that can set as its goal the creation of a real Palestinian independent state, with well- structured institutions, systems and laws that work for the benefit of the people as a whole, and not for the benefit of the few who are in power. A leadership dedicated to opening the doors wide for a better economic future for the coming generations. And most important, a leadership that will take that extra step to place my people at the same level with vibrant, democratic and freedom-loving nations. There is still a long way to go to achieve that, but a good statesman can begin the required journey.

Samir S. Rantisi is former senior media adviser to the Palestinian Authority and a co-founder of the Palestinian Peace Coalition. His book, "The Struggle to Surrender -- A Different Narrative of the Palestinian Struggle," will be published in June.

©2005 San Francisco Chronicle