arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Time for the Palestinians to choose life

By Bassem Eid



Today, Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen will
meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and
U.S. President George Bush. The meeting comes very
late, but it's better late than never.

If the meeting had come
earlier, it may have saved the
lives of hundreds of
Palestinians and Israelis. But
it can still save the lives of
hundreds of human beings.

In the past two-and-a-half
years, we, the Palestinians and
the Israelis, have turned our

hands to killing and destruction, the same hands
we once used to preserve life and peace. We, the
Palestinians and the Israelis, practice terror
against each other. We have inflamed the region
with violence and torn down our future. We have
created a huge wall of hatred.

Such a summit, of course, will not put an end to
these violations, but there are still
expectations among the Palestinians that life can
be better.

Recently, while I was in Abu Dis, I was pleased to
meet Palestinians who came from Jenin to exchange
products. When I spoke with them, they seemed
happy to at least be able to get out of Jenin.
They explained how daily life had become not only
hard, but impossible, for them. They said they
had no energy to continue with such a terrible
life. Not one of them wanted to be a shaheed
(martyr). Not one said he wanted to commit a
suicide bombing. This is what I have usually
heard from Palestinians in the past
two-and-a-half years. It seems there is goodwill
from the Palestinians for peace and life. It
seems the Palestinians today have a love of life,
rather than a desire to be shaheeds.

Meanwhile, I was shocked to see the images on
television of Palestinian children going to the
Muqata on the Day of the Child to support Arafat.

The Palestinian president is still talking about
shaheeds and he encouraged children to become
martyrs by telling them that one shaheed on earth
is considered by God as great as 40 shaheeds in
heaven. (This statement has not yet been
condemned by any organizations for the protection
of children.)

It seems Arafat is still encouraging Palestinians
to victimize themselves, an attitude that is
without logic or ethics. Instead of talking about
peace and life, instead of supporting
coexistence, instead of fulfilling the
consciousness of human beings, Arafat is calling
for death. It appears the nearly 2,500
Palestinians and more than 700 Israelis who were
killed during this intifada are not enough to
fulfill Arafat's political interests. I hope -
and am rather sure - that Abu Mazen will not
behave in this manner. I also hope that Abu
Mazen, with his government, will do his best to
put an end to the terror and the violence.

As Sharon himself said in his election campaign,
"Only Sharon can do it." It seems that it really
is only Sharon who can do everything. Sharon can
stop the home demolitions. Sharon can stop the
assassinations. Sharon can repeal the closures.
Sharon can evacuate settlements. Sharon can
create a Palestinian state. If Sharon will do
these things, then Abu Mazen will be considered a
success. Abu Mazen will be regarded as the
"Palestinian Sadat." Sharon has pledged to aid
Abu Mazen with his government. Taking steps to
end these oppressive practices would be a
tremendous aid to the new Palestinian
government.

We hope Bush will be fair and unbiased, even at
the cost of angering the powerful American-Jewish
lobby.

After the summit, I want to hear from the two
leaders the same words that Sadat said in the
Israeli Knesset in 1977 - "No more war." This is
the only statement that can save lives on both
sides. It is the time for the Palestinians to
choose life over death; only while you are alive
can you achieve anything.

Contrary to general opinion, the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not so
complicated. It just takes strong, brave
decisions and a commitment to enforce them.

Bassem Eid is the founder and director of the East
Jerusalem-based Palestinian Human Rights
Monitoring Group (PHRMG).






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Time for the Palestinians to choose life

By Bassem Eid



Today, Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen will
meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and
U.S. President George Bush. The meeting comes very
late, but it's better late than never.

If the meeting had come
earlier, it may have saved the
lives of hundreds of
Palestinians and Israelis. But
it can still save the lives of
hundreds of human beings.

In the past two-and-a-half
years, we, the Palestinians and
the Israelis, have turned our

hands to killing and destruction, the same hands
we once used to preserve life and peace. We, the
Palestinians and the Israelis, practice terror
against each other. We have inflamed the region
with violence and torn down our future. We have
created a huge wall of hatred.

Such a summit, of course, will not put an end to
these violations, but there are still
expectations among the Palestinians that life can
be better.

Recently, while I was in Abu Dis, I was pleased to
meet Palestinians who came from Jenin to exchange
products. When I spoke with them, they seemed
happy to at least be able to get out of Jenin.
They explained how daily life had become not only
hard, but impossible, for them. They said they
had no energy to continue with such a terrible
life. Not one of them wanted to be a shaheed
(martyr). Not one said he wanted to commit a
suicide bombing. This is what I have usually
heard from Palestinians in the past
two-and-a-half years. It seems there is goodwill
from the Palestinians for peace and life. It
seems the Palestinians today have a love of life,
rather than a desire to be shaheeds.

Meanwhile, I was shocked to see the images on
television of Palestinian children going to the
Muqata on the Day of the Child to support Arafat.

The Palestinian president is still talking about
shaheeds and he encouraged children to become
martyrs by telling them that one shaheed on earth
is considered by God as great as 40 shaheeds in
heaven. (This statement has not yet been
condemned by any organizations for the protection
of children.)

It seems Arafat is still encouraging Palestinians
to victimize themselves, an attitude that is
without logic or ethics. Instead of talking about
peace and life, instead of supporting
coexistence, instead of fulfilling the
consciousness of human beings, Arafat is calling
for death. It appears the nearly 2,500
Palestinians and more than 700 Israelis who were
killed during this intifada are not enough to
fulfill Arafat's political interests. I hope -
and am rather sure - that Abu Mazen will not
behave in this manner. I also hope that Abu
Mazen, with his government, will do his best to
put an end to the terror and the violence.

As Sharon himself said in his election campaign,
"Only Sharon can do it." It seems that it really
is only Sharon who can do everything. Sharon can
stop the home demolitions. Sharon can stop the
assassinations. Sharon can repeal the closures.
Sharon can evacuate settlements. Sharon can
create a Palestinian state. If Sharon will do
these things, then Abu Mazen will be considered a
success. Abu Mazen will be regarded as the
"Palestinian Sadat." Sharon has pledged to aid
Abu Mazen with his government. Taking steps to
end these oppressive practices would be a
tremendous aid to the new Palestinian
government.

We hope Bush will be fair and unbiased, even at
the cost of angering the powerful American-Jewish
lobby.

After the summit, I want to hear from the two
leaders the same words that Sadat said in the
Israeli Knesset in 1977 - "No more war." This is
the only statement that can save lives on both
sides. It is the time for the Palestinians to
choose life over death; only while you are alive
can you achieve anything.

Contrary to general opinion, the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not so
complicated. It just takes strong, brave
decisions and a commitment to enforce them.

Bassem Eid is the founder and director of the East
Jerusalem-based Palestinian Human Rights
Monitoring Group (PHRMG).