The Palestinian Cause after Arafat

• subjects

• Challenges facing the current stage

• Dealing with the stage

• Scenarios Expected scenarios concluded in the symposium are

• Suggestions

• Participants

• Views

The Palestinian cause after the death of President Yasser Arafat sheds light on the following subjects:

1.   The main problem in Palestine is how to manage the political process in the Palestinian court since some still see the notion of resistance as a strategic option, while others consider it a tool to enhance negotiations.

2.    The organizations of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Fatah movement have exceeded their legal period and concepts, so they need to be revitalized.

3.   Palestinian unity will not be achieved without bringing together the different factions by forming a "Higher Council for the Palestinian people", since unity is the only way to achieve national aims and critical change in the Palestinian household.

The symposium, held in 27 November, 2004, discussed several critical issues which are:

1. The consequences of the absence of the late President Yasser Arafat from the Palestinian arena on the national, international, and Arab levels.

2. Discussing the different Palestinian approaches and their consequences towards national unity and the Israeli position in addition to the role of the existing organizations, taking into consideration the main resistance factions (Hamas, Jihad) were not represented in these organizations.

3. The Arab, American, European, and Israeli roles in wishing to form a new Palestinian leadership. It also raises the question regarding the meaning of the earlier Egyptian call to the different Palestinian factions to meet in Cairo to overcome this difficult period and reach a vision regarding Palestinian affairs and the peace process in line with that held by the Egyptian president Husni Mubarak.

4. Positions and directions of different Palestinian factions; Hamas and Al Jihad Al Islami, the Public National Front, the leftist stream, different forces inside Fatah (resistance versus settlement),  and other factions in Damascus, West Bank and the Gaza strip.

5. The most possible scenarios in the next stage to achieve national unity and face challenges on the Palestinian track.

Challenges facing the current stage:

1-   Absence of a political program among all of the Palestinian factions which may revitalize the Oslo process.

2-     Presence of policies of double standards and different political and ideological  directions  in the National Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah, in addition to the presence of the opposing and the other political factions outside the exiting political structure such as the Al Jihad Al Islami. If these do not join the PA, double standards will increase in the Palestinian street.

3-     The retreating role of the Palestinians abroad in contrast to their growing strength inside the PA.

4-     Absence of the Arab role in the Palestinian cause. On the other hand, the American and the European roles are increasing.

5-     As for the Israeli side, it seems it does not want the peace process to progress or reach a solution on the suspended issues such as Jerusalem, settlements, and refugees.

Dealing with the stage

Requirements of the current stage:

1-     Enhancing democracy which will help in the survival of all organizations, especially those that were absent in the last years. All of the political forces must take on its role. Participants emphasized that we have to capitalize on the changes in the Hamas positions as evident by the last 2006 election.

2-     Treating the corruption file seriously.

3-     Avoiding the occurrence of internal conflict under any circumstances or reasons. Participants suggested the utilization of the next period when the internal conflict might be minimized while resisting Israeli and American pressures against the PA.

4-     Holding on to the demands of the rights of the Palestinian people, to Jerusalem, return of refugees and dispersed Palestinians, and supporting Palestinian control on their Palestinian land.

5-     Enhancing national unity by establishing national leadership that includes all different factions and rebuilding the Palestinian Liberation Organization on democratic lines with the participation of all Palestinian forces; on internal and external levels.

6-     Reaching a joint political program

7-     Palestinian forces outside the PLO as Hamas and Al Jihad have to perform their political programs before the election, since their participation doesn't mean the end of resistance but might prevent any new concessions due to Israeli and American pressure.

8-     Increasing the role of an efficient and professional media in the Palestinian organization.

Participants expressed their worries about the next presidency election as one that would be an extension of the Oslo process since the most likely candidate is Mahmoud Abbas, the current Palestinian president, who strongly believes in the Oslo track.

Scenarios Expected scenarios concluded in the symposium are

First: The status quo remains in the Palestinian organization without any changes.

Second: Rebuilding the PLO on democratic lines, containing all forces since it is the legal representative of the Palestinian people.

Third: Establishing a Higher Palestinian Council to manage the development of all organizations (the Authority, organizations, Intifada, resistance and dispersed Palestinians…) until the building of the Palestinian state where political action and resistance would join together.

Fourth:   Strengthening the PA at the expense of the Liberation Organization, and thus enter into a conflict with those who believe resistance without making any political achievement (Sharon program).

Participants support the second and the third scenarios to guarantee national unity and enhance the desire of the Palestinian people for liberation and impose pressure on the occupier where national dialogue plays a critical role.

Suggestions

• Establish a unified Palestinian leadership including an executive committee, leaders of factions and independents.

•  Changing the election law, forming a government by the Legislative Council.

•  Rebuild the Palestine Liberation Organization democratically.

• Establish a leadership center outside Palestine, in addition to forming a joint political program which includes self- determination, right of return and establishing an independent state.

Some of the participants called on Hamas to carry out its political program before the next presidency election to have a significant role in the Palestinian street.

Participants
(Names arranged alphabetically)

Views

Dr. Nitham Barakat said the problematic now is the presence of an alternative leadership with determined specifications. It seems there are three levels of distribution; the Authority's president, Executive Committee, and the Fatah faction. From now on it seems there will exist multiple leaderships in the PA, suggesting the absence of Arafat will affect national unity, so there must be greater democratic practices to meet the challenges in the absence of a charismatic persona as this could cause an eruption inside the Authority.

Dr. Barakat emphasized the challenges could be met by deepening  democracy and returning confidence in the organizations, although the occupier can prevent the creation of what he sees as more militant organizations, but still the Authority can establish strong legal organizations as the only way to strengthen the Palestinian entity. 

While the Arab role is absent the international community calls for a peaceful Palestinian state and the nature of the conflict between the security of Israel and the rights of the Palestinian people unfortunately turns to favor Israeli security.

Mr. Tayseer Qabaa said the absence of Arafat is a great loss to the Palestinian people as his, is a real leadership who gave his people every thing in spite of his mistakes. However Qab'aa added because of this, the only solution for the Palestinian people is to establish democracy pointing out the death of Arafat put America, international community and the European Union in a crisis.

The Arab regimes do not have any clear position while Israel faces a crisis as it doesn't want peace or a permanent solution which would interfere with its beliefs of Jerusalem as its capital, no to the dismantlement of settlements in the occupied territories, and no to the return of refugees. Israel wants the Palestinians to form a management role to serve Israel and save its security.

Quob'aa added Israel will lose in the absence of Arafat who was the only person in a position to provide concessions to Israel. On the national level, there are two points of view: one, and held by Abu Mazen, that says the Intifada is not the right way to return Palestinian rights since the gun can't  face Israel. The other viewpoint holds, as does Hamas and Al Jihad, that the only way to face Israel is through struggle. The situation at this stage is for the first option: The peaceful option include applying the election, executing the democratic way, and the nomination of an internal leadership. The absence of Arafat does not mean we lost the Palestinian people, but Arafat maintained the basic Palestinian principles and the Palestinian national program which lead to his imprisonment.

Dr. Yousef Rezka said that Israel and the US treated Abbas as a president who is facing much problems in dealing with the issue of resistance and Islamic parties. Dr. Rezqa said that the Arafat absence is the absence of leadership and methodology. He believed that dialogue will support the option of negotiation. 

Dr. Rezka encouraged the Islamic movements to participate in the election; Abu Mazen received 3% in the survey while Ismaeel Haneya received 26% in the last stage. If America use its veto against any person, we must call for supporting the Palestinian people and nominate a president by using democratic standards. He encouraged Hamas to participate in the election. Participation will not cancel the resistance option.