Jessica Rettig
Right now, Israeli authorities are battling hundreds of activists trying to fly into the country from
In
But the world has not heard from one group, not even a whimper -- the Palestinians themselves. For decades, they served as a rousing example for the Arab street, fighting two intifadas against
Now, as the rest of the Arab world stands up to their dictators, here in the
Imagine what could be if Palestinians, like their brothers in
But talk to Palestinians, and the explanation for their relative inaction is surprising -- and quite moving.
"There are calls for demonstrations every day," said Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, speaking to a visiting delegation of Americans and Europeans, sponsored by the
For the first time, Palestinians are making demands of their own leaders instead of blaming all of their woes on
"There's a feeling in the air, fumes waiting to be ignited," warned
"This could turn on a dime," Dermer cautioned. But Palestinians dismiss that.
"For the first time, nonviolence is becoming an acceptable strategy," said
So then, why don't Palestinians hold mass nonviolent demonstrations? The truth is, given their bitter experience, neither side trusts the other -- or even their own people.
"I don't want to see us slide back into violence, reach a flashpoint where kids are killed," Fayyad said.
Gilon agreed. "I can't see it staying peaceful for long. People want to defend themselves, protect their property." And Shikaki added: "Israelis are not equipped to deal with nonviolence. People realize it would be a march to slaughter."
But a more important reason is that Palestinians now have something to protect. For years now, Fayyad has been working "to get ready for statehood by building competent institutions of a state." A massive building boom has transformed
Palestinians have jobs and families. That, as much as anything else, may explain why they are not taking to the streets. But they have come out in smaller numbers to urge action from their own government. In March, for example, protestors demanded that the Palestinian Authority make up with
It is foundering now and may never happen. But the Abbas/Fayyad government earned a respect from their people for making the effort. And under the new reality, Shikaki said, "If the youth feel" Abbas "is wavering," they will take to the streets to tell him.
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Available at Amazon.com:
Aftermath: Following the Bloodshed of America's Wars in the Muslim World
Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East (The Contemporary Middle East)
The End of History and the Last Man
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
Copyright 2011, JOEL BRINKLEY; DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.