March 26, 2004

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WAR ENDED?:

Palestinian officials call on militants to lay down arms (Ha'aretz, 3/26/04)

Over 60 prominent Palestinian officials and intellectuals Thursday urged the public to refrain from retaliation for Israel's assassination of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, saying it would ignite a new round of bloodshed that would only hurt Palestinian aspirations for independence.

A half-page advertisement in the PLO's Al-Ayyam newspaper called on Palestinians to lay down their arms and turn to peaceful means of protest to end Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The ad reflected apparently growing sentiment among many Palestinian leaders and intellectuals that military struggle is not helping the Palestinian cause. [...]

The intellectuals who signed Thursday's ad - including lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi, Nablus Governor Mahmoud Aloul, Geneva Accord co-author and PLO Executive Committee member Yasser Abed Rabbo and Abbas Zaki, a leading member of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - said such revenge attacks would lead to a strong Israeli retaliation and further hurt the Palestinian cause.

The group called on the public to "rise again in a peaceful, wise intifada." While saying the 37-year occupation must be brought down, they asked the public to reconsider the benefits of a violent struggle.


The conflict is over. They have their state. The Israelis are leaving. Time to stop dehumanizing themselves.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 26, 2004 7:45 PM
Comments

The Palestinians may be history's densest victors.

Posted by: Joe at March 26, 2004 7:59 PM

Someone in the camps is building 60 new caskets.

Posted by: NC3 at March 26, 2004 9:47 PM

We'll know the tide has shifted when some prominent "moderates" (i.e., those known to the Western media) start getting killed. Until then, talk is cheap.

Posted by: jim hamlen at March 27, 2004 8:30 AM

Or when the vermin like Rantisi are killed by the moderates. Especially if they can kill Arafat.

Posted by: ratbert at March 27, 2004 8:33 AM

"The conflict is over."

Thomas L. Friedman redux.

http://www.mideasttruth.com/nyt14.html

Posted by: Barry Meislin at March 28, 2004 6:46 AM

Terrorism will continue. The war is over. Even the Palestinians now believe Sharon is giving them their state.

Posted by: oj at March 28, 2004 7:51 AM

You assume that the Palestinians want their own state.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at March 28, 2004 11:02 PM
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