Benjamin Franklin apparently suggested that "one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."
And then there is Abba Eban, who said that "the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."
Personally, I am a great fan of the adage, "change your behaviour, change your results".
With this in mind, could it really be that the Fatah conference held this week in Bethlehem, the first since 1989; will perpetuate the same self destructive behaviour of the past twenty years. So much has changed for Fatah and the Palestinians over the past twenty years, sadly not too much for the better. Two Intifadas, the Palestinian Authority, failed peace negotiations, the humiliating defeat by Hamas in the 2006 elections and consequent loss of Gaza to Hamas in armed conflict, and perhaps the greatest loss of all, the death of their leader Yasser Arafat; have left the organisation and its supporters weak and divided. This week's conference was supposed to reinvigorate the organisation and revitalise its image and support in the Palestinian territories.
However from the start the conference has been mired in controversy. Hamas refused to allow some four hundred delegates to leave Gaza, insisting they would only do so if Fatah released one thousand Hamas activists currently held in prisons in the West Bank. The young guard of Fatah, the ones looking for real change; have accused Abbas and the old guard of manipulating the delegate list in order to assure they maintain their positions of power on the Revolutionary Council, the Palestinian Parliament. To top it off, Abbas and his cohorts have refused to have any meaningful debate regarding policy or to allow the finances of the organisation to be examined, much to frustration of reformers and those who wish to see twenty years of perceived mismanagement and corruption called to account.
Having said all that, all is not as dark as it may seem, well I suppose that depends upon you perspective.
On the bright side, there are somewhere close to two thousand delegates at the conference, many of whom are there for the right reasons. The act that the conference is happening at all is a major step in the right direction. Most importantly, it can be argued that never before has Fatah been in such a strong position in the eyes of the international community. The world sees Abbas as the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and refuses to deal with Hamas (at least officially). With the new regime in the Whitehouse, Obama's desire to reach out to the Arab world along with his apparent commitment to a Palestinian state as part of a peace deal with Israel, Abbas and Fatah are being actively courted by western governments, as the moderate voice of the Palestinians. For the first time, Palestinians dare to hope that there may indeed be a fair broker in the Whitehouse, who will push Israel to make the concessions it perceives are necessary for a peace deal to be done. The pressure at the moment certainly appears to be on Israel, particularly in regard to settlements and the issue of Jerusalem.
One would assume that Abbas and Fatah would be able to take advantage of this new found popularity and support in the world. Looking at the conference over the past few days.... well one has to wonder. Over the past couple of years Hamas has stolen Fatah's thunder as leaders of "resistance" against the Zionist enemy. The fact that this so called resistance has led to nothing but disaster for the citizens of Gaza appears unimportant and Fatah officials are falling over themselves to reclaim their position at the top of the resistance tree. Hence comments from Fatah officials about armed struggle and continued resistance. There have been suggestions that Fatah needs to examine an alliance with Iran,a major supporter of Hamas. In addition the conference has accused Israel of murdering Yasser Arafat. There has been a flat refusal to recognise Israel as a Jewish state or to negotiate with Israel until all settlement building is stopped. including in Jerusalem.
These position may appear legitimate to some, however the concern is that the Obama regime's perceived willingness to lean on Israel along with current international support (or the perception of such) is driving the Palestinians to overconfidence. They see the wind is in their favour and therefore no need to compromise on their demands. Just the opposite in fact. There is a feeling that the Palestinians can in fact increase their demands and harden their position, then wait for the world to pressure Israel to concede further.
This is a flawed strategy. Just as the world's patience with Israel in regard to settlements and the peace process has run thin. So eventually will patience and support for the Palestinians. There are going to be real and difficult concessions on both sides. For Israel it will be territory, settlements and Jerusalem. For the Palestinians it will undoubtedly be the refugee issue along with some territorial compromise.
This message has been sent loud and clear to Israel. Eventually the same message will be delivered to the Palestinians. If Fatah fail to recognise this, they will miss a real opportunity. The world wants to see an end to this conflict and is prepared to pressure Israel on many issues. However the world also fundamentally supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state living in security.
Perhaps the Fatah conference should be coming up with bold initiatives in order to move the peace process forward, rather than finding excuses, however justifiable; not to talk. Instead of trying to recapture the radical resistance platform, which thus far has proved nothing but disastrous for their people; Fatah would be wise to get truly radical and come up with policies and actions to establish itself as the undisputed leader in the move for a genuine peace which can end the occupation and provide their people with a state and a better future.
Thomas Jefferson said (yes i know there is a debate as to whether he said this or not) that "in a democracy, the people get the leaders they deserve". The Palestinians' efforts at democracy thus far have not born this out too well. The Palestinian people deserve much better. Fatah should be working much harder to deliver.
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