Trying to keep up with his quick pace, she remembered Abu Isam, the good man who was suddenly admitted to Shifa hospital. She remembered his warm smile, kindness, and his readiness to help others.

The loud sirens of police cars clearing the way for an official motorcade interrupted her.

She gasped, "Who is the VIP visiting us this time?"

He paused before saying, "I think it is the British Prime Minister."

"Does he bring anything new?" she asked.

"I don't know. But there is a lot of optimism arising from this visit." he replied.

With clear anticipation, she questioned, "What does that mean?"

"It means that Britain recognizes that a free Palestinian State is the road to peace," was his answer.

"Do you think he'll apologize for the Balfour Declaration?"

The answer to her question came from the motorcade in a gush of dust. She screamed angrily, "All we'll get from them are empty words and dust from their wheels in our faces. They are liars; and their history with us is full of lies and conspiracies."

Quietly he replied, "The Authority has nothing to go by nowadays other than these promises. It doesn't have any cards to play. And I think that the war in Afghanistan after the bombings in the US is the Authority's last chance."

She replied sarcastically, "what about the 'difficult number?' *

He looked around before saying in a tone of caution, "The 'difficult number' means that the whole world should know that peace and security in the Middle East will not be achieved without the Palestinians…"

She interrupted him saying, "This is a big fallacy. The West supports Israel against Arabs and Muslims. This is the truth. And the politicians of the West won't dare declare war on Israel or even boycott it to force it to end the occupation and stop its organized terrorism against us. Politicians are subject to blackmail from the Zionist lobby. The world has been watching our plight for more than fifty years, and continues to support Israel. They are all like today's visitor from Britain regurgitating about Israel's security and Interests. The 'difficult number' isn't what is really important."

With another warning glance he asked, "What do you suggest? How do we escape this dilemma? The situation today is the worst it has been. Israel continues its policy of assassination and intrusions without deterrent. It has capitalized on the assassination of its Minister of Tourism to open the gates of hell. None of us have any love for the slain extremist; and the PFLP had a vendetta to fulfil after the assassination of its leader. But the timing of the operation wasn't very good. It broke the cease-fire decision of the Palestinian Authority. Even though we criticize the PA, we must respect its decisions or we face civil war or reoccupation."

With clear determination she said, "We have the right to defend ourselves and avenge our martyrs. They only understand the language of force. Let us stop dreaming. The 'number' won't be difficult if it isn't armed with resistance. This is a fact."

With dejection clear on his face, he said, "It looks like everybody is lost in the chaos, the Authority and opposition. Wheels of fortune are missing us again. There isn't a thing to point that we are working towards straightening things out on the internal front. Resistance needs to issue from a strong and fortified base. But in reality our armed groups work each according to a separate agenda. The politicians who are calling for national unity are in prison. The situation is very dangerous and doesn't allow us to resist. In fact, the weak Palestinian bullets are giving Sharon the excuse to kill without fear."

She retorted sharply, "Does this mean we should give in to promises and lies?"

Silence prevailed as they entered the old hospital. He asked about Abu Isam and found the way to his room. The dear man was lying on his bed surrounded with his family. His wife was standing beside him ready to answer like a soldier.

She had spent her life caring for him and their children.

When the eyes met, tears were looming in the loving eyes. The visitors sat asking about the man's ailment and its causes, and muttered words of prayer for him.

As the couple were walking back from the hospital, police sirens screamed through the streets, and the thunder of another motorcade rumbled. Once again, the cars sprayed her face with dust.

She was agitated as she said, "these motorcades have killed a lot of children. Why don't they stop them?"

"Don't exaggerate! These motorcades only killed a few children," he retorted.

She sadly replied, "Woe to the mothers of these children. There is nothing to compensate these mothers for their lost flowers."

"But these motorcades are important in welcoming Presidents and VIPs…"

She cut him off angrily, "Aren't these motorcades for people who decide to kill children in Iraq and Afghanistan as well? It is ironic that they claim to fight terrorism while planting seeds of hatred in all the places in which their motorcades pass."

"Let it rest. Now tell me if you are thinking about another evening visit."

She turned to him eagerly, "Do you really mean that? To be honest I would like to visit Dr. Rabah Muhhana in prison."

He was clearly shocked as he replied, "WHAT? Rabah Muhhana?"**

She calmly continued, "Why not? First of all, I think that each one of us have to visit him to express our condemnation of political detention. Secondly, he is a kind doctor who treated me more than once. My family and I owe it to him!"

He looked ahead and didn't answer.

So she continued sarcastically, "I heard that they declared that the people who assassinated the Israeli Minister of Tourism were collaborators with Israel. If this is true, how come clean people remain in jail?! I even heard that, when the Authority didn't find the people that Israel wanted arrested, it went ahead and arrested their relatives. This is unbelievable. How someone can be arrested for something he didn't do. What has happened to human rights? Also, why accuse people of such shameful charges without a just trial?"

He sighed deeply and said, "Our situation is catastrophic. And you still want us to resist with arms."

He looked aimlessly through the deserted street under the heavy shadows of the coming night. Then he said, "There are people who dream of negotiating with Sharon. These people don't understand that this won't happen even if the Authority arrests every single opponent of peace with Israel. He doesn't want peace. He thinks that every Palestinian is a terrorist and that Arabs are an extension of the Nazis. So, he dreams of killing us one by one, and wants all the land. He succeeded in carrying the war to our towns and villages. This is his military philosophy as exemplified by his raids on Jordan and Gaza in the 1950's, his counterattack during the 1973 war with Egypt, and his invasion of Lebanon. He even succeeded in putting us on the defensive on the political front."

He continued, "I think that our immediate strategy should be to bring Sharon down from power. This needs true Palestinian unity and commitment to the decisions of the Authority. But this requires the Authority to do everything in its power to solidify Palestinian unity through an open dialogue with all faction based on mutual respect and adherence to the law. The Authority should also send a message to the masses explaining to them the road ahead and what people should expect. The Authority has been negligent in this. It is time that people stopped living in a foggy political atmosphere. Also, the Authority must shake Israeli politics by addressing the Israeli peace camp with a strong message that guarantees Israel's security and at the same time maintains our rights."

After some silence, she said, "let us visit Um Khalil to pay our respects for her husband who passed away. She is a good woman who maintained our relationship even after they moved."

He pointed to a taxi and said to his wife, "I cannot walk much more. Let us put politics aside as we won't be alone in the car. I won't be surprised if some wheels have ears!"

• Yasser Arafat used this term referring to the Palestinian stubborn determination to be involved in any talks and hinting that without them there would no deals.
• Rabah Muhhana is a PLFP leader in Gaza Central Prison since the assassination of the Israeli minister of tourism.