In his usual simple and direct manner, Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi put forth his thoughts on the demise of the peace process in a long article published on 31 March 1998 in Al-Quds newspaper. He laid the blame for the failure of the peace process on the Israeli Government and American bias. He ended the article attempting to answer the long-standing question of “What to do?” by pointing out the Palestinian strategies on the local, Arab, and international arenas. I do not think that many would differ with what Dr. Abdel Shafi wrote. If the question of what to do was easy to answer, the question of how to do it remains.

How can we strengthen national unity? How can we revive Arab solidarity? How can we change the American and European positions? I expect Abdel Shafi to say that if each and every one of us performed his duties morally and professionally, we can then start our march towards liberation.

What Dr. Abdel Shafi did not point to is the clear Palestinian Authority’s failure to move on the internal and external tracks. The Palestinian Authority’s failures are evident through the prevalent chaos and violations, the lack of accountability, the absence of good role models, and oppression of freedom of speech. Dr. Abdel Shafi did not mention the deep disappointment and frustration spread among us like a famine, and the nostalgic and vengeful thoughts occupying people’s minds as a result of the splitting of society into “the rich and powerful new elite” and “the rest of us”.

Dr. Abdel Shafi did not touch on how the Palestinian Diaspora feels irrelevant and marginalized as a result of the Oslo Accords, which limited the Palestinian question to Gaza and the West Bank.

Dr. Abdel Shafi overlooked the collapse of the PLO that was representing the Palestinian movement. Moreover, he failed to mention the different Palestinian and Islamic organizations that stand against the current peace process, and did not refer to the role of these parties, some of which have evaporated or are idle, with a portion of their leadership languishing behind Palestinian bars. Also, what of the national unity negotiations? Or, was that another “show”?

Dr. Abdel Shafi did not answer how we can consolidate Arab unity knowing Arab regimes’ submission to American influence, despite the arrogant proclamations of some Arab foreign ministers of Arab independence of will.

We cannot and do not expect Dr. Abdel Shafi to answer all these points. The responsibility for that is a collective Palestinian one that requires intellectuals and politicians to start a serious and effective dialogue. However, the historical problem remains; are people prepared to cross the barrier of fear, and are the regimes ready to accept freedom of speech and opinions? We do not doubt the near impossibility of this, which will hasten the confrontation between the democratic forces and the governments.

The Palestinian dilemma and Palestinian rights have been abused by the ruling regimes to rise to power and preserve their stranglehold of the people in league with the colonial powers, whose sole concern is the preservation of the status quo regardless of democracy and human rights. While these regimes try to occupy the people with television shows and opening new free trade zones, free thinkers lie in prisons.

The Zionist conspiracy on Palestine in alliance with the Anglo-Saxon league of the USA and Britain is powerful in its control of world media and manipulation of voters. In addition, it influences the European economy and uses the guilt complex of the holocaust and the fear of being labeled “anti-Semite”. Although we rightfully blame the United States and Britain for the catastrophes that befell the Palestinian people from the uprooting in ’48 till Oslo, we still insist that the main responsibility to change remains ours. We only need to look at the South African example of how the forces of freedom and democracy remained faithful to their principles, and eventually forced their will on the imperial and racist powers. They recruited world opinion and forced governments to boycott apartheid in South Africa until the regime crumbled, and Mandela marched from his prison cell to the presidential palace in triumph.

In Palestine however, the picture looks bleak and explosive with threatening internal violence and against Israel, as pain and anger have saturated the atmosphere. Netanyahu will understand that he was gambling with the lives of Jews when he was trying to strangle the Palestinian people into submission, humiliate them, and draw relief from their suffering. The Palestinian Authority will understand, and maybe when it is too late, that we were all hostages in the name of peace.