October 4, 2007: For the first time, there was a
notable lack of Palestinians holding
public celebrations for the anniversary of the start of their September,
2000 "intifada" uprising. The violence began because a peace deal with Israel
had caused a split within the Palestinian community. Yasser Arafat, head of the
Fatah party, and chief Palestinian leader since the 1960s, was being criticized
by more extreme factions. Yasser thought that a little terrorism against Israel
would improve his standing with Palestinian militants, and get the Israelis to
sweeten the pot. It didn't work.
Before the terrorists were defeated in 2005, nearly
5,000 people were killed (80 percent of the Palestinians.) Israel found the
terrorists weak spot (their support and leadership system), and went after it.
By 2005, the Israeli efforts had so disrupted the terrorist operations that
hardly any suicide bombers were getting through. Some still did, but so
infrequently that it wasn't newsworthy. For the terrorists, these infrequent
successes (and the many failed attempts) actually hurt the terrorists, because
it showed that their efforts were in vain and wasted. Since 2005, the
terrorists have kept trying, but the body count (about 500 for two years) is
much smaller, and mostly Palestinian. There are also an additional 9,000
Palestinians in prison.
Terrorism is still popular among Palestinians,
because, while it doesn't work against Israelis, it does work against
Palestinians. The most recent Palestinian elections, last year, saw one inept
terrorist group (Fatah) defeated (more for being corrupt than anything else),
by another terrorist group (Hamas) that promised cleaner government and more
effective terrorism. Hamas has delivered neither, and is now in big political
trouble.
The terror campaign destroyed the substantial
support the Palestinians had within Israel. The split within the Palestinian
community got worse as Israel fought back, and eventually defeated the
terrorists. Now Hamas controls Gaza, while Fatah controls the West Bank. Hamas
is an international pariah, while Fatah is seeking to make peace with Israel.
The Palestinian economy is wrecked and, as this years lack of a celebration
demonstrated, the Palestinians are demoralized. They have lost another war with
Israel.
The only thing the Palestinians have going for them
is the long view. Many Palestinians view Israel as another version of the
"Crusader States." These were the feudal principalities set up (from southern
Turkey, into Syria and down the coast to the Sinai) by the victorious European
crusaders in 1098. By 1291, less than 200 years, they were gone. Although there
were far more Christians in the area than today, the region was still
overwhelmingly Moslem, and Arab. The Crusader States were not removed by time,
but by powerful Moslem armies. For the Israelis, time is also on their side, as
the Jews have lived in the area for over 3,000 years. People have long memories
in the Middle East, but for the Palestinians, the present is defeat.
