Jefferson Corner

The other day after dinner, a number of us, Palestinian-Americans sat at the table to get feed back from one of our good friends who arrived the same day from Ramallah. Of course the subject of the discussions ranged from the armed skirmishes taking place between Fatah and Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas calls for new elections and of course the ever lingering issue of corruptions and cleaning up the Palestinian Authority and the freezing of the Fatah militias and its warlords.
The discussions were quite frank and open with no reservations and our good friend whom we have known for sometimes was also quite open and very frank and quite objectives in addition to being well informed.
Of course and as always, I spoke my mind and was quite frank in my criticism of both Fatah and Hamas, both of which have narrow interest and do not represent or put forwards what is best for the Palestinians. Hamas, sad to say did not live up to the expectation, even though it was handicapped right out of the gate and did not take advantage of its sweep in the election to offer a good solid alternative to the corrupt and incompetent Fatah. Hamas made the fatal mistake of not coming out with its “peace plan” and in support of the Arab Peace Plan, and instead put itself in the corner by getting directions and instructions from Khalid Mishal who is not elected by any one and who gets his instructions from Damascus, which over the last 40 years did not do the Palestinian people much favors. Hamas behaved as if it continues to run small NGO and is not a government that has to take care of every thing from education to garbage collections to providing public security.
Fatah on the other hand did not and will not change at long as the decisions are in the hands of the old guards who proved they are, not only corrupt but a total failure and as long as the decision is also in the hands of warlords and those who became very rich from racketeering, protection money and selling cement to build the Israeli War.
Between a wall and a hard stone sits President Mahmoud Abbas who was elected on a “Peace Plan” by the overwhelming majority of the people. Even Hamas was elected not because of its ‘war plans” but as an alternative to Fatah and in the absence of any “liberation” plans. I did agree with my friend that the Hamas was elected as a majority in the parliament, but once selected to form the government must be committed to carry out the president program and not its own agenda, letting the parliament decide on major legalisations. I also agreed with my friend, the only way out of this deadlock and impasse is a new presidential and parliamentary elections. The situation on the ground does not stand a Hamas government, that is unable or unwilling to address the daily issues of the people and one that does not advance a peace plan, having tried a ‘war” plans for the last 40 years and it failed. Abbas is right in calling a new election and must not only call for new elections, but must set a date not later than 120 days from the date he submit his resignation and 120 days from dissolving the parliament. The Palestinians people could not stand to have a Hamas government that gets its instructions from Damascus and could not afford a government that does not go along and show strong an unequivocal support for the King Abdallah’ Peace Plan. Equally important in all of this is giving the opportunity to the Palestinians in the Diaspora, who form a “ majority” to have a say so in what is going on and who must have a voice and participate in the decision to move forward with peace. The PLO as an organization no longer serves the purpose and is no longer the right mechanism for the Palestinians. More important, the PLO was never elected by the people and its executives are nothing but old bags whose time has come to retire to the farm and whose executives are at best parasites that serve no good purpose. President Abbas has a once in life opportunity to rise above the partisan level and has a chance to prove that he is the president of all the people and not as head of Fatah. He must prove to the people that he has what it takes in courage, vision, and commitment to peace to take the people out of the mess they are in. He also must take the decision to clean the place up, clean it from all the thugs, warlords, and corruption mafia of his Fatah and must clean and get rid of all of the militias out there and give them alternative and productive job. He also has to get rid of a number of key people around him who are nothing more than incompetent parasites and warlords. His strength is not Fatah men, but the average citizen who is looking for a leader to stand up to the occasion and deliver independence and liberation. Removing some 30 checks points out of 400 is not enough. The people want liberation and an end to the occupation. Let us see if President Abbas live up to the expectation and prove he is the president of all the people. Hamas must accept its failure and agree to go back to the people and not cling to power for the next 3 years. Until the people elect Khalid Mishal he should not make the decisions.

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The late Yaser Arafat thought he was very bright and smart when he was nothing but a clown and fool who thought he used Palestine as a a game, a game between himself and some of his sponsors at the time, the likes of Hafiz Al-Assad, Saddam Hussein and of course that lunatic of all times, Muamar Qaddafi. Arafat was proud of the fact he was playing the game of politics with the big boys, who were losers to begin with. The Palestinians lost a chance back in 1977 of being free from the Israeli Occupation because Arafat could not stand up to Assad and make his own independent decision and accept Jimmy Carter’s offer for a peaceful settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, a settlement much more generous than his stupid, ill advice, and reckless Oslo Accord.
Arafat for over 40 years used the Palestinian cause as a game, a chess game, and now Hamas is doing the same thing, using the Palestinian cause and all that it entails as a pawn in the hands of the guys sitting in Damascus, and in Teheran, repeating the same mistake Arafat committed for over 40 years.
The Palestinian cause and its leadership must be independent of any regional politics and must be independent of any personal aspirations for a wider role in regional politics. The Palestinian leadership have to put the Palestinian people and for the first time ahead of any thing else, ahead of any competing regional interests and games and must give liberation and ending the occupation the top and only priority.
Today the Washington Post came out with an editorial in support of Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party and against the “enemy of peace” Hamas. Also in the Post, Secretary Rice admits that Arafat stole the Palestinians blind, forgetting that Arafat was head of Fatah and Abbas is head of Fatah and nothing has changes.
More troubling is Ismail Henyia offer of “blood money” to settle the issue of those innocent people gunned down by Hamas and Fatah thugs and gangs, as if the “blood money” will bring back the lives of the three innocent children gunned down or the livers of the innocent that were lost. Equally troubling is the offer made of a long term “Hudna” truce with Israel that he offered today. The offer of the Hudna or truce tell us where his mind is, in time past as if he is trying to live the days of early Islam. The Israelis and the Palestinians do not want a long term hudna, they want a long term peace that is workable, give security and peace to both parties and people, one that opens the area for development and progress and more importantly, one that also address the issue of the Palestinians exile in a logical and fair way. This is what the people want Mr. Henyia, not you’re proposed long term “Hudna”.
The Post like Dr. Rice and of course with support from key people within Fatah and inner circles of President Abbas, the liked of Saeb Euraikat, Nabil Amr, Yaser Abed-Rabo made the issue one of competition between Fatah and Hamas and all forgot to put on the table with Israel and the US the main issue which is ending the Israeli Occupation. Hamas think that their Hudna and bedding the Syrians and the Iranians will end the Occupation and Fatah, after some 45 years of fleecing the people and total incompetence and failure of leadership and so called institutions, is only thinking of coming back in power to steal and rob the people blind and giving the people the left over crumbs believing this will quite the situation down and will allow Israel to continue to do what it does best in the Occupied Territories, stealing and confiscating property, building the Wall, expanding the settlements, continue targeted killings, jailing of innocent people and keeping and expanding the humiliating check point, while Fatah leadership enjoy the generous funding coming in from donors so that they can pick up where they left off.
Hamas is repeating the same mistake Arafat made that caused the people so many years of suffering one of the most cruel and criminal occupation, and Fatah is only thinking of how to get back the bank to steal from it, and both forgot the people and the Israeli Occupation.
Small minds do not make great leadership and it is proven fact that Fatah leadership for the last 45 years is made of small minds without any intellectual depth and without any clue of what is needed and now the situation for the Palestinians is even worse with Hamas coming to power with no clue of what needs to be done and speak as if time has stopped in Medina some 1,400 years ago. With both committing murder, it is time not for a new election that brings Fatah back, but for a courageous call by the people of Palestine calling on the UN to take over from this imbecile leadership.

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May/June 1991, Page 18a Reprit from the Washington Report on the Middle East

Time For Change
By Sami Jadallah
Iraqi Information Minister Hamid Yussef Hummodi recently announced the award to President Saddam Hussain of his country’s highest award, the Rafaidain Medal, “in appreciation of the president’s exceptional and historic role and noble service to Iraq.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Now that Arafat is dead, I will proceed to change the name and mission of this webpage. We will now focus on After Arafat, and look at the positive things that are taking place in Occupied Palestine.
The new election, if and when they happen, should signal to the world a new Palestinian order and a new renaissance. The fact that there are many who have filed to run for the office of the president tells a lot about the maturity of the Palestinian community, that Arafat, Allah forgive him, refused to admit and take advantage of.
Of course more than ever, we need a break from the Old Guards, those who were part of Arafat regime. We need new dynamic, intelligent leadership that can smartly negotiate with Israel a final peace settlement. Leadership that can read and write.
While I have nothing against Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, I think that he has done a good job so far, taking over from the now dead Arafat, making sure there is no major breakdown of safety and security. However, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, was a loyal friend and confident for Yasser Arafat and was in his inner circles. What we need now is someone who is not part of Arafat inner circles and who does not owe his political life to Arafat and who is true independent democrat. A leader who earned his position by competence not loyalty.
As I look at the names and backgrounds of the candidate, there is one name that I would like to support and I hope the Palestinian people would support, and that person is Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi, who is the head of the “Palestinian Mubadara”, the Palestinian Initiative, an organization dedicated to the rule of law and one that stood against corruption and incompetence within Arafat regime. Dr. Bargouthi has what it takes to be the right leader at the right time.
In addition to being corrupt free and not tainted with any corruption or scandal, Dr. Mustafa has a vision for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian nation. His emphasis on education and social and economic development is a far cry from Arafat and his Palestinian Authority that emphasized and benefited from supply of cheap and unskilled labor and one that supported and made substantial investment in militias and thugs, diverting very important financial resources to these militias and bandits.
Dr. Mustafa understands the needs for human and social development, if the Palestinians are ever to catch up with Israel. The only way we can challenge the supremacy enjoyed by Israel now is to make all of the investment in people, in their education building the best schools and universities, building the infrastructure that will change our society from job dependent on Israel, as envisioned by Arafat and his buddies to a society that is well qualified to have the best jobs any where in the Middle East with free enterprises that can use the best talents we have. Our asset as Palestinians was and always will be our people. It is too bad that the late Arafat did not even come close to understand this. We do hope and expect Dr. Mustafa to learn from Arafat and learn from his mistakes and never, never allow the Palestinian state to be like all other states in the regions. We must and will insist on leadership that is fully accountable to the people. Good luck to Dr. Mustafa and to all the others, and may the best man or woman win.
Note: this was written after Arafat death… it was a wishful thinking. So far there is no hope for the Palestinians under the PLO, Fatah or Hamas.

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The news coming out of Gaza is that Israel and the Palestinian resistance movements, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have reached a tentative cease-fire, which should be welcoming news to the people of Gaza, more than any thing else. While understanding the right to fight the occupation, the so called rockets coming out of Gaza are not only useless weapons of war but gives the world the impressions that the Palestinians have an arsenal as powerful as Israel with its F-16s, F-15s. Apache helicopter, 155 mm howitzers, Merkava tanks and Hellfire missiles not to mention smart bombs. These so called rockets are more of an ego thing than a true defensive weapons. The costs of such stupid rockets are so high for all of Palestinians and as I wrote before, is nothing but stupid weapons of war. In any case, I do hope the cease-fire will hold so that Israel stops all of the crimes it is committing on daily basis.
However the subject matter of this article is why and how does Israel manage to target so many people and so accurately, if there was no support on the ground for Israel. By that I mean, so many informers and traitors as if the number of traitors and informers for Israel among Gazans is more than the number of fighters.
Without the support of Palestinian informers on the ground working for Israel day and night, supporting in the killing and murder of hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians, Israel could not fire its missiles so accurately and target specific cars, specific apartments, specific people.
One does understand, that in all wars there are always traitors and informers for the enemy, but the Palestinians exceeded all expectations. Of course one need not only blame the poor people who are forced for one reason or another to become informers, but one has to ask the questions of how Israel is able to penetrate the Palestinian leadership all the way to the late Yaser Arafat and how Israel was able to recruit some of the top echelons of the Palestinian leaderships. It seems that any thing and every thing that happens in Al-Muqata and in almost every home within Palestine Israel knows of it and of course act on it by either killing these suspects or arresting them. Though I do not buy the idea that Arafat was poisoned by Israel, one has to accept the possibility given the number of informers and traitors among the Palestinians and given the strong possibilities those Israeli agents and informers are among top Palestinian leadership.
Without the active support of informers and traitors, Israel could not have the ability of targeting Sheik Ahmed Yasin or Rantisi or know the whereabouts of Bargouthi and could not target specific cars in the middle of the night. Someone must have cooperated with Israel.
In my view that while Palestinians have shown great resilience in their fights against Israel, one has to admit they also cooperated so much with the occupation, to the point that Gaza and the West Bank is becoming like the old East Germany, where every family have an informer among its members.I do not have the answers for all of this, perhaps someone can help

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Couple of days ago, thousand of Palestinians gather in “Almoqata” the official seat of the Palestinian government in El-Bireh/Ramallah (actually, the “Almoqata” is officially in El-Bireh) to commemorate the second anniversary of the death of the late Yaser Arafat.
As a Palestinian American with strong views and opinion of the late Arafat have to respect the love and feeling many Palestinians continue to hold for Arafat. I guess for so many of them, he is the one that made the Palestinian cause an international cause and here no one can deny that. However the disagreement and argument over Arafat is about the way he managed and ran the Palestine Liberation Organization and the way he ran “ the revolution” and the big mess he got the Palestinians in with his Oslo.
I do not want to discount the love for Palestine the late Arafat had and do not doubt his original commitments to the cause, however no one can deny that over time, Arafat became “egomaniac” convinced he is the “cause” and he is “Palestine” and as such he blurred the clear lines between himself as a person or as leader and that of the “cause” and this is was the down fall of Arafat. In his quest for power and authority he made sure that his personal interest in power and authority over money and political decisions supercede that of what is good for the “cause” and for the people. Arafat was simply a little man with small mind and small dreams like all other dictators who put there own personal and selfish interest ahead of the interest of his “cause” and his people. How could any one justify the fact that Arafat opened the check book of the PLO and Palestinian Authority and transferred tens of millions of dollars to the private accounts of his wife and wrote millions to his personal and loyal friends when their contribution to the people and the cause was at best totally absent. If Arafat was a leader of democracy or the head of a corporation he will be in jail for life. Instead thousands of people gather to honor his memory. That is why after 100 years we remain under Israeli Occupation.
Not only Arafat was morally, ethically and financially corrupt, he made a big mess of such a great cause and in the end gave up the rights of our people to a free state within Palestine in exchange for a job as a subcontractor to the Israeli Occupation. Oslo no matter how rosy certain people within the Palestinian Authority makes it to be and no matter the justification that Fatah and the PLO give to Oslo remains the biggest fraud ever committed by Arafat. One may forgive financial fraud, misuse and embezzlement of the people’s money; Oslo justifies bringing to trial Arafat and all those who negotiated Oslo. Arafat desperate after his big mistake of supporting criminal Saddam and desperate to stay as a key player in the Palestinian cause agreed to the terms and conditions of Oslo. The Israelis up to their ears with the mess of the First Intifada knew Arafat too well, and knew he will sell his own mother, let alone his people to stay in power and convinced him to conclude the deal in Oslo, a deal that made Arafat and his gangs billions of dollars while helping Israel manage the occupation of his people and destructions of their homes and properties. I am sure in due time, the Palestinian people will wake up one day to discover that Arafat was not only a hero, but a very big fraud. That Oslo has nothing to do with liberation from Israeli Occupation, but a way to ‘manage for a fee’, the Israeli Occupation by giving Fatah, the PLO and the Palestinian Authority a “business”. The Palestinian people will soon discover this fraud and will soon discover that Arafat was out for himself and was never the leader they think he was. Arafat embezzled the people’s money for his own personal use, but also hijacked, destroyed and mismanaged a great cause and it will take the people decades to undo the damage done by Arafat.

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