Give war a chance
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) special dispatch
February 21, 2002
In an article in the Palestinian Authority daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida ,
titled “A Chance for the Fighting Negotiator,” Palestinian Information Ministry
Director-General Hassan Al-Kashef urged Palestinians not to return to diplomatic
negotiations, and to allow the process of war to run its course:
Negotiations proved ineffective
“Today’s most effective negotiator is the fighter active in the West Bank, Gaza
Strip, and Jerusalem. It is he who consciously and courageously targets soldiers
and settlers.”
“Since the traditional Palestinian negotiator
has become ineffective and incapable of breakthroughs, and since he has been
given all the time and opportunity he needed , I propose that he
cease his activity, and his public, covert, individual, and collective contacts
.”
“He must also stop issuing declarations. He has nothing new, and no capability,
to his hat. This negotiator has held rounds of talks the length and
breadth of the planet since Oslo, and tomorrow will hold contacts the length
and breadth of the land of historic Palestine, without our arriving at a
permanent solution and without our restoring our rights in the interim stage —
and all this with Israeli leaders less extreme than Sharon.”
Fighting strengthens us
“Currently, the fighting negotiator is holding a serious, in-depth dialogue with all
circles of decision in Israel, with all political and media circles, and
with all the research centers.
Furthermore, he is maintaining a dialogue with all strata and sectors of
Israelis. The fighting negotiator, who opens fire his national
consciousness, with great accuracy and to great effect in the area to be
liberated, demands our complete support.”
“He is not asking too much: He wants us to demonstrate greater patience,
trust in ourselves, more profound capabilities, a firm stance, and more
solid unity. This fighting negotiator sacrifices his blood for us and asks for
nothing in return, except loyalty.
Through him, we are all stronger. The leadership is stronger, the national
establishment is stronger, the factions are stronger, and the people is stronger.”
“All the fighting negotiator asks for is that we give him time and opportunity. It
won’t take long. He will not exhaust us with declarations, negotiations, and
years-long campaigns — unlike our traditional negotiator, whose time has come
to be replaced, taken out of the game.
is worn out; he has begun to bore us, and
has brought us to despair of the chance of reaching any goal at all.”
No agreement now
“We will lose much, and the loss will be shameful and historic, if we agree
to restore calm with security measures requiring us to protect the
occupation’s soldiers, bases, and settlers.”
“We will lose even more by agreeing to an interim solution that solves nothing
and does not put an end to the occupation. We will lose interaction with Israeli
society — an interaction that brings 1,000 Israeli officers to take a stand
and 14,000 Israelis to demonstrate in Tel Aviv.”
“We will lose if we extricate Sharon from the crisis he is in — a crisis that will
cause him to end his life in political and military defeat. Economically and
militarily, Sharon will bring Israel nothing but the worst in its
history.”
“The opportunity is given now to the fighting negotiator. It is our opportunity.”
