Why The Palestinians Cannot Govern Themselves
By Aaron Goldstein (06/14/07)
Nearly five years have passed since President Bush stood in the Rose Garden and gave the Palestinians a choice. They could have either a state or they could have terror. But they could not have both.
In June 2007, it is clear that Palestinians have chosen terror instead of a viable state. Not only have the Palestinians continued to choose terror against Israel but they have chosen terror against themselves. The government cannot provide basic services. There is no free market nor any independent public institutions to speak of. Corruption is the rule, not the exception.
There are also two separate security forces - one loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and one to Hamas led by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Hamiyeh. Needless to say, Hamas and Fatah security forces are vying for control where little exists. At the moment, Hamas has the upper hand and Abbas’ days might very well be numbered.
Almost anyone who has been in a first or second year political science class will be familiar with early 20th Century political economist Max Weber’s definition of the state as having “monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.” Inside Gaza, nobody has a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force. Longtime Palestinian activist and politician Dr. Hanan Ashrawi told The Christian Science Monitor, “This is the end of the Palestinian state, frankly. If you have two separate systems, there is no way that you can have a Palestinian state that is contiguous.” (www.csmonitor.com/2007/0614/p01s01-wome.htm) Weber couldn’t have said it better himself.
It comes as no surprise to me that this state of affairs has come to pass. After all, what is the Palestinian national symbol but the suicide bomber? Palestinian schools, streets, soccer tournaments and summer camps are named after them. No nation whose symbols are built on a foundation of death and destruction can sustain itself. So long as the worship the suicide bomber continues succeeding generations of Palestinians (who survive on misplaced left-wing sympathy) will continue to become inherently self-destructive.
One could argue the Left has helped pave this road to Palestinian self-destruction. With all the focus on the “occupation” no one on the Left gave any thought to whether Palestinians could actually govern themselves and bring about a viable state. Palestinians are very good at bemoaning “occupation” but when suddenly put in the awkward position of actually having to rule themselves life under Israel suddenly doesn’t look so bad. Israel’s foundation was built on the sweat and toil of the kibbutzim. The Palestinian foundation rests on a litany of blaming Israel for its problems and then encouraging its youth to take the easy way out by killing themselves and taking as many Israelis with them as possible. How is it that the world expects Israel to cede land to a people not responsible enough to preserve their own lives?
President Bush told the world almost a half decade ago, “The choice here is stark and simple. The Bible says, “I have set before you life and death; therefore, choose life.” Clearly, the Palestinians prefer death.
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