Signs Of Discontent?

Palestinians reject Bush speech, but it could catalyze calls for change.

GIL SEDAN

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

18

. Jerusalem

tIN

6/28
2002

20

that they wanted to know what had
happened to relief money from overseas,
little of which had made its way from
the Palestinian Authority to the people.
Some analysts, like Zuheir Hamdan,
the "village head" of the eastern
Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher,
said he thought both the petition and

Israel is unlikely to reopen its gates
to Palestinian workers in the foresee-
able future, and significant economic
aid from the United States will depend
on a cessation of violence — as Bush
indicated in his speech this week.

ven before President George
W. Bush called for replacing
the -Palestinian Authority
leadership, there were grow-
Working On Image
ing indications that Palestinians
Now, with Bush having come out
were doing some soul-searching.
strongly against the Palestinian
One indication was a June 19
leader — on Monday he called "on
petition against suicide bombings,
the Palestinian people to elect new
signed by Sari Nusseibeh, the
leaders, leaders not compromised by
PLO's top official for Jerusalem;
terror" — Arafat is likely to intensi-
Palestinian legislator Hanan
fy his efforts to hang on to his
Ashrawi; and other Palestinian
image as the only leader able to rally
intellectuals.
the Palestinian people behind him.
The petition, which was pub-
Indeed, for nearly a decade of
lished twice as an advertisement in
the Oslo peace process, even as
eastern Jerusalem's Arab press, was
evidence mounted that he was in
the most impressive public move
gross violation of his peace com-
against the current wave of
mitments, Arafat maneuvered to
Palestinian terrorist attacks in
stay in power by presenting him-
recent months.
self as indispensable.
"We would like to believe that
Curiously, in his initial reaction,
those who stand behind the mili-
Arafat described Bush's speech as
tary operations, whose targets are
"a serious effort to push the peace
civilians in Israel, will reconsider
process."
their acts because we do not see
The next day, however, he
that they lead to any results, except
joined other Palestinian officials in
for more hatred and animosity
saying that only the Palestinians
between the two peoples," the peti-
would choose their own leaders.
tion read.
Bush's call for new leadership was
The petition was signed by 55
"not acceptable," Palestinian -
Palestinian personalities. It was fol-
Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said.
lowed by another advertisement a
Indeed, the present Palestinian
few days later with even more sig-
Authority leadership is well aware-
natures.
that Arafat's removal also may mean
To be sure, the writers of the
the end of their political careers.
petition carefully chose their words
The PLO's top official for Jerusalem, Sari
"Yasser Arafat was elected in
to stay within the Palestinian con-
Nusseibeh, is a leading Palestinian who signed a
democratic elections, and President
sensus.
June 19 petition against suicide bombings.
Bush and others must respect this,"
They did not call suicide bomb-
Erekat said.
ings "terrorist attacks," for example,
Israeli. legislator Ahmed Tibi,
but "military operations." In addi-
who previously served as a top adviser
the demonstration were the work of
tion, they did not say that the attacks
Palestinian Authority leader Yasser
to Arafat, said Bush had surpassed
against civilians were immoral per se,
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as
Arafat.
simply that they weren't useful to the
Hamdan told JTA that Arafat
the person Palestinians hated most.
Palestinian cause.
"Arafat will remain head of the
encouraged the petition — indeed, he
Palestinian Authority, and American
went on record praising it — to
Where's The Relief Money?
pressure to replace him will only
strengthen the appearance of modera-
increase the violence," Tibi warned.
tion.
In any case, the petition coincided
With outside pressure mounting to
Sensing the writing on the wall,
with a rally in the Gaza Strip in which
Arafat will try to drive a wedge among
overthrow Arafat, the leader may
hundreds protested over deteriorating
understand that his only chance for
the United States, the European
economic conditions, demanding
Union and the Arab world by adopt-
continued popular support will be an
work and food rather than armed
ing a seemingly "peaceful" strategy and
improvement in the Palestinians' eco-
struggle.
warning
against "renewed Israeli occu-
nomic
situation.
Some demonstrators told reporters

pation" of the territories, analysts said.
He also will take actions that appear
to restrain Hamas and Islamic Jihad,
as he began to do this week.
In an interview last week with the
Israeli daily Ha'aretz, Arafat sounded
too good to be true. During an inter-
view in Arafat's battered Ramallah
headquarters, he accepted former
President Bill Clinton's outline for a
peace settlement, complimented
Sharon and said he could make peace
with him, adopted the late Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat's declaration of
"no more war" and quoted Bush that
"enough is enough," regarding violence.
He also criticized Israel for targeting the
Palestinian Authority, rather than Hamas
or Islamic Jihad — and announced that
he was putting the leader of Hamas,
Sheik Ahmad Yassin, under house arrest.
Indeed, Palestinian police encircled
Yassin's residence in Gala early this week
and arrested at least 17 low-level Hamas
and Islamic Jihad activists.
The arrests were followed by inten-
sive contacts between Palestinian
police and leaders of Hamas, raising
suspicions that the seemingly tough
hand was yet another case of the
Palestinian Authority's "revolving
door" security policy, in which sus-
pects are arrested and, when pressure
eases, quickly released.
Few in Israel took Arafat's purported
moderation seriously. Indeed, Arafat's
best displays of verbal moderation
come when he feels the screws tighten-
ing. One example was the aftermath of
the June 2001 terrorist attack at Tel
Aviv's Dolphinarium disco that killed
21 Israeli teenagers.
Arafat quickly announced a cease-fire
to forestall Israeli retaliation. But vio-
lence resumed once enough time had
passed that an Israeli attack would seem
less like retaliation than provocation.
Now, following the Bush speech,
Arafat has even more reason to appear
moderate.

New Basis Of Legitimacy

However, it was clear that the speech
could speed up local pressure on
Arafat to step down.
Last week, Edward Said, a former
Arafat crony and one of the most
influential Palestinian intellectuals in -
the United States, issued a call for
"elections now."
Writing in the Egyptian weekly Al-
Ahram, Said wrote, "A new basis of
legitimacy has to be created by the
only and ultimate source of authority,
namely, the people itself."
Said stressed that this should not be