Blognya Akhmad Sekhu

Palestinians United but Still Rejected Arab News: "Palestinians United but Still Rejected Arab News
Linda Heard, sierra12th@yahoo.co.uk

As far as the Israelis are concerned, the Palestinians can’t win. Short of rolling over and agreeing to be trampled upon for all time a Palestinian government has little hope of being accorded respect and treated as a worthy partner for peace.

Yasser Arafat was embraced, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, then vilified and isolated. His successor Mahmoud Abbas was virtually ignored. Ismail Haniyeh was labeled leader of a terrorist organization and deprived of diplomatic stature as well as funds with which to run the country.

Since Palestinians overwhelmingly voted for a Hamas-led government in free and fair elections, Abbas was elevated by both Israel and the Quartet to someone with whom they could do business. The US took him under its wing and his Fatah faction was provided with cash and weapons.

The result was a situation that threatened to explode into civil war causing Israeli leaders to bleat, “We would love to talk peace but how can we do so when there"