Refugees and Rockets Stuck in Abbas's Throat

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

It is well known that Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, believes there is no solution to the Palestinian cause except through negotiations. In his view, Palestinians are incapable of liberating Palestine, and any resistance on their part will bring them nothing but disasters and grievous losses in property and lives. Israel is a strong state, backed by world powers, and the Palestinians have no capacity to confront it, especially since they have no one standing behind them. For this reason Abbas has repeated his position that negotiations are the way forward, and that if negotiations fail, he will resume them until they succeed.

This position does not mean only that Abbas is opposed to resistance; it also means that the negotiating table cannot accept the return of Palestinian refugees, and that a solution for them must instead be sought outside the framework of the right of return. He is fully aware that Israel, under the prevailing international circumstances, cannot accept the return of the refugees, and that the balance of power must be changed to compel it to do so. Except for the period of election campaigning, when he would say he supported the right of return, Abbas has repeatedly stated his position on the refugee issue in line with the text of Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for a “just settlement” of the refugee problem.

It is clear that Abbas has no wish to work toward upsetting the existing balance of power, and wishes instead to operate under its umbrella. This stems from his conviction that history is fixed, that the prevailing reality is here to stay, and that the wise man is the one who moves with the current so that he neither suffers nor perishes — and may even gain something from the powerful.

In his most recent speech, dated August 9, 2005, Abbas restated his position on resistance by describing the Palestinian rockets as a tragedy that had befallen the Palestinian people, and restated his position on the refugees by affirming that he permits the naturalization of Palestinians wherever they happen to reside. On the question of resistance, he is determined not to acknowledge that it played the leading role in expelling the occupation from the Strip, so as to dispel any specter of it demanding a share in administering the Strip. He wants to claim that Israel chose to withdraw voluntarily, that the benefits of Israel’s withdrawal must accrue to the Palestinian Authority, and that the Authority remains the sole reference point on the scene, its weapons the only legitimate weapons.

Israel did not withdraw from the Strip voluntarily, nor did it withdraw through agreements — it was careful to make its withdrawal unilateral. It was Palestinian resistance and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, with all the security and economic anguish and pain they inflicted on the occupation, that drove Israel out of Gaza. The Palestinian Authority contributed nothing to driving out the occupation; on the contrary, it played a negative role, undermining the morale of the Palestinian people through the corruption and internal security chaos it spread. The factions’ rockets contributed to creating a security disruption for Israel that made it impossible for residents of the settlements surrounding the Strip, on the land occupied in ‘48, to sleep peacefully, and kept the Israeli security forces on alert around the clock. It is true that these rockets are not sophisticated and do not constitute a factor in achieving military balance, but they create a security problem Israel cannot bear to live with — this closely resembles what happened in southern Lebanon.

Does it trouble Abu Mazen that the world was genuinely astonished at the ability of the Palestinian factions to develop rockets under the very eyes of the occupation and of a Palestinian Authority that hunts down the mujahideen? Massive Arab states, across their years of conflict with Israel, could not develop weapons of their own, yet here came people who possessed nothing in their hands but iron will, and they developed a weapon that deeply troubles Israel. Through this, the Palestinian people have achieved a major advance whose greatest impact we will see in the years to come. These rockets will continue to be developed and will become increasingly capable of reaching Israel — not only in remote areas, but in the very heart of its large population centers.

Regarding the refugees, Abu Mazen said there is no objection to the naturalization of Palestinians in the countries where they reside, if any individual so chooses. He was careful to say that he was not calling for mass naturalization, but rather for dealing with Palestinian individuals the same way others are dealt with, in accordance with the requirements of immigration, permanent residency, and citizenship. Here Abu Mazen fails to exercise caution in putting forward his own ideas, thereby placing a primary Palestinian right in jeopardy. Abu Mazen forgot the clear Palestinian position on the policy of certain countries that opened their doors to Palestinian immigration as part of a policy to liquidate the Palestinian cause. There are countries such as Canada and Australia accused of facilitating Palestinian immigration, and they have managed to attract considerable numbers, particularly from Palestine and Lebanon, affecting the population growth rates of Palestinians.

There are many young Palestinians living in a state of aimlessness, for whom the land, wide as it is, feels too narrow, and who are searching for a future of their own. A great many of them would prefer to leave if they found an open door — not because they do not want their homeland, but because their future lies ahead of them. So if the matter of naturalization is left to individuals and to states, it is as though the Palestinian people had been handed a license for a hostile assault aimed at reducing the number of Palestinians worldwide. This is a great, free service rendered to Israel.

Israel wishes for the Palestinian cause to be transformed into a set of personal cases, and it stands ready to extend a helping hand. It, together with the United States, calls for resettling the refugees and providing the funds necessary to secure a “reasonable” livelihood for Palestinians. It is prepared to pay money to build new cities in Arab countries to house Palestinians, and to contribute its efforts and funds to the various states that open their doors to Palestinian immigration. And I believe it is very pleased with what Abbas is proposing, and will work hard to see it realized.

The solution lies in providing better paths in life for Palestinian youth, so that they become better able to strike a balance between personal interests and national ones. Let us first stop the theft of people’s money and hold the corrupt to account; then let us share the loaf of bread, let our strong feel for our weak and our rich for our poor, and we will find that what we have, and what comes to us, will put an end to our aspirations for departure and naturalization.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “اللاجئون والصواريخ في حلق عباس” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.