(Jerusalem Report) Ehud Ya'ari- The PA government under Prime Minister Qurei (Abu Ala), the Palestinian Legislative Council dominated by the critics of Arafat's one-man rule, and the party hierarchy of Fatah are now due to be granted chunks of power and influence that were previously theirs only in theory. There is no automatic correlation between the demand for reform and moderation toward Israel. True, many of the Palestinian reformists are disgusted with the intifada and would be happy to resume sensible negotiations toward a settlement with Israel. However, the Palestinians now most prominently at the vanguard of the reform offensive are demanding the reinvigoration of the PA so it can better manage the violent campaign against Israel. In many cases, the calls for change in the Palestinian regime are accompanied by lethal criticism of the very concept of compromise and reconciliation on which the Oslo Accords were built.
2004-08-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive