The rapid march of events in Palestine has not given enough time to analyze and ponder the implications. It has not been difficult, however, to notice the shift in the Palestinians’ fighting strategy from the stone-throwing intifada to a war in the normal sense.
Since the intifada failed to produce the desired results as the Israeli Army had no compunction in using live bullets to kill children, the Palestinians adopted a new style. They resorted to Hezbollah tactics which forced Israel to quit occupied Lebanese territory. They decided to set out on the war path after waiting in frustration for the implementation of the Olso agreement. It has become increasingly evident that the suicide operations are not random occurrences carried out by frustrated individuals. Nobody is naïve enough to believe that a disappointed young person simply strapped explosives to his or her body, walked into a crowd and pulled the fuse. On the contrary, the operations have been meticulously planned. There are bases in the occupied territories to educate the youth politically and train them. The executor of the operation was then photographed before setting out on the final mission. In fact the failure of the peace talks has brought about this change in the Palestinian concept of fighting for independence.
Israel seems to have learned too late about the power of these Palestinian organizations. This tardiness prompted it to devastate both Palestinian establishments and infrastructure. The extensive damages by the suicide operations made Israel consider itself in a state of war and train its machines of destruction on the cities and villages in the occupied lands.
There are critics of Oslo among both Israelis and Arabs. Sharon is high among those who hate the agreement, particularly the birth of the Palestinian Authority. By various means, he sought to annul the agreement and wipe out the PA, the Palestinian airport, seaport, police stations and other official establishments. The hard-line Israelis have been particularly opposed to Oslo because it paved the way for the birth of an independent Palestinian state.
Contrary to the general impression, Arafat’s recent agreement to prosecute and jail the six Palestinian suspects in the Zeevi murder in compliance with Israeli demands is not a sign of defeat. On the other hand, the act was a strategic victory as claimed by the lawyer of Fuad Al-Shoubaki, one of the six. Instead of attempting to prove his client’s innocence, the lawyer defended Arafat’s decision to prosecute Al-Shoubaki. Israel’s demand amounted to publicly granting the PA the legitimacy which Sharon has been denying it. In fact Israel has admitted legitimacy at a time when Sharon’s army closed in on Arafat, intent on destroying the PA.
Further, Israel’s demand for international observers to see that the alleged culprits are properly imprisoned amounted to another recognition of the PA. Thus Sharon and his supporters have at least tacitly acknowledged the failure of their scheme to eliminate the PA.
