Is it feasible to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in “six days, six weeks and six months?” It is a question that awaits an answer. In a previous article published in early April, I spoke about a “non-violent and peaceful alternative for the continuation of the Intifada.” It stemmed from the principle that “because the Palestinian people possess the strength of truth and the international legitimacy, they are stronger with stones than with arms, and they are much stronger with olive branches than with stones.” In it, I called for the adoption of a basic non-violent strategy to resist occupation and to give up entirely all forms of violent resistance no matter how mild it were. This is because we believe in the justice of our cause and the inevitable victory of truth in the end. “Justice is mightier than force.”
Is it feasible to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in “six days, six weeks and six months?” It is a question that awaits an answer. In a previous article published in early April, I spoke about a “non-violent and peaceful alternative for the continuation of the Intifada.” It stemmed from the principle that “because the Palestinian people possess the strength of truth and the international legitimacy, they are stronger with stones than with arms, and they are much stronger with olive branches than with stones.” In it, I called for the adoption of a basic non-violent strategy to resist occupation and to give up entirely all forms of violent resistance no matter how mild it were. This is because we believe in the justice of our cause and the inevitable victory of truth in the end. “Justice is mightier than force.”
Despite some individual attempts at peaceful and non-violent pioneer demonstrations – such as playing music at road blocks, setting up joint peaceful camps where Palestinians and Foreigners participate, dressing up protest tents for short periods of time, using whistles, attempting to walk over or remove some of the earth piles that block roads, standing in solidarity with owners of land and homes demolished by Israeli bulldozers… – yet, these were not nationally organized actions to incorporate the entire nation, its movements and its factions.
Therefore, I dare put forth some very practical ideas without ceasing to think about additional non-violent theories that should be instilled as a method of collective thinking. Per the physics theory, “violence would breed double the violence in force and means” exactly like a mountaintop avalanche would gain speed, and increase in volume and devastation. We are convinced of the following basic principles:
– In the past century, we tried all types of violence and we have only attained exacerbated situations.
– We do not need to amass and use arms but should depend upon the force of the people, because people are an invincible force.
– Nonviolence does not mean the cessation of struggle, but its resumption with more effective means, because struggle does not only mean armed conflict but also the use of all other means that would establish a just society and bring peace.
– Good comportment does not mean to surrender to the foe and strengthen his aggressive ability but to resist with the power of truth and not to retreat when threatened by the use of force but to argue and convince.
– It is by no means a weakness not to confront harm with harm, but it is strength because conflict does not settle problems and the use of force aggravates a conflict.
– To dismantle the engine of spite and reprisal because it only fans aggravation that would destroy both parties.
– To rid ourselves of the mentality of victor and vanquished, because for the victor to maintain his gains he figures that his rival will strike back with double the force, therefore he has to prepare for a tenfold response. Thus, the saga goes on and on.
– Nonviolence depends upon the meeting of both wills and the cooperation of both sides. It protects the rival and strives to change his stance provided the right and the wrong are made clear.
After having enumerated the general principles, which I hope would convince the reader of the need for changing course and taking a new organized communal strategy, I move on now to some practical suggestions for the new suggested plan:
1) The leadership would declare to the world the cessation of all forms of violent resistance – even unilaterally – and would distinctly and openly adopt the peaceful resistance choice in all its forms, some of which we shall mention hereafter.
2) The leadership would clearly present the world with its progressive and strategic goals, which calls for the termination of the Arab-Israeli conflict “once for all and as soon as possible” based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy and their implementation to the letter without need to negotiate over them. This would start with the principle of “land for peace” and until it culminates with the “establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
3) The leadership would adopt a timetable for the realization of these aims. It would publish it to the world with a view to avoid losing time, circumventing essential issues while negotiating over simple matters, postponing due commitments and implementing concluded agreements.
4) It is possible to proffer the following timetable based on the principle of “six days, six weeks and six months.” It means that Israel occupied the country in six days, so now it should withdraw from it in six months in the following fashion: all acts of violence from both sides should cease within six days; the Israeli army should open all roads, clear all road blocks, redeploy to its original positions, stop all detentions, assassinations, land confiscations and settlements expansion. Direct negotiations would take place for a period of six weeks between both rival parties under the auspices of the United Nations and the super powers led by the United States of America, Russia and the European Union with the aim of reaching a final settlement agreement and completion of the withdrawal from all the territories occupied in 1967 including East Jerusalem within six months no more than that.
5) The abovementioned superpowers would protect and assist in the implementation of this three-point timetable in all its details through supervision and financial and moral support of both sides. They would also undertake to provide international legal guarantees to recognize both independent states particularly vis a vis the final status of the city of Jerusalem with its Christian, Moslem and Jewish Holy Places at an equal footing.
This five-point plan and its offshoots could be magnificent but difficult to realize. Therefore, it would require the support of the media and the political and public sectors on the local, Arab, Islamic and global levels:
1) Media support: To call upon all the media to portray a true picture of this plan and to report it objectively the world over and to provide fair coverage of events without doctoring or searching for news items that would only draw the attention, stymie and delay the process.
2) Political support: This is the role of the political leadership at the negotiating table. I emphasize here the role of the Palestinian party who should be forceful, fair, enjoying clear vision and make clearly defined demands for its rights and at the same time honour its responsibilities and commitments. It is also necessary for the world diplomacy to assume an active, effective and unbiased role in addition to providing support to both parties and undertaking to spare no effort towards reaching a comprehensive and just solution.
3) As to public support, it rests upon accepting the plan, abiding by it and undertaking peaceful “Intifada” activities as a nonviolent choice and as a media factor in exerting pressure on all parties to bring about this solution. Here, it would be possible to make alliances with all peace forces, local, Israeli, Arab, Islamic and international in order to carry out these daily programmed activities, such as public peaceful demonstrations – marches towards road blocks with religious hymns and national tunes – marches with candles and roses – evening vigils in churches, mosques and esplanades – marches of chained children or those hoisting balloons or those handing over roses to the soldiers and settlers with a travel ticket to return to Israel – collective fasts – joint religious celebrations – collective pilgrimage to Holy Places – forming long human chains around cities, villages and settlements – beating pots, whistling and sounding vehicle horns in a public demonstration and on a daily basis to protest and to draw attention…. and other ideas!
These are some of the peaceful ideas that I hope our wise leadership would adopt “as a strategic nonviolent plan” in the forthcoming stage. In my future articles, I will concentrate on the practicality of these ideas and put forth suggestions and initiatives that could be used on a widespread level. As I am demanding a final cessation to violence, I do call for the resumption of the peaceful Intifada until both parties are liberated from this bloody struggle and new horizons become open to the coming generations.
Do we, you and I, not have the right to dream a little of better days and a future where true peace reigns? Yes, we have to dream and to turn our dream into reality.
