Palestinians disintegration

Mohamed Sid-Ahmed writes an opinion piece in Al-Ahram asking what remains of the Roadmap to the establishment of a Palestinian State. As I read it, of course it is all Israel's fault.

The major problem is Sharon's unilateral moves. But this is not the problem. The problem is the Palestinians never, ever did any part of their commitments. And the Arab press does nothing to hold the Palestinians in account. Here is a snippet from Mohamed's piece:

The roadmap was set up by four different entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, constituting together what has come to be described as the Quartet. This new body tried to benefit from the mistakes of the past in order to avoid them in future. In this, it was inspired by three basic ideas. First, to make concomitant efforts with both sides to avoid that issues already settled be renegotiated. For example, as the Palestinians disband their armed organisations, the Israelis are required to freeze the construction of new settlements. Second, the establishment of a supervisory mechanism by the Quartet to assess the progress achieved. Third, to determine three consecutive confidence-building stages (until June 2003) during which a Palestinian state within temporary borders will be set up (until December 2003). During these stages, final borders will be negotiated in talks covering all the basic aspects of the conflict: Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, Israeli settlements, etc. The last stage, in which normalisation will have been achieved between the parties, ended on 31 December 2005. By the time the parliamentary elections are held, all the Israeli parties are expected to determine their final position towards the conflict as a whole.

See the part "Palestinians disband their armed organizations"? That has not been done. And because this hasn't been done you have the mayhem occuring in the Gaza right now. The Israelies have not stopped their settlement building, which I disagree with, but Israel HAS made jestures (leaving the Gaza) that the Palestinians have not receiprocated.

The bias of Mohamed is easy to see when you read his statement: "Even though Israel pulled out of Gaza last September, almost all of the West Bank remains under Israeli occupation and Israel continues to launch rocket attacks in Gaza."

There is a reason Israel launches rocket attacks into the Gaza. But you do not get told by Mohamed 'why'. And the 'why' is significant. If you only read the Arab press (which unfortunately many in the Middle East might do), then you will not understand why the Palestinians do not have a State yet.

Sharon's decision to vacate the Gaza strip was brilliant in my opinion. Some Israelies do not agree, and I understand from the perspective that more Israelies will die because of the evacuation. By leaving the Gaza, it is now up to the Palestinians to govern the area. And as we have seen they have failed miserably. But it also shows how unreliable the Egyptians are too.

The amount of weaponery that has now moved into the Gaza is entirely Egypt's fault. No one holds them accountable. Why is that? Do the Egyptian authorities want to see death and destruction continue? You ask me the answer is a very simple "Yes".

One of the things I am waiting to see in the Arab press is the acknowledgement that Israel's attacks on the militant Palestinians are defensive in nature. If the militants stop the killing, stop the planning, then Israel would stop the attacks against them. And until the Palestinians get their collective act together, they do not deserve a state. We do not need another State sponsering terrorism established. We already have the Granddady Sponser Iran.