Do the Palestinians Really Want a State as More than Just a Means for Defeating Israel?

Submitted by Avi Sharabi (United States), Sep 12, 2003 at 18:20

Thank you Mr. Pipes for, as usual, an excellent article. I was in high school when Oslo was signed, and I would be among the "hardy band of skeptics" you mention. I'm now in law school, and how unfortunate that we skeptics turned out to be right.

I don't think anything went "wrong" with Oslo - I just don't think anything was ever "right" about it. Arafat was never someone with whom one could negotiate, and the whole process was therefore built on false expectations.

I think your suggestions for the next decade are long overdue. They are the only strategy with any odds of success, however, I question whether the Palestinians (at least the Palestinian leadership and the Arab leaders who back them) really want a state, or whether their demand for one is simply a foothold and a means toward their goal of destroying Israel.

If the latter is the case, impressing upon them that Israel must be accepted would either end the Arab quest for a Palestinian state, or prompt more rhetoric and lies of their acceptance of Israel, leading to yet another failed attempt at a two-state solution.

Based on my understanding of Arab history and culture, I find it difficult to beleive that they genuinely desire a state - Arab nationalism has been rejected by the Arab leadership many times in the past, in favor of a pan-national Arab entity.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".