By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:
14 years ago, on November 11, 2004, Yasser Arafat died in a hospital in France.
Since then, not much has progressed for the Palestinians. Actually, under the current Palestinian leadership, the Palestinian cause has stalled.
Many blame Israel. And yes, there are things Israel could have done to further urge Palestinian leadership and the masses into a mindset amenable to peace agreements. But the lion's share of responsibility sits firmly on the shoulders of Palestinian leadership.
Simply put, Palestinian leadership is afraid to take upon itself the responsibility of compromise. They do not have faith that their leadership will convince the masses that compromise will create a better life and a better future.
Extremists advocate black and white answers only - they refuse to compromise and they threaten anyone who speaks of an agreement with Israel as a traitor and a collaborator. And both leadership and the masses cower in fear and toe the line of the extremists.
Palestinian leadership even mimics extremist ideas in order to save public face which then gives rise to the question whether they actually want peace at all.
Classic examples of capitulation to extremist demands are the official PA policies of paying stipends to arrested terrorist and to the families of killed terrorists, and the offer to those who spend twenty years in Israeli prison for terrorist crimes to purchase car free of tax.
Since Arafat's time, things have really not improved.
Micah@MicahHalpern.com
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