Weekly Commentary: Time to make clear the Palestinians have forfeited right
to violent resistance

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 11 October 2007

".the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence"
Letter From Yasser Arafat To Prime Minister Rabin: September 9, 1993

"Anyone who did something after the 13th of September [AL: 1993 - Oslo] is
out of the deal. They will not qualify for release."
Minister of Environment Yossi Sarid to IMRA 27 June, 1995

Fourteen years ago Yasser Arafat unconditionally forfeited the "right to
violent resistance" on behalf of the Palestinians.

Rabin didn't allow Yasser Arafat to write "the PLO renounces the use of
terrorism and other acts of violence as long at the PLO gets what it wants
at the negotiating table."

Rabin insisted, as a requirement for starting Oslo, that Arafat declare that
"the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence." Period.

And it was clear at that moment that a line was being drawn.

In the very early days of Oslo the Palestinian Authority didn't even claim
that post Oslo terrorists should be released by Israel. Instead they went
through the motions of detaining them themselves on charges of "acting
against the interests" of the Palestinians and then either letting them
escape or giving out extremely short sentences with the idea that this would
protect the terrorists from Israeli prosecution because of double jeopardy.

But, with time, the Israeli position eroded and with it what should be a
fundamental concept that gains expression at every forum Israel participates
in: that there is no Palestinian right to violent resistance and the policy
ramifications that flow from it.

The position of the PA and its so-called "moderate" head Mahmoud Abbas is
not that violent resistance is prohibited or unacceptable - just that it is
tactically inappropriate at the present time.

This isn't a minor matter.

It represents a Palestinian position to the world that it has the right to
point a gun at the Jewish State's head and pull the trigger if it doesn't
get what it wants at the negotiating table.

And, unfortunately, there are many that accept this stance.

The joint declaration being negotiated now provides Israel with a unique
opportunity to set the record straight and delegitimize the Palestinian gun
being cocked as the negotiations proceed, via a simple device: Include in
the declaration the statement that Palestinians convicted for security
crimes committed henceforth will not be part of any future prisoner
release/amnesty program.

If Abbas is serious about his commitment to resolve the Arab-Israeli dispute
by peaceful means the renunciation of the use of violence cannot be
conditional.

The joint declaration, that is expected to launch renewed negotiations,
should make it clear that violence is unconditionally unacceptable. And
there is no better way to make this clear than to declare that those who
engage in violence will not enjoy immunity from prosecution and punishment.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il