Democracy Will Come, but Land First

Palestinians are finding themselves caught between the rock of Israeli intransigence and the hard place of the Palestinian leadership’s lack of regard for the rule of law.

While peace negotiations already have begun on some of the more difficult issues--borders, refugees, settlements and Jerusalem--many of the clauses of the interim phase agreement remain to be implemented. Israel is still playing the role of an arrogant occupier on matters that should have been settled: the second and third redeployment from Palestinian territories, the release of prisoners, the opening of the Hebron market and canceling the Israeli-imposed military orders and civil administration.

By far the most problematic issue has been Israel’s reluctance to heed the United States’ request to take a time out from continued illegal Jewish settlement activities.

Disappointment with the peace process has eroded Palestinian confidence in President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian National Authority. Last week, 20 prominent Palestinian academics, legislators and public figures signed an angry statement accusing the Palestinian leadership of failing to produce concrete results in the negotiations and tolerating a system of corruption. The statement said that as a result of this, “the economic situation has worsened, social ties have weakened, society’s morals and values have declined” and that “this has caused the destruction of health, educational and legal institutions.”

What was Arafat’s response? A number of the signatories were arrested, others were placed under town arrest and the legislators were threatened with similar punishment once their parliamentary immunity is lifted. The erratic action of the Palestinian leadership was reminiscent of the first days of its rule when it saw a conspiracy behind every statement of protest.

The arrests brought more attention to the statement than its signatories ever would have imagined or hoped for. The attempt to end the legislators’ immunity was abandoned, the town arrest orders were rescinded and Arafat was urged by Palestinians from inside and outside of Palestine to release the prisoners.

But while the general public disliked the attempts to gag the critics and the issue of corruption remained a major sore point, Arafat continued to get support for his efforts in the peace process.

Supporters of Arafat and the Palestinian National Authority argue that issues of transparency, rule of law, freedom of expression and democracy should take a back seat to the struggle for Palestinian lands. These supporters feel that the Palestinian national strategy must be focused on giving the negotiators with Israel the strongest support possible. Democracy and free expression, while seen as important, could weaken the already weak Palestinian position, they argue.

On the other hand, Arafat’s critics insist that the emphasis by Palestinians should be on strengthening the rule of law and democratic practice. They point out that while the PNA has tens of thousands of policemen and nearly a dozen security agencies, there are only 35 judges to deal with a huge backlog of cases.

The PNA’s human rights record has been mixed. Cases of death under torture, for example, have nearly stopped. Press freedoms--including the presence of independent private radio and television stations--have significantly improved. Some of the local stations debated live the issue of the arrest of the signatories of the statement and the public was allowed to call in and express opinions.

At the same time, human rights organizations insist that many Palestinians continue to be imprisoned without formal charges or trials simply for espousing opposing political beliefs. A system of terror and intimidation by the security organization threatens Palestinians’ sense of freedom and independence.

There is a clear correlation between positive results in the peace process and the Palestinian public’s attitude to the government.

The long years of Israeli occupation have resulted in a high level of impatience. There is no doubt that deep down what every Palestinian wants is a state that is free, independent and democratic.