Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are due to hold general elections within four months. In practical terms, this means that whatever political activities there are to manage the perennial crisis in Palestine will be frozen until after the Israeli elections, probably in late March, and the subsequent formation of a new Zionist regime.
Some observers tend to see in the latest political developments in Israel, including the election of the socialist-leaning Amir Peretz as chairman of the Labor Party, a “glimmer of hope“ toward the resumption of peace efforts that would give the Palestinians a modicum of justice.
However, a closer look at the Israeli political map instantly suggests that no real changes in the Zionist regime’s basic policies and positions can or should be expected.
Indeed, Ariel Sharon, a certified war criminal by any conceivable standard of fairness, remains the most favorite and most popular political figure in Israel.
According to the latest polls, Sharon’s newly-found party, known in Hebrew as “kadima“, or Forward, would probably emerge as the largest faction in the next parliament, the Knesset. Likewise, among all Israeli political figures, Sharon is more likely to be elected as Israel’s next prime minister.
If so, Sharon would most likely continue and even step up his policy of systematic repression, land confiscation, colonial expansion and territorial aggrandizement.
In addition, the former general, who has on his hands the innocent blood of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians and Lebanese civilians, would continue to try to subjugate the Palestinian people, employing more brute force, economic sanctions as well as other draconian restrictions.
This is not an unwarranted omen. A few days ago Sharon said if reelected as prime minister, he would seek to unilaterally draw Israel’s borders in the West Bank.
In fact, Sharon is already doing just that. The gigantic ugly wall Israel is erecting deep in the West Bank has already annexed large swathes of the occupied territory into the Zionist state.
In practical terms, this would kill any real prospect for creating a possible viable Palestinian state worthy of the name.
In short, Sharon, despite his occasional lip service to the American-backed ’roadmap’, is planning to impose a final solution on the Palestinians. But, of course, this won’t work, and Sharon knows it.
As for the Palestinian elections, it is really hard to attach any substantive significance to these polls, apart from the forecasted ending of Fatah’s hegemony on the Palestinian Legislative Council.
In truth, we must not forget that these elections are going to be held in the shadow of Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers which continue to scour provocatively the streets of Palestinian towns and villages.
Moreover, candidates have already been arrested in the hundreds by the Israeli occupation army, a clarion fact epitomizing the absurdity and futility of democracy under foreign military occupation. So, it would be really futile to speak about real democracy in the conspicuous absence of freedom and sovereignty.
In fact, the significance of the Palestinian elections on January 25 is always proportionate to and dependent upon what the would-be elected ’lawmakers’ could possibly do to help alleviate the plight of their people.
Indeed, putting aside the false euphoria and misplaced expectations, and given the cold political realities on the ground, it would be safe to say that they could hardly do anything worthwhile.
After all, the real problem in Palestine has never been the lack of democracy among Palestinians, but rather the decades-old nefarious occupation and the brutal Zionist mentality which continues to view non-Jews as sub-humans that ought to be exterminated.
What the world must realize, sooner rather than later, is that in the absence of justice and freedom for Palestinians, there can be no stability or security or peace, neither in Palestine itself, nor in the Middle East and the world at large.