Sam Bahour

The Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence is larger than the late President Yasser Arafat.

Except for the lack of congressional resistance, the situation in the Israeli-occupied territories mirrors that of apartheid South Africa. Palestinians are being forced, either by choice or fate, to agree to “acceptable” candidates for elections to offices that will have only as much power as the Israeli government, underwritten by the Bush administration, grants.

As Israel jumps from one self-made crisis to the next, the State of Israel itself is in an alarming condition.

The new U.S. “road map” for peace in the Middle East presented by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William J. Burns is no more than a placebo for consumption by both Palestinians and the world community

Last night’s long-awaited speech by President Bush was to set the pace for the Palestinians and Israelis to step back from the vicious and bloody cycle of violence that has gripped them for nearly two years.

Palestine has scarce resources to face the enormous challenges in a struggle that has now continued for over five decades.

Divesting in countries that are in blatant violation of international and humanitarian law is not new, but with Israel, it needs to end.

Israel must choose today between peace on internationally recognized terms with the dispossessed indigenous people of their State, or face another half-century of isolation with the backdrop of a rapidly encroaching demographics dilemma.

To understand the resilience of the Palestinian community is to take a more detailed–albeit less dramatic–look at what is happening on the ground behind the bleak daily headlines.

The Palestinians are doing what any American citizen would do: we are fighting for our rights.

Today, Ariel Sharon and his government are creating a third wave of Palestinian refugees by attacking those very same refugees who, decades ago, fled for their lives and have been living under illegal Israeli occupation ever since.

The Palestinian collective memory is blistered by the fact that Palestine was violated, with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Instead of forging forward on a new path, the U.S. thrust has been to join an Israeli character assassination of elected Palestinian President Yaser Arafat.

Sam and Leila Bahour offer a candid look at the Palestinian psyche

Most of the actions needed to make this conviction a reality are the same issues that are being called for by Palestinians themselves, the establishment of rule of law, accountability of decisionmaking, and collective leadership–in other words, concrete

Israel would be doing itself a monumental favor by ending the occupation on its own terms, rather than withdrawing due to additional international pressure.

The mirage of positive movement in the deadly gridlock between Israelis and Palestinians continued today, uninterrupted by reality.

What is needed is a shot of adrenaline, and not a warmed-over initiative with no substance and no chance of success.

Without this real movement in the Middle East Peace Process, the world will continue to be jerked from one meeting to another, from one announcement to the next, each time losing interest, losing hope, and losing their own morality.

With the assassination of right-wing Israeli Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, the cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians is once again on the front burner. In the coming days, neither side of this bitter conflict will be at a loss for rhetoric to exp