Not The 'Means' But the Meaning of Their Struggle

From a plan for non-violent struggle campaign for the Pals. (found here)

...It is clear that a successful Palestinian nonviolent action movement will need to meet some basic requirements:

1. The cause must be true. The Palestinian case is well established in international law, UN resolutions and and basic humanitarian rights.
2. There must be a clear and unambiguous statement of nonviolent intent. Many Palestinians have been engaged for some time in nonviolent action, but major organizations, especially Fatah and HAMAS, have never made a declaration of nonviolent intent. I can think of no action which would have as positive an impact on Palestinian aspirations as such a declaration. At one fell swoop, it would remove the validity of Israel's greatest asset, its military power, and would put it perpetually on the defensive in combating Palestinian nonviolent actions.
3. From Sun Tzu we are instructed to know your enemy--their fears, strengths and weaknesses, as well as your own strengths and weaknesses (see below). It is clear that in their mutual demonization of the other, neither Israelis nor Palestinians understand their adversaries very well. Each sees the other as less than a human being. Such blanket assumptions will make it impossible to find areas of true vulnerability in the opponent.
4. It is crucial to have clearly defined goals. Within the Palestinian population (as within the Israelis) there are a variety of viewpoints on what would constitute an acceptable endpoint to the conflict. Realistic and painful decisions will have to be made.
5. Organization, training and discipline are very important. Many of the various Palestinian organizations meet this criteria, but overall much more can be done. Gandhi was quite clear about this point, and suggested that some of his followers join the British army to achieve the necessary training and discipline before joining his nonviolent movement.
6. Related to #4 above, there must be cooperation and compromise with compatriots.
7. For nonviolent action to succeed, there needs to be a clear understanding of the principles and tactics of nonviolence. A thorough study of Gene Sharp's volumes (above), in particular, would be important for the nonviolent leadership. Nonviolent action should be approached with the same spirit of training as a military campaign.
8. Ultimately, there needs to be large numbers of participants. However, all nonviolent movements start small, and as Gandhi put it, "Nonviolence, when it becomes active, travels with extraordinary velocity, and then it becomes a miracle."
9. Media coverage is crucial. The extent to which Israel has taken measures to limit media coverage indicates the concern they have on this matter. However, I do not believe that they would ultimately be able to control the local and world media in the face of a massive Palestinian nonviolent movement.

But even they know what a falsehood this is:-

The Palestinian group Justice Now also points out weaknesses in the Palestinian position, particularly regarding the use of violence.

1. Violence prompts an overwhelming Israeli military response, and the Palestinians do not have the means to win a military victory.
2. In this unequal confrontation, the Palestinians pay a very high price, both in terms of deaths and in terms of injuries.
3. The use of firearms by Palestinians seems to justify the Israeli military response in the eyes of many Israelis and foreigners.
4. Violence locks both sides in a vicious pattern of retaliation and counter-retaliation that bears the seeds of escalation into a disastrous all-out war.
5. Violent protests lead to an image of Palestinians as a fundamentally violent and irresponsible people, a people with whom it is not possible to make peace.
6. It diverts attention from the real issue--the injustice endured by the Palestinian people--to its manifestation, the violent outbreaks.
7. Violence also puzzles the natural allies of the Palestinians in the Israeli political scene and in the world. Throwing stones does not constitute well-phrased political demands, and many people in Israel and the United States do not understand what the Palestinians want from their impulsive demonstrations of anger.
8. Violence triggers reactions of fear that alienate the Israeli people and provoke a right-wing shift of the Israeli public and electors, decreasing the will and the ability of Israel to make concessions and compromises.
9. Suicide attacks, whether in the occupied territories or inside the Green Line, decrease the support of the international community for the Palestinian cause.

Ever since 1920, the Arab struggle against Zionism has been violent. It is the essence of their activity. It is the meaning not the means.