I Am Starting A New Peace Movement

I have come to the conclusion that the Arabs of the former Mandate of Palestine territory who insist upon referring to themselves as "Palestinians" (to remind you: 'Filastin' isn't even an Arab word and at that time, 1920-1948, Jews also were "Palestinians") need help to achieve peace. No, not with Israel as I don't think that is their goal or in their thinking.

But at least they need to make peace among themselves.

Here, read this:

Many Palestinians think Fatah-Hamas unity efforts distract from the occupation

While young protesters in Ramallah are calling for an end to the split between Gaza and the West Bank, others argue that those words have lost their meaning.

The protest tent calling for an end to the political split between Gaza and the West Bank - erected more than two weeks ago by young people who fill it night and day - has become part of the landscape at Ramallah's al-Manara Square. But some feel the tent's presence has become a burden. Last Wednesday evening, a group of muscular young men, which happened to appear at the square at the same time as Fatah's Shabiba (youth activists ), assaulted the protesters. But there is more to it than the assault itself.

At 8 P.M...as the crowd began to disperse...suddenly a large, cheerful group appeared in the square: members of the Fatah party's youth movement bearing yellow Fatah flags. They were celebrating the party's victory in elections at Bir Zeit University, which were boycotted by its main rival, Hamas.

And in the blink of an eye, the square turned into a mass of clashing bodies, raised fists and shouts; the round tent collapsed on the people inside, books were thrown every which way, mattresses and blankets were scattered, a large banner saying "Yes to reconciliation, no to division" was ripped to shreds and placards were torn down.

An eyewitness said the upheaval began when a member of Fatah tried to set the tent on fire. Young people from the March 15 group tried to keep him at a distance and began filming what was happening. Other Fatah youth movement members beat them, tore down the tent and trod on everything and everyone underneath it. People who had been sitting inside the tent, wearing black and white kaffiyehs around their necks, were pulled to safety on a side street, shaking with rage and fear. "They accused me of belonging to Hamas," one said, pulling out his Fatah membership card.

A large crowd of thugs, most of them wearing black shirts and black and white kaffiyehs, gathered around the remaining protesters, shouting. Some passersby called out "shame," but were afraid to get involved and separate the two sides.

Police officers who arrived from the station - located just 150 meters away - were in no hurry to oust the attackers either...

If this is the way they behave toward each other, after 18 years of the Declaration of Principles framework, i.e., the Oslo Accords, they desperately require outside conciliation efforts before Israel canbe considered as a possible peace partner.

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