What Happens If A Large Group Of Palestinians Started Utilizing Non-Violent Protest?

[americanexpo]

This is something that has always fascinated me, given that my godmother, a Likud party supporter for life until her last four years (1995-1999), always said this would be how it would end. Recently it was reported on the BBC and in The Nation (i'll admit the Nation is quite leftist (still good articles occasionally, but the BBC still has SOME quality reporting that shines through) that Palestinian families were using non-violent protest methods to try to halt the Israeli army destruction of their homes. This apparently happened in several villages affected by the creation of Israel's security fence.

On my two visits to Tel Aviv in my high school days, I always remember asking Palestinian kids my age why they didn't use non-violent protest like Gandhi or Martin Luther King to protest the occupation. The typical answer was that none of the leaders would consider this, especially old warriors like Arafat. This is a shame, but perhaps it is changing. Three young Palestinian-Americans have been preaching this "resistance Islam" in mosques and community centers for over six months now, and their message may be spreading. Let's hope it is, because this would signal a fundamental change in how the Israelis and the rest of the world view the Palestinians.

Now my question for you all is to use your imagination, what do you think would happen if a majority of the Palestinian population started using non-violent resistance, rather than bombing, fighting or even throwing rocks? (which was prohibited by these neighbor groups that stood in front of Israeli tanks and APCS and refused to move)

 

[nycflasher]

QUOTE] What Happens If A Large Group Of Palestinians Started Utilizing Non-Violent Protest?[/QUOTE]

A. Nothing.
B. It might hurt the terrorists and ingratiate the Palestinians with the Israelis, and the world.

er suntin'

 

[Annie]

I see where you are going AmericanExpo, would be interesting to see how long it took before someone would believe them.

I truly think the vast majority of Israelis want the Palestinians to have a homeland, they were supposed to in '49, but refused it. I think they would get it.

 

[5stringJeff]

Originally posted by americanexpo
Now my question for you all is to use your imagination, what do you think would happen if a majority of the Palestinian population started using non-violent resistance, rather than bombing, fighting or even throwing rocks? (which was prohibited by these neighbor groups that stood in front of Israeli tanks and APCS and refused to move) [/B]

I think they would certainly get more sympathy from those of us who are currently fighting terrorism.

 

[nycflasher]

I f I lived in a society plagued/ruled by terrorists, I would do everything in my power to get the word out that this was not acceptable to the people I represent.

Fortunately, in the U.S. we have many of these organizations and leaders.

I mean, look how divided our country is over war.
Many think this is dangerous, regarding the message it sends to our enemies.

I think it shows the world that we still value democracy, free speech and personal freedom even at the most challenging of times.

What do you think?

 

[americanexpo]

there is truth there.

in the palestinian territories, for years those who have espoused the most liberal or peacenik policies have been under constant threat and harrasment, ironically more from arafat's fatah and Palestinian Authority cronies than HAMAS and Islamic Jihad.

i read a fantastic book called a stone of hope, about the religious aspects of the civil rights movement, and how, in the author's point of view, it was less a political movement and more a religious one. MLK jr. and co. knew that God was on their side, that justice and freedom were right and injustice and violence were wrong.

perhaps, one day, hopefully soon, a generation of Palestinians will look at their situation, their options and their future, and realize, justice and freedom are right, and injustice (israeli-inflicted) and terrorism (commited by their fellow Palestinians) is wrong.

 

[Mustafa]

Originally posted by americanexpo

there is truth there.

in the palestinian territories, for years those who have espoused the most liberal or peacenik policies have been under constant threat and harrasment, ironically more from arafat's fatah and Palestinian Authority cronies than HAMAS and Islamic Jihad.

i read a fantastic book called a stone of hope, about the religious aspects of the civil rights movement, and how, in the author's point of view, it was less a political movement and more a religious one. MLK jr. and co. knew that God was on their side, that justice and freedom were right and injustice and violence were wrong.

perhaps, one day, hopefully soon, a generation of Palestinians will look at their situation, their options and their future, and realize, justice and freedom are right, and injustice (israeli-inflicted) and terrorism (commited by their fellow Palestinians) is wrong.

Perhaps one day a generation of Arabs (there are no Palestinians living in Israel) will change their Qur'an and follow concepts which to them would be the equivalent of allowing mice to jump to the moon.

Would you be willing to give up your god's instructions and follow the fire and wind gods? What is the chance that cancer cells will become good cells and not ultimately destory all the cells of the body?

If you believe that the Arabs living in Israel will become peaceful some sun shiny day, then you are delusional.

 

[jowlover]

The Palestinians will get nothing from non-violent protest, the western zionist controlled media won't pay any attention to them; how much attention does 'PeaceNow' get in AMerica, nothing-

also you forget that between 1967-1985 there was no intefada, the P's were for the most part commited to non-violent tactics; what they got were 100+ sttlements and a racist aphartied state-alot of good that did them..

If America's govt had been the KKK in the 1960's you think the blacks would have gotten anywhere with non-violence and the Israeli likud is much worse than the KKK, and the other Israeli political parties want to force the P's out of Palestine completly like Milosivich tried to do.. and like the zionists did in 1948..