THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF STRUGGLE

["ccrr" <ccrr at palnet.com>]

This article is written by Noah Salameh, the director of CCRR and was
published in Jerusalem newspaper, the biggest Palestinian newspaper, on the
23rd of September 2002:



The Different Options of Struggle



I know that this article of mine will cause many objection and many
different opinion, and I respect that even before I hear those opinions, as
to me this is normal and natural, and because it is impossible for all
Palestinians to agree on one opinion, or become one copy of one certain
book. Each one of us has his own opinion, way to look at things, and own
explanation for different matters, all this is normal and legal.



Resisting occupation is a legal matter, and a right for every nation living
under occupation, this right has been recognized by all national laws, no
one can picture that a certain nation accepts to continue living under
occupation and a military law that separates between people, according to
their race, religion, nationality, or color. But what we might disagree on
is that struggle has many different forms, as each level of conflicts has
its own suitable methods, but the most important and known methods of
struggle that some might disagree upon are:



1.      Armed struggle

2.      Non-violent struggle



We all know that the Palestinian people started his legal armed struggle
against the British occupations many years ago, then the Israeli occupation
and achieved huge successes in this long march of struggle, as the whole
world now acknowledge the Palestinian people existence, and his right to
establish its own country, and even some acknowledge of the right of return
refugees, this is a great achievement no objection on that.



Struggling is a legal right recognized by all religions, and national laws,
but as many of us know that during that many groups were formed that
believes in non-violent struggle through objection, education, boycotting
Israeli goods, and creating a national net for supporting the Palestinian
people rights, put pressure on the occupation, and arrange for large
demonstrations in their countries, as they also boycott the Israeli goods
in their countries. This movement (the Palestinian non-violent movement)
managed to prove its active specially lately, as there is a great campaign
being conducted by the Israeli government in cooperation with the united
state government and the Jewish lobby in USA, and all those who support him
from the united states and Europe media to picture the Palestinian people
as terrorism that only hold military actions against civilians, as they
succeeded to some level to give the wrong picture on the Palestinian
struggle during the years, and transform the victim into a criminal and
picture the occupation as the victim and the week lamp which is being faced
with unjustified wave of violence, while the truth is exactly the opposite.



From here came the idea of writing this assay to invite every one to expand
the campaign of Palestinian non-violent, and the different forms of
non-violent objection, from non-violent demonstrations, set downs,
objections, and boycotting Israeli goods, we think that there is no excuse
for not doing that claiming the absence of alternatives, and even stop
dealing with the occupation authority, by permits or what is called VIP's,
as such phenomena's directed all benefits to a certain tripe of the
community, which became as a pressuring tool against it by the occupation
authority.



Again I would like to emphasize that no one can deny or delete the history
of the Palestinian people struggle, with all the methods it used, as it is
considered legitimate and legal, and this call is to change these methods
which comes from the change of the national, political, and media
circumstances change, which maybe succeeded in changed the objection wave
on the occupation, to objection on the Palestinian side, and this method of
struggle (non-violent struggle) which is also a legitimate, and active one,
as it succeeded in the past at many other places, like India, south Africa,
and the united states, when Marten Luther king lead the black struggle for
freedom, and managed to get them their full rights, which is not
conditioned by the political position change, the talk here about a change
in the method of struggle and objecting and not to change the political
position, as we are still demanding and struggle and work to end this
occupation and on the right of return for refugees, and on the Palestinian
people right to determine their own life, and establish their own country
with Jerusalem as its capital.



The strength in this method of struggle that it collect all peace, justice,
and democracy powers in the world around the Palestinian people struggle,
if this struggle was accompanied by a strong and well organized media
campaign it will have a great impact specially if we coordinate our
campaign and efforts with different democratic organizations in the world,
and made an organized strategy for our struggle by all the religious and
political national Palestinian forces, where each party takes its own role
and position in this campaign under a united democratic leadership, which
fulfill the political leadership and support it as long as it does not
desert the Palestinian goal to end the occupation, the right of refugees
and compensation.



As an example from the Islamic religion, when the profit Mohammad
negotiated Al-Hudaiba Agreement, with the unbelievers and signed an
agreement with them because he recognized in that time that he couldn't
achieve his goals by war, and for the second reason to save the lives of
the believers and his followers from being killed. The agreement was named
HUDAYBEYYAH agreement, and it is very known in Islamic history. The
advantage of that agreement at that time that it guaranteed his right to
come and pilgrimage to MECCA next year.



This is a clear example on using different methods to deal with conflict,
and not only commit to one form of struggle, or fight. We also have the
right to think of a more active method in the suitable time ad place,
concerning the local, and national circumstances, and power measures,
without letting go of our main goals.



We also take the great struggler, and the peace activist Nelson Mandella as
our example who managed to free South Africa and lead it in great wisdom,
he is also one of the personalities who supports the Palestinian struggle,
and can support this Palestinian campaign also, and maybe we can invite him
to visit us and join our efforts and our campaign, along with many other
personalities who won Nobil prize for peace, and support the Palestinian
struggle like: Pearce Iskavil from Argentina, Regopier Tamansho from
Guatemala, and Mary Maguire from Ireland.



Here I would like to indicate that the concept of non-violent struggle is a
positive concept, and not as some may take it as a negative response to
occupation, as it puts the principle of struggle first, which means
refusing the occupation and resisting it in all methods and forms of
non-violent expression, which are many and was practiced and used in many
countries as we mentioned earlier. Many books were written on non-violent
struggle by many researchers and peace activists in the world, and the
Palestinian people and all who support it practiced those methods in many
occasions. I mention for example a well known incident for every
Palestinian which is the strike of 1936, its is a six months strike
protested against the British Colonialism on Palestine, which is considered
a non-violent action to express our refusal to the occupation, stopping the
cooperation with it, and refusing to admit its authority and laws.



Also the 1987 Intifada, which the Palestinian people refused to pay taxes
and refused to cooperate with the occupation authority, and encouraging the
cooperative work specially agriculture as a substitute to the Israeli
products, in addition to that many other actions that had a great deal of
impact on the international point of view, as Yetshak Rabin policy of
braking bones stood helpless in front of it, and couldn't manage to shake
our position or stop communication with it, or break the Palestinian people.



Another example of those who support the Palestinian people is what the
members of the solidarity groups of people who support movement during the
Nativity church curfew, from braking boundaries and entering the church to
stand with those strugglers in it, taking food for them. Also the curfew on
President Arafat office, by entering it and spending the curfew time inside
it.



I think that many from our people share my opinion that this kind of
struggle will be embarrassing to the Israeli government, and exposing to
its policy, and will have a positive impact to support our cause, and
rights, especially to the Palestinian negotiator position, if there is any
negotiations, and will also embarrass all those who support Israel,
specially the united states management and its ally Britain for their
support to Sharon policy.



Here are some methods of struggle that was practiced by those like
Mandella, Luther King, and others:



1.      Non-violent demonstration.

2.      Set-ins in streets.

3.      Joint prayer (Moslems & Christians) in the streets

4.      Silent periods, and stopping all kind of movement in streets and
work places.

5.      Boycott all Israeli products from all kinds.

6.      Reject all VIP services which became illegitimate source of earning.

7.      Joint non-violent demonstrations with Israeli peace forces on both
sides of check points, depending of the Palestinian national counsel
decision, which calls for cooperation with peace movement in Israel.

8.      Signing protesting papers to every embassy and different
international organizations representatives like the United Nations, the
Red Cross, and human rights organizations, to demand their movement and
work to stop the occupation, explaining the Palestinian people decision to
non-violent struggle and explaining this method to their own people.

9.      holding wide national and public conferences.

10.  coordinating and cooperation with peace organizations in Israel and
the whole world to support our struggle for freedom, and activating it in
their districts and outside of it.

11.  using all kind of modern technology methods to spread the idea and
gain more results like providing web pages that can be used to expose all
scandals and massacres of the Israeli military occupation, and through
specialists in the media and educated people by expertise who are familiar
with the history of the Palestinian case, with emphasizing on the moral
ways of Palestinian reaction which differs from the Israeli way of
reaction, which is revenge, and aggression, while the Palestinian aims to
end the occupation and live in dignity like all people of the world do
without faults, violent, or bias, or hatred.



If we want to insure the success of this idea and accomplish as much as
possible, we have to persuade as many organizations, activities, national,
religious, and community forces to participate as much as possible as they
can, and in addition to members of the community and all those who are not
involved in the political work.





Yours in peace & reconciliation,



The Center for Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation - CCRR

Director



Noah Salameh

Tel. +972-2-2767745

Fax. +972-2-2745475

E-mail: ccrr at palnet.com or salamehn at hotmail.com