Convergent Evolution
I’ve been looking and Palestinian society is a lot more complex than I’d imagined. Abdul Jawad Saleh has done a lot of good work here. He often points out that the only rational Palestinian response to the overwhelming military might of Israel and its peculiar culture of assassination is a non-violent intifada, but that this is a practical impossibility because sadly the extremists interested in violence always seize the initiative following Israel’s extra-judicial conflict escalations. Israel’s rulers know this very well. Using a Northern Ireland parallel, its “Troubles” began with non-violent civil rights marches. But under constant police brutality and assassinations, moderates withered away or became extremists, and the stage was set for a generation of warfare. For the overwhelmingly protestant christian police force and army, this was not unwelcome as they quickly swelled their ranks to become the largest single employer in Northern Ireland with endless job security.
Arafat and Fatah have always depended on Israel’s escalations for their continued grip on power and the stifling of multiple strands of Palestinian discourse. It’s a weird, symbiotic relationship.
The Intifada’s military lessons