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From the
January 2002 issue of
World Press Review
(VOL. 49, No. 1)
Middle
East: No Peace, No Process
The Intifada Is Not a
Political Ploy
Ramzy
Baroud, Palestine Times, (monthly English-language Internet
publication), London, England, November 2001
Whenever a significant
event takes place, many wonder: How will this event affect the
Palestinian Intifada? And now, with the Sept. 11 attacks on
the United States, many were sure that the United States would
be keenly interested in ending the Middle East strife, so as
to strengthen its coalition for the “war on terrorism.”
The Intifada, however, will carry on. What most people fail
to see is that the Intifada is not a ploy, nor is it a political
tactic aimed at pressuring Israel for “more concessions.”
The Intifada is not a puppet show run by the Palestinian leadership
to garner international support using the world’s media.
The Intifada was and shall always be a genuine act led and developed
by the oppressed masses who are in fact revolting against oppression,
political ploys, and empty promises.
Unlike what Israel alleges, Yasser Arafat is not in control
of the uprising, nor even Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or any other
group. What truly controls the Intifada are the unwritten principles
of justice and freedom that most Palestinians—in the West
Bank, Gaza Strip, and elsewhere—have agreed to uphold.
One must admit that many have tried to trick Palestinians and
manipulate their uprising to serve a political agenda.
The Intifada will end when Palestinians lose track of their
priorities and become apathetic to their freedom and legitimate
rights. You know as much as I do that this would never happen.
So let President Bush try all of his political maneuvers to
strengthen his coalition; let him envision a “Palestinian
State,” and let Shimon Peres meet with top Palestinian
officials, sip coffee, and talk about the good old days of Oslo.
The Intifada is not a political ploy. It is truly a people’s
cry for justice. 
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