6.1.08

Mr. President

President of the Palestinian Authority
Chairman of the PLO
and all the other names and titles you claim for yourself!

Your excellency,
You once said, at the height of the PA's financial crisis that bread is more important that democracy. few months later, Hamas rebelled against the democracy that brought it to power. You, on your end, rebelled against Hamas. A few more months down the road, we don't have democracy anymore, we also don't have bread. You honourable government is doing nothing to fight the crazy hike in prices. We understand they are busy fighting Hamas, but what do we have to do with that?
Let me tell you where I think the blame can be laid: On Everyone, me included, but primarily you people in power.
Hamas won a fair elections. She came to a government that is totally yours. If we are such a pluralist country, then why does the whole nation have to celebrate the launching of your party? Why on earth did you replace the nice national anthem we grew up with in this land, with the anthem of your party? Why is it that on your party's anniversary, the campaign against stolen cars suddenly stops and Ramallah is full of these cars, driven by careless youths, so long as they carry your yellow banner? Isn't the police force and the army for everyone? Why do they carry your party's flag? And isn't the presidential complex for all Palestinians? What would you say if Hamas wanted to have a rally there?
You see, Mr. President, you never handed over power, your party continued to play as if it owns the country. And your followers made hell of the life of the new ministers.
Hamas, totally inexperienced in the politics of the modern world, thought the can do just the same. They never had money to pay the salaries, but still were oblivious to the needs of the people.
Tell me, had Fatah been in power during the financial crisis, would the so-called union of public employees ever gone on strike? Of course not!
So between your party's thirst for control, and Hamas's irresponsible attitude to us, we were lost in the middle. Then you guys start killing each other, what a nice ending to our national struggle!
Then you guys share the pie. Hamas in Gaza to do whatever she wishes, and you go on with your nice plan for the West Bank.
In a situation of National Emergency, you bring Fayyad, a professional, but still a neo-liberal. He tries to enforce his free market ideology. The thing is, we don't have a market, or an economy. So lets play the guessing game: What do you guess will happen?
Let me try to explain, if there is no substantial market in this country, and you opt for a free market policy, then people with money can buy everything, and can become filthy rich. People who are already poor, are likely to just get poorer. The socialist revolution in Latin America has had its roots in a similar situation, when the US was pushing its allies in despotic regimes across the continent to adopt a free market strategy. Now, two or three decades later, the situation has become unbearable for the poor majority that they are willing to rebel against this system that institutionalises their marginalisation. You, and your government, are doing just that.
You people (both in Fatah and Hamas) act as if this country is yours, and yours alone. You seem to be oblivious to the fact that what you are doing now is going to significantly impact the lives and aspirations of Palestinians for generations to follow. You have no right to decide for us if you are not sharing with us or getting our thoughts and wishes on your agenda.
You have no right to sell our rights to your private sector cronies, or to Israel. Just as Hamas no right to impose on us that financial crisis. If she could not deal with such a problem they should have had the courtesy to just leave office. It is people's lives you guys are playing with and it seems to mean nothing to you.
What we want is a country for US, all of US. A country to live in in dignity and to be able to make a decent living. If you are not going to do that, then you might as well pack and go. Better late than never!

sincerely,

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi ya Ned
ana 3atbana 3aleek, lesh ma kteer btoktob bel blog? ya3ni we miss ur posts kteer wallah, try to write more often, and about abbas, he is what he is, lets hope that another hamas wave will come!

Progressive Pinhead said...

Another Hamas wave would not only be morally repugnant it would also be a disaster for the Palestinian people. Fatah is corroupt and Hamas is well, Hamas, all of the real leaders of the Palestinian people are in Israeli prisons.