Today's announcement of Hamas/Fatah reconciliation is a favourable wind that blows, even if uncertainties abound as to how peace between the factions would be entrenched and work to achieve Palestinian statehood and peace with Israel.
As AlJazeera's Marwan Bishara so pertinently suggested, it makes sense for the two main Palestinian factions to see reconciliation as strengthening the Palestinian cause at a time of sweeping political change spreading through the Arab street.
The position of the United States as of today is at best, non-committal. Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu has already declared in no uncertain terms that Fatah would have to make a stark choice.. Peace with Israel OR peace with Hamas. Never both.
Whatever the uncertainties, including the practicalities of a workable Hamas/Fatah coalition under an Israeli occupation, one thing remains inexorable...
...There was never any real hope of realisation of Palestinian aspirations and true peace with Israel, without the reconciliation of the two main Palestinian factions.
Should reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah be established and endure, history will deem, and with good reason, the Arab 'spring', not the United States nor the Quartet, as the catalyst for the achieving of Palestinian statehood and true peace with the state of Israel.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
The fuel that feeds dictators
The still evolving situation in Tunisia that saw President Zine-el-Abidine Ben Ali flee the country after a popular uprising precipitated by an act of self immolation and driven by angry young Tunisians, is put in perspective.
The happenings in Tunisia have resulted in copy cat acts of self immolation and subsequent street protests in other parts of the Arab world.. from Algeria to Jordan and Yemen. Yesterday Egypt was rocked by violent street protests from Cairo to Suez, Al Arish and Mansour...
The rest of the world is watching on in at times nervous anticipation and it is difficult at this stage to predict what these protests would mean for the regions autocrats and for that matter, peace on the streets.
As surely the uncertainty, so also the need for a bit of contemplation..
A critical question worth seeking an answer to is: At what point in the course of a relationship between leader and led, does a leader begin to feel detached from the people he or she leads?.. A detachment that breeds an 'insulation' from the everyday basic concerns of the led and a bristling, even violent crack down, at any suggestions that perhaps things should be done differently? All this, whilst amassing stupendous wealth.. far more riches than is needed or indeed deserved..
The answer to this question could be due to several factors and perhaps one common denominator..A complacent and unquestioning population.
A complacent and unquestioning population is fodder for dictators. It is perhaps the paramount fuel that feeds corruption and tyranny.
The happenings in Tunisia have resulted in copy cat acts of self immolation and subsequent street protests in other parts of the Arab world.. from Algeria to Jordan and Yemen. Yesterday Egypt was rocked by violent street protests from Cairo to Suez, Al Arish and Mansour...
The rest of the world is watching on in at times nervous anticipation and it is difficult at this stage to predict what these protests would mean for the regions autocrats and for that matter, peace on the streets.
As surely the uncertainty, so also the need for a bit of contemplation..
A critical question worth seeking an answer to is: At what point in the course of a relationship between leader and led, does a leader begin to feel detached from the people he or she leads?.. A detachment that breeds an 'insulation' from the everyday basic concerns of the led and a bristling, even violent crack down, at any suggestions that perhaps things should be done differently? All this, whilst amassing stupendous wealth.. far more riches than is needed or indeed deserved..
The answer to this question could be due to several factors and perhaps one common denominator..A complacent and unquestioning population.
A complacent and unquestioning population is fodder for dictators. It is perhaps the paramount fuel that feeds corruption and tyranny.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Death throes..
The current stand-off in post-election Ivory coast is put in perspective.
Laurent Gbagbo remains defiant in spite of pressure from the international community, urging him to step down following elections he was widely believed to have lost to Alassane Ouattara.
Such is the stand-off in Ivory Coast at the moment, that analysts fear that another civil war could ensue less than 10 years after the last. Fatalities are reported to stand at near 200, and around 17,000 Ivoriens have been reported to have fled into neighbouring Liberia..
Pressure has mounted on Gbagbo to step down, not least from Regional leaders who have threatened to use "legitimate force" to oust him should he continue to refuse to leave the seat of power.
Time will tell how this will play out, however something worth noting seems to be occurring on the continent.. The era of authoritarian rule that shows scant regard for democratic principles is in its death throes..
From Kenya to Zimbabwe and Guinea (which has just completed its first democratic election since its founding in 1958) questions are being asked post-elections that were not asked in the past..
Next stop in 2011... Nigeria. Watch this space!
Laurent Gbagbo remains defiant in spite of pressure from the international community, urging him to step down following elections he was widely believed to have lost to Alassane Ouattara.
Such is the stand-off in Ivory Coast at the moment, that analysts fear that another civil war could ensue less than 10 years after the last. Fatalities are reported to stand at near 200, and around 17,000 Ivoriens have been reported to have fled into neighbouring Liberia..
Pressure has mounted on Gbagbo to step down, not least from Regional leaders who have threatened to use "legitimate force" to oust him should he continue to refuse to leave the seat of power.
Time will tell how this will play out, however something worth noting seems to be occurring on the continent.. The era of authoritarian rule that shows scant regard for democratic principles is in its death throes..
From Kenya to Zimbabwe and Guinea (which has just completed its first democratic election since its founding in 1958) questions are being asked post-elections that were not asked in the past..
Next stop in 2011... Nigeria. Watch this space!
Friday, 15 October 2010
The best part of us...
The extraction of the last of 33 miners trapped half a mile underground in Chile for 69 days, thereby bringing to an end what many have described as an extraordinary act of humanitarianism, is put in perspective.
Two months, nine days and eight hours after their ordeal began, the 33 miners including the rescue workers sent bellow to support them, were delivered to the earth's surface.
As happens in times of great travail or great joy, our best part..our humanity shines through, as has been reflected in a world united in its support for the miners and Chile.
One however expects, and with good reason, that as soon as the last of the cameras leave Compiapo Chile, and our attention shifts, our best part... our humanity would quickly be cast aside, rather than employed in the pursuit of a more united and peaceful world..
.. That is until we are gripped by yet another profound event such as played out in Compiapo.
Two months, nine days and eight hours after their ordeal began, the 33 miners including the rescue workers sent bellow to support them, were delivered to the earth's surface.
As happens in times of great travail or great joy, our best part..our humanity shines through, as has been reflected in a world united in its support for the miners and Chile.
One however expects, and with good reason, that as soon as the last of the cameras leave Compiapo Chile, and our attention shifts, our best part... our humanity would quickly be cast aside, rather than employed in the pursuit of a more united and peaceful world..
.. That is until we are gripped by yet another profound event such as played out in Compiapo.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
In recognition of a changing nuclear landscape..
Avner Cohen and Marvin Miller's op-ed article entitled 'Bringing Israel's bomb out of the basement' is put in perspective.
The article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/opinion/25iht-edcohen.html does well to highlight the need for a re-think of the Jewish state's policy of 'opacity' about Its nuclear capabilities given the current political realities in the middle east, and indeed the world.
It is the view of this blogger, that the article is particularly insightful in implying that there is a very real risk of Israel losing international support for retaining Its nuclear capacity and military edge, should Its moral edge be squandered...
The article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/opinion/25iht-edcohen.html does well to highlight the need for a re-think of the Jewish state's policy of 'opacity' about Its nuclear capabilities given the current political realities in the middle east, and indeed the world.
It is the view of this blogger, that the article is particularly insightful in implying that there is a very real risk of Israel losing international support for retaining Its nuclear capacity and military edge, should Its moral edge be squandered...
Sunday, 18 July 2010
The Kimberely Process, the World Diamond Council and Marange's diamonds..
The agreement reached by the Kimberely process and the world diamond council to allow Zimbabwe export a limited amount of diamonds from Its Marange diamond fields, is put in perspective.
Concerns have been raised about the wisdom of allowing Zimbabwe export these diamonds, given what has been described as widespread human rights abuses perpetrated by the Zimbabwean military on individuals the military deemed illegal miners of the stones. Indeed human rights groups contend that profits from organised smuggling of Marange diamonds by the government is being used to finance the political and military elite of Robert Mugabe's government.
The current agreement is seen as in part, heading off threats by Zimbabwe to export these diamonds on Its own without international approval, which could potentially destabilise global diamond trade.
It is not entirely surprising that business interests have played a significant part in Zimbabwe being granted formal approval to export diamonds from Marange...
For the sake of peace however, it is perhaps best that the country be allowed to 'legally' export Its diamonds, with necessary checks and balances in place.
A Zimbabwean Government that goes ahead to sell Its diamonds without approval would become more entrenched, combative and intolerant of opposition. This would certainly not bode well for Its citizenry..
Concerns have been raised about the wisdom of allowing Zimbabwe export these diamonds, given what has been described as widespread human rights abuses perpetrated by the Zimbabwean military on individuals the military deemed illegal miners of the stones. Indeed human rights groups contend that profits from organised smuggling of Marange diamonds by the government is being used to finance the political and military elite of Robert Mugabe's government.
The current agreement is seen as in part, heading off threats by Zimbabwe to export these diamonds on Its own without international approval, which could potentially destabilise global diamond trade.
It is not entirely surprising that business interests have played a significant part in Zimbabwe being granted formal approval to export diamonds from Marange...
For the sake of peace however, it is perhaps best that the country be allowed to 'legally' export Its diamonds, with necessary checks and balances in place.
A Zimbabwean Government that goes ahead to sell Its diamonds without approval would become more entrenched, combative and intolerant of opposition. This would certainly not bode well for Its citizenry..
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Gold, Iron, Copper and Lithium... What could these mean for Afghanistan?
The discovery of rich mineral deposits scattered throughout much of Afghanistan by Pentagon Officials and American Geologists, is put in perspective.
It has been reported that as much as $1 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits have been discovered in Afghanistan.. deemed to be "enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself.." The question is, In what direction could the war go?
Conflict-riven Afghanistan is in the throes of more than just a war..
Corruption is a dangerous canker worm, and the extent of its contribution to the conflict could well be magnified should it not be brought under significant control by the time Afghanistan starts to reap the dividends from its rich mineral deposits.
One imagines that should the conflict worsen in spite of Afghanistan cashing in on the sale of its minerals, corruption would be identified as the culprit above all else, that has contributed to making this so..
It has been reported that as much as $1 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits have been discovered in Afghanistan.. deemed to be "enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself.." The question is, In what direction could the war go?
Conflict-riven Afghanistan is in the throes of more than just a war..
Corruption is a dangerous canker worm, and the extent of its contribution to the conflict could well be magnified should it not be brought under significant control by the time Afghanistan starts to reap the dividends from its rich mineral deposits.
One imagines that should the conflict worsen in spite of Afghanistan cashing in on the sale of its minerals, corruption would be identified as the culprit above all else, that has contributed to making this so..
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