Palestinian Quest
for Stability, Peace
and
Democracy
Dr.
Adnan Musallam
Lecturer
Bethlehem University
Bethlehem. The Holy Land
The
death of the Palestinian historical leader and figure, President
Arafat, on 11 November 2004, the smooth transition from a
one-man rule to institutional rule in the PLO and the
Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the free and orderly
municipal elections of December 2004, and the PNA presidential
elections of January 2005 in which Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was
elected by a majority of 62% of ballots casted in a fair and
democratic elections are all testimonies to encouraging signs
and trends in Palestinian society. The sweeping January 2005
municipal elections victory by HAMAS/Islamic
Resistance Movement in the Gaza Strip should not be seen as a
victory for terrorism. Instead, there is a good chance that
HAMAS will turn from an armed resistance group into a political
mass movement after having won political legitimacy in both the
December West Bank municipal elections and this election. HAMAS'
Victory could pave the way as well for other armed resistance
groups like Al-Jihad group and Al-Aqsa
Brigades to opt for the way of the "ballot" instead of the
"bullet".
The challenges
facing the newly elected leader of the PLO and the PNA, Abu
Mazen, are many, chief among them his ability to bring harmony,
stability and unity in the Palestinian street, and to improve
the economic lot of Palestinians. All indications point out that
he is trecking in the right direction. His immediate goal of
de-militarization of the uprising (Intifada),
2000-2005, and securing a ceasefire through his dialogue with
Hamas, Al-Jihad, Al-Aqsa Brigades
and other Palestinian armed factions is being realized
gradually. And Palestinian national security forces are now
being redeployed all throughout the Gaze Strip
with a mutual Palestinian-Israeli military
arrangements in order to maintain law and order.
The biggest
hurdles in the way of Abu Mazen and his determination to unite
all Palestinians behind him in his quest for a mutual general
ceasefire are the unclear policies of the Israeli government
toward mutual ceasefire. The window of opportunity for peace and
tranquility in the Holy Land is wide open for the first time in
many years. Israel policies in the occupied territories can help
or hinder all the encouraging signs coming out of Palestinian
society