In the wake of a Fatah offshoot calling for attacks on American targets around the world, the official Palestinian Authority news agency, WAFA, published an unsigned editorial on Wednesday (Aug. 2) calling for a halt to the use of firearms and mortars and a return to ?the stone and the shoe.? The editorial, in Arabic and in English, cites three main arguments for this change of tactic: International public opinion, the regional balance of power and the absence of an Israeli political program.
Referring to the riots on the Temple Mount, when Moslems threw rocks on the heads of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall and shoes at the police and soldiers who intervened, the WAFA editorial says that a single image from that incident ??was more effective than mortar shells fired at Israeli settlements.? In the opinion of the Editor, the tremendous success of the Palestinians thus far in influencing international public opinion has been achieved primarily by the images of Arab youths throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Therefore, the editorial says, in addition to the choice of rocks as a weapon, the Palestinians have to be judicious in their choice of words and slogans, refraining from hasty emotional threats against the United States or European nations.
Rationally examining the balance of power in the region, the WAFA editorial comes to the conclusion that ?no matter how many casualties we may cause the Israelis we will not be able to win the war against them?.? However, by confronting Israeli soldiers with rock-throwing, the Arabs will be able to manipulate the international political climate to their favor. ?Only by political means we shall be able to achieve our goals, by the use of rocks to fight the Israelis,? explains the editorial, ?on the roadblocks and in the settlements, not inside Israel, and not using fire arms.?
Politically, the editorial says, the unfavorable images will put pressure on Israel, at which point it will become clear that the Israeli Prime Minister has no real political program for making ?peace? with the Arabs. The WAFA editor believes that confrontations between armed Israelis and rock-throwing Arabs, documented by the international media, will expose the ?true face? of Ariel Sharon and will embarrass his ?godfather?, the USA. The hope expressed in the editorial is that this political pressure will cause the American administration to pressure Israel into acceding to the demands of the Palestinians.
Referring to the riots on the Temple Mount, when Moslems threw rocks on the heads of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall and shoes at the police and soldiers who intervened, the WAFA editorial says that a single image from that incident ??was more effective than mortar shells fired at Israeli settlements.? In the opinion of the Editor, the tremendous success of the Palestinians thus far in influencing international public opinion has been achieved primarily by the images of Arab youths throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Therefore, the editorial says, in addition to the choice of rocks as a weapon, the Palestinians have to be judicious in their choice of words and slogans, refraining from hasty emotional threats against the United States or European nations.
Rationally examining the balance of power in the region, the WAFA editorial comes to the conclusion that ?no matter how many casualties we may cause the Israelis we will not be able to win the war against them?.? However, by confronting Israeli soldiers with rock-throwing, the Arabs will be able to manipulate the international political climate to their favor. ?Only by political means we shall be able to achieve our goals, by the use of rocks to fight the Israelis,? explains the editorial, ?on the roadblocks and in the settlements, not inside Israel, and not using fire arms.?
Politically, the editorial says, the unfavorable images will put pressure on Israel, at which point it will become clear that the Israeli Prime Minister has no real political program for making ?peace? with the Arabs. The WAFA editor believes that confrontations between armed Israelis and rock-throwing Arabs, documented by the international media, will expose the ?true face? of Ariel Sharon and will embarrass his ?godfather?, the USA. The hope expressed in the editorial is that this political pressure will cause the American administration to pressure Israel into acceding to the demands of the Palestinians.