If I Were a Palestinian -- Part II

On Monday I wrote part I of this post, in which I attempt to take a Palestinian perspective. In this follow-up I look at some issues that I didn't cover previously.

Arab States. As a Palestinian I would view the Arab states little differently than I do now. I'd see them as corrupt, weak, dictatorial regimes -- certainly nothing to aspire to. In addition, I'd view most of their support as purely cynical, an attempt to use the Palestinian people as a weapon against Israel.

Palestinian leadership. I'd view our own leadership in a similarly negative light, because of its corruption, authoritarianism, and general inability to advance the living standards of our people. Hamas of course I'd still see as a pack of murderous, fanatical barbarians. I might grudgingly admire their willingness to fight against Israel, but otherwise I'd see them as pure poison.

The "Peace Process." Finally, as a Palestinian, I would have mixed views of the so-called peace process. On the one hand, I would see it as a useful tool to extract concessions from Israel, and possibly even as a vehicle toward establishing a Palestinian state. But at the same time, I would despise our leadership and other Palestinians whose ludicrous, unrealistic demands prevent any real progress. As a Palestinian, my goal would be the establishment of a true, independent state. With that goal in mind, I would want to negotiate hard but take what I could get. Ridiculous notions like the so-called "right of return," or the idea that the Israelis would surrender Jerusalem, are simply non-starters. Israel itself is an example of how a small state with few advantages was able to develop into a powerful, wealthy modern country. In my view, I would believe that the Palestinian people should be able to do the same, if they could achieve independence, get rid of their fantasies about retaking Israel, and establish the foundations of a modern, representative state.