Ripples in the Water? or What does it Take to Make a Trend?

In its seventh report since September 2000, Amnesty International finally condemned Palestinian suicide attacks and urged the PA to prosecute those responsible. “(We) urge (them) to arrest and bring to justice those who order, plan or carry out attacks on civilians.” Amnesty said Palestinian groups had killed 350 Israeli civilians in attacks. According to the report, 60 were children, the youngest five months old; at least 60 others were above age 60. “Whatever the cause for which people are fighting, there can never be a justification … under international law …

In its seventh report since September 2000, Amnesty International finally condemned Palestinian suicide attacks and urged the PA to prosecute those responsible. “(We) urge (them) to arrest and bring to justice those who order, plan or carry out attacks on civilians.” Amnesty said Palestinian groups had killed 350 Israeli civilians in attacks. According to the report, 60 were children, the youngest five months old; at least 60 others were above age 60. “Whatever the cause for which people are fighting, there can never be a justification … under international law … for direct attacks on civilians.”

According to MENL, Egypt has bolstered its forces along the border with the Gaza Strip to halt infiltration and arms smuggling. Over the last few weeks, Egyptian police and border units have clashed with arms smugglers in the city of Rafah, divided into Egyptian and Palestinian sections.

Houssam Khader, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, told Israel Radio that Yasser Arafat is incapable of reforming the PA and referred to the changes enacted by the PA chairman to date as “a catastrophe.” “What (Arafat) achieved actually is nonsense because he kept all of the collaborators and corrupt people… He reduced the number of the cabinet from 34 to 23 and he considers this reforms? No. This is a catastrophe which will lead the Palestinian people to hell.”

Ha’aretz reports that Omar Karsou, who says he represents a sizable but silent group in Palestinian society including professionals and businessmen, has become a prominent voice in the US for PA democracy and the removal of Arafat. The son of Palestinian refugees, Karsou says Oslo was doomed because Israel (and the U.S.) encouraged a corrupt and murderous regime headed by a secular dictator in the hope that he would keep Islamic fundamentalism at bay, which turned out to be a dangerous illusion.

A group of Muslims from villages in the Galilee have launched the first Orthodox Muslim movement in the region to oppose Muslim militancy and extremism. The group wants to provide a platform for moderation and nonviolence, and to educate Muslims about how extremists misinterpret Orthodox Islam. “We have watched the situation deteriorate at the hands of extremists,” says Khalid Abu Ras, a schoolteacher. “We are unhappy that they talk in the name of Islam… they are hurting Islam and our people.”

The EU is divided over placing Hizbullah on its new list of terrorist organizations. Several states, led by Britain and Germany, support putting Hizbullah on the terror list; Belgium, France, Greece, Spain and Sweden are said to be opposed. Divided is a vast improvement over the EU position was when President Bush froze Hizbullah last fall.

Change is in the air and it appears that people want to be on the right side of it. Good. Without making too much out of what may in the end be very little, it is important to note that likely none of this would have happened before the President’s call for the ouster of Arafat and political reforms in the PA.