Jun 10 2015
Palestinians need non-violent strategy
Following appeared in the Jordan times newspaper
By Daoud Kuttab
For the first time in 48 years, Palestinians are playing in a much more level playing field.
By strategically moving into the non-violent field, Palestinians are in a much stronger position to make an impact in their decades-long struggle.
Whenever Palestinians fought the Israelis in militarily they failed. Not only was Israel superior militarily, it was also using its fight as a country struggling to exist and survive.
Palestinians were painted as blood-thirsty terrorists with no respect for “civilised†rules.
Israel was careful to superficially “apologise†when its attacks caused civilian deaths, leaving Palestinians losers both on the military front and the political front.
By restricting their struggle to non-violence only, the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom and independence is much more powerful politically, for a host of reasons.
Unlike the military action, which is restricted largely to trained young men, non-violent struggle can be fought by all Palestinians, both inside the occupied territories and outside.
The international version of this non-violent struggle has taken the form of boycotts, divestments and sanctions. The BDS campaign, which started in the academic sphere, has taken root in major international locations causing panic to the Israelis. Continue Reading »