A prominent front page story in Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida runs the title “Mitzna threatens to shatter Palestinian leaders.” The piece goes on to say that Israel’s Labor Party leader Amram Mitzna talks about withdrawal at the same time from the West Bank and Gaza, casting aspersions on his sincerity.
There is uncertainty among the Palestinians how to view Mitzna. Some Palestinian critics argue that he is a former general and part of the establishment. They see no reason why he would be any different from other former generals, the classic example being ex-premier Ehud Barak, who talked about peace, but from both the Palestinian and Israeli perspectives, did not deliver. Many editorials in the Arab press have argued that Mitzna’s concentration on separation from the Palestinians is racist.
On the other hand, Mitzna is saying what the Palestinians have been demanding; withdrawal and negotiations. Arafat even offered publicly to assist Mitzna’s campaign – a mixed blessing to say the least.
At least the Palestinians and Israelis have one thing in common, wariness over the fact that Mitzna is untested. Paradoxically, both peoples have been disappointed and frustrated too many times to be either overly optimistic about a new potential leader, or to be too pessimistic to lose an opportunity for a better future. Meanwhile, both the Israeli and Palestinian press are hanging onto Mitzna’s every word.