The Palestinian street and press have of late resumed the discourse concerning suicide bombings, this due to the oncoming elections in Israel. Over the past few days it has become increasingly apparent that the attitude towards the bombings has lost all moral aspect and that it deals only with practical aspects – Are the bombings beneficial for the Palestinians or do they only strengthen the opposing side?
On Saturday, January 11th, the official Palestinian press and the Palestinian news agency reported that the PA leadership demands “to conduct oneself with restraint and not to act upon Israeli provocations.” After a Palestinian cabinet meeting headed by Arafat, the PA announced that it “rejects any acts of violence that aim for Palestinian and Israeli civilians.” The reason for this condemnation being that “these acts against Israeli civilians harm our interests, whether on an international level or with the public opinion and peace movements in Israel.”
During a meeting of the Israeli government this morning, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rebuffed Arafat’s announcement. Sharon was quoted in the daily newspaper Ma’ariv saying cynically: “Long before the elections, one can murder, nearing the elections one should stop, and after the elections one should yet again commence.” He added that “murdering Israelis is for Arafat not only a constant and ongoing aim, but also a political consideration.”
Arafat is not the only one requesting the cessation of the bombings at this point; “The National and Islamic organizations in Palestine” are also doing so. These organizations published in their joint weekly manifest that one should “act with national responsibility and avoid acts which Sharon is liable of taking advantage of in his election campaign, in order to cover up his crimes and corruption. These kind of actions only damage the top national interests of our people.”
Hafi’z Barghouti, a columnist with the popular Palestinian daily Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida, and a founder of the newspaper, published a similar notion in his daily column. Barghouti poetically describes the last moments in the life of a suicide bomber, spiritual moments in which the soul exists outside the body. He then states the reasons for which “tens and even hundreds of volunteers” are prepared to carry out a suicide mission: “the continuous torture for generations, which you sucked from your mother’s milk, inherited from your father and felt on your own flesh…In the past you were trained for months by the elderly in the corner of the mosque, who persuaded you to give up your life…and they strived to convince you…but now you no longer need to be brainwashed…because the occupation itself prepares you mentally for suicide. At present, the only thing the suicide bombers lack is the explosive belt.”
Yet Barghouti is also aware of the harm these bombings cause the Palestinians. He states: “They [meaning Israel and especially the Likud party] await you by the ballot boxes. They have prepared their cameras and their media people; sharpened their lenses and their pens…and you are a welcomed guest. Every gram of explosive grants them additional votes.” This is the reason, concludes Barghouti, that the suicide bomber bails them out of the dire straits they are in.
“To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, a time to die…” Barghouti unconsciously relates to this biblical phrase when he declares “there is a time for death and a time for life”, concluding that suicide bombings are essential for the Israeli generals [the Palestinian press frequently uses the phrase “Sharon and his generals”] and carrying out these bombings during elections will only assist them in their aspirations. Therefore Barghouti wishes to deny these generals of their life-giving balm, but to save it patiently and assertively for another time.
Meanwhile, Palestinian television continues to kindle the Intifada by broadcasting songs and programs, which show the Palestinian suffering on the one hand, and their adamant struggle, on the other. One of the songs broadcast on a daily basis shows a Palestinian mother sending away her son, clad in army uniform and clasping his weapon, towards his death in a suicide attack. Maybe over the next few days we should expect an accompanying comment to the song to read: “Please wait two weeks till after the elections.”