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Executive Summary – Critical Assessments of Arab Reform Initiatives
The conference was organized into three sessions: the first focused on Palestinian assessments of three “Arab Reform Initiatives” (the G8 Statement on Reform in the Middle East, the Arab League Reform Project, and the Alexandria Document); the second explored in particular the “Palestine Question in Relation to Reform,” while the third highlighted the economic, societal and security dimensions implicit in any reform initiative. Introductory Remarks: Dr. Hanan Ashrawi Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Secretary General of MIFTAH, and PLC member, opened the conference with a stirring speech about the vital need for reform in Palestine today. She cautioned against those who claim that reform can only come after peace, insisting instead that efforts towards reform must not only be conducted simultaneously with the peace process but that they are in fact a vital component of the resistance to occupation and of any lasting peace. This is not because reform is demanded by external parties, she said, but because it is a human need, and because Palestinians have the right, as do all humans, to a society free from the oppressions not just of occupation but also corruption. Dr. Ashrawi went on to warn, in no uncertain terms, against “cultural and religious specificities” used by those in power to justify the marginalization of others. She thus urged that Palestinians work together to counter discrimination in all its forms, especially those based on gender and religion that have been internalized and excused in Palestinian society today. Dr. Ashrawi’s eloquent call for modernization, reform and justice was followed by a stinging condemnation of “artificial reform” movements initiated by the neo-colonialist agenda of the current American administration. She ended her opening remarks by calling for an honest and courageous discussion on the reform movements initiated by the US administration, as well as those emanating from the Arab world and from within Palestine. PNA Policy Position: Dr. Nabil Kassis, Minister of Planning Dr. Nabil Kassis, speaking on behalf of Palestinian PM Ahmad Qurie, stressed the importance of a Palestinian response to regional and international reform initiatives. Such a response, he said, should result not from one party or organization but rather through a process of dialogue and deliberation among all members of Palestinian society. Any reform movement initiated in Palestine, he pointed out, should necessarily reflect the particular needs and interests of Palestinians and should take into account “Palestinian specificities.” Dr. Kassis acknowledged that much remained to be done. While there have been many calls and attempts towards reform, Palestine today still lacks what he called a “real program for reform.” Two years ago, he said, the Palestinian National Reform Committee had worked on a “Hundred Day Plan” that remains, for the most part, unaccomplished. Dr. Kassis argued instead for a comprehensive reform plan that includes not just the executive committees of government but rather all institutions of civil society ensuring the separation of powers, the restoration of the rule of law, the accountability of all public officials, the holding of clean general and local elections, and the establishment of an institutional framework that operates with both transparency and credibility. Dr. Kassis concluded his comments by arguing that there can be “no serious reform” in Palestine without a legitimate end to the conflict. Internal reform, he said, “cannot continue in a vacuum”, although internal reform is in itself “not an option but a necessity.” The First Session The first session of the conference, titled “Palestinian Assessment of Arab Reform Initiatives,” was chaired by Dr. Ashrawi. Mr. Ziad Abu Zayyad, Head of PLC’s Legal Committee presented a critical paper on the Arab League’s Reform Plan (published by the Arab League on 23rd May 2004 in Tunis). Mr. Zayyad deemed the plan inadequate, vaguely worded and unimplementable. He stressed that any US-sponsored calls for reform would inevitably only serve to protect American interests in the region; that the Arab leaders were merely paying lip service to the idea of reform; and that both the US and the Arab countries were liable to using these reform plans as a means to showing concern for the Palestinian situation without actually having to commit to doing anything. Mr. Zayyad went on to charge that while there have been numerous reform plans emanating from Palestine itself, none have been effectively implemented. He also said that reforms were the only way to change Palestinian society, and that many reform movements could be begun even under occupation. He concluded by agreeing with Dr. Ashrawi and Dr. Kassis, that reform is an integral component of resistance. Dr. Nassiraldeen Al-Sha’er, Professor at Al-Najah University, largely agreed with Mr. Zayyad’s comments. He, too, criticized the Arab League plan for being mere words devoid of content, a plan that served as nothing else but a justification for the Arab Leaders to continue doing little to improve the plight of their own people, and, indeed, that of the Palestinians. He pointed out that all reforms should come through a democratic process in which all members of the society in question are allowed to participate; without such participation, he said, reform movements are meaningless. Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, Minister and Head of PECDAR, spoke about the “Broader Middle East Initiative.” While he hailed some features of this initiative, and said he supported any movement aimed at bettering the condition of Arab people, he cautioned that this particular initiative was a tactic used by the Bush administration to create support for its policies in Afghanistan, Iraq and in Israel and Palestine and to perpetuate the undemocratic rule of its loyal Arab regimes. He noted the colonial overtones of the language of the initiative, as well as its sidestepping of the Palestinian question. He concluded by asking for real reform in Palestine, while denouncing an initiative that he said disguised colonial, strategic interests under the language of democracy. Dr. Khalil Shikaki of Palestine Center for Research, while agreeing with many of Dr. Shtayyeh’s comments, especially those regarding the hypocrisy of the US in prescribing reforms for the Arab world, pointed out that external pressure is often required in order to provide the impetus for change and reform in the Arab world. Without external pressure, he warned, Arab societies might crumble under the forces of Islamic fundamentalism. But any external pressure towards change must always be matched by a genuine internal demand for the same change; without this symbiotic demand, he said warned, no external pressure could hope to succeed. Reform comes, he concluded, both from outside and inside; while it should never be dictated by one party to another, all reform efforts should be welcomed so long so long as they match, and respond to, internal needs. Dr. George Giacaman of Muwatin discussed “The Alexandria Declaration”, which he described as a tactical step taken by Egypt and some Arab societies, including some non- governmental Palestinian agencies, to devise a reform plan suited to their particular needs. While he approved of this plan in general, and hailed its comprehensive nature, he criticized its lack of specifics and vague timelines. The Second Session The second session of the conference, titled “The Palestine Question in Relation to Reform,” was chaired by Ms. Faiha Abdul Hadi. Mr. Abdul Rahman Abu Arafeh, of the Arab Thought Forum, presented his thoughts on the Global Corruption Report published annually by the International Transparency Organization. The current report for 2004 lists Palestine in the middle, among other Arab states, on its famous “Corruption List.” After explaining how ITO prepares its reports and lists, and pointing out some of the shortcomings of its ranking methodology, Mr. Abu Arafeh acknowledged nonetheless that in the absence of other such reports, the ITO study was invaluable for those interested in arming themselves with the facts while fighting corruption in Palestine and in the Arab world. Mr. Arafeh ended by noting that Jordan, Tunis and Saudi all place above Palestine on the ITO report, a fact he found lamentable. Dr. Nabil Kassis, Minister of Planning, spoke in some detail about actual Palestinian reform initiatives currently underway, in particular, the “Hundred Days Plan” and the ”National Reform Committee Plan.” While these plans may have been well intentioned, Dr. Kassis charged that neither had managed to achieve their stated objectives. He also pointed out that they created positions for which there was no real need, and led to a general waste of resources without achieving any of the goals. He also criticized the goals of these plans, which have not been comprehensive and far-sighted enough to achieve any real reform in the Palestinian polity. He stressed, once again, the need for a concerted and united effort by all institutions of civil society to achieve reform. He also said that while scrutiny is always necessary, Palestinians need to begin looking forward, to build on what has already been achieved, instead of constantly looking back and criticizing what has already been done. Mr. Haidar Awadallah, of the Palestinian People’s Party, spoke about the impact of the “Palestinian Question” on reform of the Arab Political System. He said that there is a “chronic relation” between the weakness of the Arab states in dealing with the Palestinian situation and their lack of internal reform. He also charged that the Arab states have contributed to the deterioration of the Palestinian situation, and condemned in no uncertain terms the corruption of the Arab regimes and their suppression of popular movements. Mr. Muhammad Hourani, PLC member, rounded out the session by describing how, in the Arab world, absolute government has led to “absolute corruption.” He detailed the daily suffering of the Arab people at the hands of the corrupt ruling regimes, and lamented the oppression they suffered, either at the hands of these regimes, or under US occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, or by Israel, in Palestine. He said that the suffering of Arab peoples everywhere can only be brought to an end by the establishment of political freedom. Like many of the speakers before him, he accused the Arab-and-US-sponsored reform initiatives of hypocrisy and hidden agendas. Yet, in the end, he blamed the Arab states for the current Palestinian situation, and concluded that reform in the Arab world is a vital Palestinian need. The Third Session The participants of the third session, chaired by Dr. Hadeel Qazzaz, explored the complex ramifications of all reform initiatives on the economic, societal and security sectors of Palestinian society. The participants in this session were Dr. Ismail Al-Nashif, of Birzeit University and Mr. Samir Hulileh and PALTrade who spoke about the impact of corruption and reform on the knowledge and economic sectors respectively. The last speaker at the conference, Dr. Azmi Al-Shuaibi, member of PLC and Director of the AMAN coalition, spoke about the urgent need for reform of the security institution in the Arab political system. While he has frequently presented papers on this subject in Arab League meetings and other regional gatherings, more often than not, his reform proposals have thus far gone unheeded. And yet, a comprehensive reform of the security establishment is the most pressing need of the day in the Arab world, especially because the collective security mechanisms of Arab states have repeatedly failed. Dr. Al-Shuaibi reminded the audience that few studies exist today about the Arab security establishment, lamenting that there is only limited literature on this subject that fails to explore the political role of the security establishment in any detail. Reform of the sector, according to Dr. Al-Shuaibi, is the key to a more comprehensive reform, as the security establishment in the Arab world is linked, directly or indirectly, to all sectors of Arab society: the economic, the social, and, above all, the political. Because so many within the security establishment are so often intertwined in the economic apparatus of the state, the security establishment in Arab states is particularly resistant to reform. Dr. Al-Shuaibi went on to note that in the Arab world, political leaders are also usually key members of the security establishment, a fact which further contributes to the resistance to reform. This complicity and close linkage between the security and social sectors allows Arab regimes to further intimidate and terrorize their people, and control them more completely. Without a reformation of the security sector, thus, and a complete separation from the economic, political and social sectors, no reform movement can be successful. If Palestinians and Arab leaders are serious about reform, thus, Dr. Al-Shuabi concluded, they must begin by first resigning and relinquishing all direct and indirect links to the security establishment. Conference Program
* The conference was partially funded by the British Consulate-General and the EU Representative Office in Jerusalem. http://www.miftah.org |