My wishes are very ambitious. I would like all humanity, with its different races, ethnicities, and nationalities to become a single all encompassing family. I would like to see the abolishment of passports, of boundaries, of checkpoints since we would have become a single country.

I would like to see a world without armaments, a world in which you can find only friends and no enemies. I would like the world to take a few steps back from modern life, and come thus closer to a sustainable level of life enjoyed by all the inhabitants

I do not know if this will ever be. If not, we are doomed. It is only possible to maintain the high level of modernization if we prevent a large part of the earth population to reach the same level we reached. Because, if the whole world becomes as modern as the Western countries, the pollution will be unbearable, the forests would not produce enough oxygen, the greenhouse effect will suffocate the planet.

We have therefore the choice: either to setback in modernization and spread it to all the world, or to keep the modernization reachable only to those who are already there. In the first case, it would be easier to build a world in which culture and knowledge would be more important than car transportation, in which there would not be a need for armaments to maintain flagrant inequalities and injustices. In the second case, the time span of enjoyment of modern life is extended for a part of the earth population. This entails local and global clashes of interests, continuation of stocking more and more armaments, and disregard of the ailments of the poor, as long as we can segregate them from the rich.

These wishes of mine, either will become reality, or human life on earth will come to an end. Still, a person who would suggest the formation of a party struggling for the realizations of those wishes (dreams), might be considered crazy. The aims are too large and have to be fought on too many fronts. Ecological parties do exist, but they address a small part of the issue..

Were do I situate myself in this wish of global reconstruction of our international and economic life? If I want to make a useful impact, I have to be far more modest and confine my dreams to where I can help progress to be made. It is thus that my dream is to see the day of the satisfaction of the just cause of the Palestinian people.

It is a far less important dream than the global dream, but the time for that later dream has not yet come. I mean that the time at which measures for its global implementation could be taken, cannot yet be foreseen. Relegating the global dream to later, does not signify at all that we will not come back to it. It just means that the dream is to be reached in stages, each stage realizing an important part of the global dream. Where I to struggle against the realization of a first stage, arguing that any partial stage would paralyze the global dream at this lower level, I would be in fact working against the global dream because the global dream cannot be achieved, except in stages.

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In this light, let us now consider the Palestinian -Israeli conflict. Here also, we Palestinians have dreams. We know that our dreams are reasonable and just. Still, decades have past and are still passing and our dreams have not been realized. Can we say that their time has not yet come? And if the time has not yet come, is it then possible to divide our global dreams into parts, into stages, such that the time would have come indeed for some of them, and not yet for the rest? What are the obstacles that prevent us from realizing our dreams, be they expressed globally or in stages?

To answer the question, we have to consider the nature of the obstacles. Just now, regardless of the merits of the Palestinian claims, the Israeli people are steadfastly opposed to any perceived threat to the existence of the Jewish character of the state. The two Palestinian demands that are perceived as threatening most are first the one state for all its inhabitants and second the return of the Palestinian refugees..

All suggestions concerning the realization of any of these two dreams, collapse when they hit the wall of the Israeli people's absolute opposition, and the fact that the Israeli people has the power to prevent the realization of these two dreams. Decades have passed and both dreams have been unsuccessfully proposed and defended. In a sense, it is a waste of time, unless it is accompanied by a strategy that clearly points to the way to realize these dreams. That is why, when formulating these dreams and demanding their implementation, we find ourselves so isolated. The holocaust, and the guilt feelings it generated in the european countries made it certain that whenever Israel will face a threat to its "Jewish character", Israel will enjoy the support of the european countries and their populations.

In short, the realization of a single state for all its inhabitants, as well as the implementation of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees, is today as elusive as it was 56 years ago. Obviously, the time had not come then. We therefore face three choices:

1) Either produce a strategy which credibly points to a way taking us from where we are to the realization of either of the two aims. I doubt this is possible. Had the supporters of the two aims able to produce such a strategy, they would have done it long ago. We have to remember that the strategy must show in some detail, how we can force these two aims on the Israeli people.

2) We go on repeating that the time has come, without producing a relevant strategy. This is dishonest. To state to the Palestinian people that the time has come, just because we wish it to be so, is exceedingly irresponsible. Refusing to divide the aims into stages when we have nothing concrete to offer except for words, is playing with the lives of the Palestinian people. Every day of delay of the realization of a first stage, means more death of Palestinian children women and man. It means a continuation and possibly an increase in the sufferings of the population, of their humiliations. The proponents of a single global stage, specially those who are outside the territories, specially those who personally do not directly suffer from the occupation and its lot of miseries, should at least hesitate, should at least check with their own conscience if they are ready to be held responsible for the continuation of the sufferings of the Palestinians, should at least demand to consul the Palestinians and take a poll asking if they prefer the realization of a first important stage reducing appreciably their sufferings, or they prefer to renounce the benefits of the first stage (end of occupation and dismantling of the Jewish settlements) in favor of a global settlement whose time has not yet come!

Beware proponents of the one-state. You may be cursed by the Palestinian population. if you substitute your judgment to theirs. Ask them first. ------

However, the case is totally different for the first stage, that of demanding the end of the occupation, the dismantling of the Jewish settlements in the occupied territories and the recognition of a Palestinian state ruling over the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Then, with a proper strategy we can have the support of the Israeli population and the international public opinion.

When in September 1982, the news of the massacres of Sabra and Shatila were broadcasted to the world, half a million jews took to the streets of Tel-Aviv to protest against Sharon. Now, they vote for him. What is the reason for the drastic change?

The reason is that, due to s systematic brainwashing campaign by the Israeli expansionist establishment, and due to mistakes committed by Palestinian leaders, the fear of the Palestinians has been instilled in the conscience of the Israelis. To shorten this message, I refer the reader to the posting in MIFTAH Only Together Can The Palestinians and the Israelis Have Long-term Security, Peace and prosperity! (November 29 2004)

The Israeli people's fear of the Palestinian people, is there explained. Yes, the expansionist establishment is in fact the enemy of both peoples. The two people share the common aims of long-term peace, long-term security and prosperity.

But as long as the distance between the two people goes on increasing, as long as the Palestinian people allows that distance to go on increasing, the Israeli people will go on supporting its own enemy, the Israeli expansionist establishment.

We Palestinians, have to do whatever we can do to help the Israeli people get rid of our common enemy. Whether we like it or not, we should be conscious of the fact that we cannot realize a demand which is strongly opposed by the Israeli people. They have the real power, and the support that counts.

Therefore, by necessity, we must find a way which will allow the Israeli perception of the Palestinians, evolve to the point at which they would not only tolerate the Palestinian aspirations but would also welcome them. This evolution of the Israeli perception is in the interest of both people. And since it is obviously in the interest of the Palestinian people, we must do ALL we can to accelerate that evolution. For a start, we must give to the Israeli people the possibility to realize by themselves how wrong are their perception. This can be facilitated by the peaceful coexistence of two states, a Palestinian state and an Israeli state. However, not only is the Israeli expansionist establishment opposed to a Palestinian state ruling over the Palestinian territory within the pre-1967 borders, but even if that leadership agrees, the existence of the Palestinian state would remain precarious because an hostile Israeli state will be a constant threat to the Palestinian state. In addition, the Israeli state will remain doing its utmost to increase the distance between the two people, if needed by creating incidents.

In order to be viable, in order to create a situation opening the possibility of an evolution of the Israeli perception, both states must be ruled by leaderships sincerely dedicated to peace and to good relations between the two states. A perquisite for that is the toppling of the Israeli expansionist establishment by the Israeli people.

Elsewhere I have discussed the means of introducing a wedge between the Israeli people and its expansionist leadership, and how it could lead to the toppling of the expansionists. (You can contact me at cleibovi@shawbiz.ca) This concept relies on a process by stages established and studied strategically..

What is then the future of the remaining stages?

The possibility exist that, still afraid that the Jewish character of their state be jeopardized in the future, the Israeli people neither will proceed with the toppling of the expansionist Israeli establishment, nor will proceed with the evacuation of the territories or the dismantling of the Jewish settlements. The Palestinians may be faced with an ultimatum: either you explicitly renounce for ever the realization of the next stages ( the return of the refugees and the formation of a single state for all its citizens) or there is no deal at all, no recognition of a Palestinian state, no restrain in the powers of the Israeli expansionists. It could be formulated as follows: "Either you accept the essentials of the Geneva accords which stipulate that the Palestinian refugees can return only in the state of Palestine, and you accept those accords as the definitive settlement of the conflict, or there is no deal.

However, we know that no deal is engraved in granite. We know that the peaceful co-existence of the two states will force the development of a revolutionary process in the relations between the two peoples. If the proposed strategy ("stumbling blocks") is followed, the Palestinian state is to become the most democratic secular state in the world, far surpassing the democracy of the dollar in the US, and the ethnic democracy in Israel. Every Israeli will be made to feel at home when passing through Palestine or residing there. It will not take too much time, if the strategy is followed, to have the fears of the Israeli evaporate, to have solid friendly relations established between the institutions of the two countries, between their universities and their health-care system. A single bank of human organs would be made for the two states.

Let us remember that the French people hated the German people and reciprocally. The history is marked with many bloody wars between them, wars in which millions of the citizens of both states died. Today, the boundaries between the two peoples are not protected by soldiers. French citizens and German citizen can cross the boundaries without going through customs or passport verification. The cession of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine from France to Germany, cession which occurred after the war of 1870 and which was believed to be a transfer for eternity, did not last that long. In a like fashion, the realities resulting from the peaceful and friendly relation of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, will obliterate the Geneva accords. The commercial exchanges between the two countries will develop. Each of the countries will become complementary to the other. The time will come when the Israeli will discover how totally wrong were their fears of the Palestinians. Both people will discover how wrong was the demonization of one people by the other.

And if you do not want to believe that the Geneva accord, with a proper strategy, could become irrelevant in the future, then tell me please what is your strategy, else then to hope that the situation will improve after 58 more years.

Without creative vision, you are condemned to immobility, to wishful thinking, to witness the continual worsening of the situation for the Palestinian people. To count on peace with Sharon, be it even with pressure from the US, is not reasonable at all. To refuse a strategy by stages, to refuse to collaborate with ALL those advancing with you part of the way, is not to serve the interests of the Palestinian people