They are not part of our national agenda

This week Gaza witnessed unprecedented level of fighting between Fattah and Hamas militants .Gaza was a battle field for meaningless and no –purpose fight . Shooting were heard every where between the two factions ,Hamas and Fattah . Schools, universities, shops were closed as well, thousand of students, businessmen were trapped at their homes watching the scandal . Gaza city become a dead city where nothing was moving except the fighters. People were ashamed of what is going on. We still remember the 8th of February of this year when Fattah and Hamas leaders reached an agreement in the holy town of Mecca of Saudi Arabia under the auspice of its King Abdul allah . At that evening, coincidently with the moment of signing the agreement, , thousands of people fled into the streets to celebrate the agreement as it symbolized the end of the deadly fight that happened in January . The unity government which was born in 12th of March by the virtue of Mecca agreement was welcomed by everybody even the international community . However this government had shown little efficiency in dealing with challenges which were supposed to be handled, specially maintaining the internal security, and convincing international community to lift the sanctions and facing the socio-economic crises. Palestinian went through very bad times since the election of the Hamas- led- government in January 2006 . Palestinians have never though of a situation where they kill each other. What cause our anger and shame is that this fight destroys 60 years of struggle which was fair and just to attract the respect and the support of many other nations . Our aim was to liberate our country and build a new modern state . This fight corrupts our image and it provides validation to the notion that some Israelis have been trying hardly to promote which is ” Palestinians do not deserve and are not qualified to have free and independent Country”. Watching these militants going in Gaza streets without mind , shooting everywhere , killing every body , putting masks on their head, so many questions jump into my mind , why they cover their faces!!! Do they feel ashamed !! Do they want to cover themselves from their friends, families and relatives!! Which kind of education do they have in their heads!! Which kinds of ideology they belief in ! What are the driving forces for them !! Why and what they fight for!!! Do they realize that the entire world is watching them !!! Do they realize the size of damage they cause to the Palestinian issue … etc. Other types of questions come to my mind as well, Did we do , as civil society and educators the enough efforts to avoid such a situation !! How much effort do we need to correct the direction ! Which kind of education reforms we must make !! How we can empower our youth to enable them to think and decide for their benefits. How we can transfer our youth from being tools for destruction into instruments for development and peace and social change . How we can make our people walk on their legs and think by their mind not walking on their head and think by their hands. Palestinians are confident of the fact that, what is going in Gaza is not their battle . Gaza is the victim not the criminal. The sever Poverty, restricted access to travel, tradition and poor education, economic sanction, corrupted and weak leadership, poor entertainment opportunities , powerless political factions, the absence of constructive role of civil society are just some elements that turned Gaza into paradise for ignorance , extremism and violence. What is going in Gaza is expectedly the natural harvest of TEN years of bad leadership and the occupation policy. Gaza is the place where certain regional and international forces decide to examine their power . Unfortunately Gaza is too small and too poor to bear this fighting . Instead ,Gaza deserves support, inspiration , freedom , motivation, understanding and solidarity .

Gaza was promising, economically and socially as it has potentials . Evenmore, some local and international experts were estimating that Gaza can create a module for prosperity where others can follow ,especially after the disengagement of the Israeli army. Everything is available in Gaza except one important element ” GOOD LEADERSHIP”. In the middle of the darkness, we should remember the lightening examples that Gaza had shown ; active youth, committed intellectuals, famous painters, talented movie directors, dynamic entrepreneurs, successful institutions, high tendency toward entrepreneurship .. ..etc. This year, Gaza produced 60 millions flowers to Europe, Gaza exports furniture to Israel, Egypt and Dubai. Gaza exports special vegetable to Israel and Europe, Gaza produced the majority of the Palestinian political leaders . During the heavy clashes , grave youth, women, children fled into the streets to separate between the fighters, so many articles and voices appeared in newspapers and local radios condemning and criticizing aggressively the clashes and accusing directly the two factions of destroying the national identity and community unity.
Strategically speaking, this fight might bring some positive results. Palestinians have become lesser trust these political factions any more .This fight will lead to the birth of new types of leaders, leaders who are committed to the national agenda only, leaders who work very hard to serve their people not their own benefits, leaders who belief, accept and cooperate with others, leaders who enjoy long and broaden vision.
The simplest principle in doing business and promoting its products is by putting the best samples on the top of the box . How we can sell our cause when the worst samples are put in the top of it !!! so We , as Palestinians must do our work to change the reality and the game’s rules. We must be committed to the slogan”
‘Putting the Palestinian agenda first’

Economist
President of Pal think institute for strategic studies

By
Omar Shaban

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