The Palestinian Authority: Where terrorism is idealism (Zvi)

Zvi wrote, in response to my post about how the PA has reacted to Itamar by honoring terrorists:

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It comes down to the artificial perpetuation of a climate of extreme hatred and the glorification of terrorism. That is what the PA provides - and in fact, Palestinian society at all official levels in both Gaza and the WB is overtly, officially and violently hostile to attempts to reduce the level of incitement and hatred.

When there is no interference by the regime (e.g. the PA), violence typically falls along a bell curve. Psychopaths and violent people exist in any society, and it is impossible to prevent evil or deeply troubled people from committing violent crimes or even murders.

However, it is possible for government or society to shift and distort the bell curve. A society that puts a premium on non-violent means of resolving conflicts - and which makes an effort to identify and treat mental illness and which practices what it preaches - can not only shift the bell curve toward non-violence but can distort even the "hump" and the "long tails" in that direction.

On the other hand, you have the Palestinian Authority. The regime makes every effort - one could even call it a comprehensive program - to shift the bell curve and distort it toward terrorism and violence against civilians.

* Palestinian regimes and "civil" society in both the WB and Gaza aggressively lionizes terrorists for murdering civilians. Both name institutions and streets after the worst of their terrorists, and both endlessly celebrate the worst of their terrorists in the media. If a neo-Nazi group in the US celebrated the murderers of African Americans or Jews in this fashion, the NYT would have no question about what was going on.

* Islam is explicitly utilized not only to promote a Palestinian viewpoint but - very openly - to promote the idea that it is okay to murder not just Jewish soldiers, not just Jewish civilians, but ALL JEWISH CIVILIANS. Or rather, that it is DIVINELY COMMANDED that this be done.

* Palestinian society, in many different forums, aggressively condemns non-violent resolution of conflicts, particularly those involving Jews.

* The Palestinian Authority in particular has been refusing for years to talk with the Israeli government about resolution of the conflict. Fatah and Hamas both use repression, force and the shaping of Arab public opinion to prevent any more moderate or compromise-oriented group from emerging. Fatah has been doing this since the PLO was founded. There are reason why sane relative moderates - they do exist - have essentially no influence in Palestinian society. Fatah and Hamas have a habit of breaking their rivals' legs - or shooting them in the head - and non-violent, sane people have a hard time resisting that kind of "pressure."

* Palestinian society historically - and presently - offers little mental health care for severely disturbed people; instead, terrorist groups target these people as potential recruits.

* Palestinian society spares no effort to desensitize its own population to the murder of Jews.

* Palestinian society fosters the persistent fiction that the Jews are responsible for everything bad that happens, as well as all manner of anti-Semitic, xenophobic fictions about Jews. There is a reason why younger Palestinians - who grew up with this propaganda, who see which way the wind is blowing and who don't know Jews personally - are significantly more extreme in their views than are their somewhat more informed elders.

* The PA regime even invents fictitious current or historical events that are intended to whip up a high level of hatred.

* The PA and Hamas practice what they preache, maintaining "house terror organizations" (such as the AAMB, in Fatah's case) that report in to the leadership and which are essentially ignored by the international community.

* The PA and Hamas practice what they preach, by executing citizens for "collaborating with Israel" at the drop of a hat.

It is disturbing that western institutions that pretend to support Palestinians - particularly governments, unions and media organizations - refuse to acknowledge this deep-rooted program and refuse to hold the Palestinian leadership - the PA as well as Hamas - to account for it when terrorist attacks occur. To do so is the ONLY way to begin to make a dent in the craziness being inculcated by the Palestinian regimes.

It is even more disturbing that in all of these pro-terror activities, the PA is assisted by foreign aid from western societies and by the continual ideological support from Arab/Muslim countries. Palestinian society has become increasingly toxic since Arafat returned after Oslo. These powers have a direct and straightforward ability to require that the PA and Hamas begin to correct this situation - but they refuse outright to do so.