Palestinians: Lost in representation

Oct 08

Episode

Palestinians: Lost in representation

Who speaks for those in the West Bank and Gaza?

The fourth and final Russell Tribunal on Palestine convened in New York City on October 6-7 to hold third parties, like the US and the UN, accountable for alleged Israeli human rights violations. Although the tribunal does not have legal standing, activists believe these sessions can bring greater attention to the governments, international organisations and corporations that abet Israel’s actions towards Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Palestinians on the ground are showing their own displeasure with Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. In September, protesters filled the streets of the West Bank decrying the rising cost of living and what they deem inadequate leadership by the PA and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. With distrust of their own leadership and international bodies, who really speaks for the Palestinian people?

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Laila ElHaddad @gazamom
Blogger & journalist
gazamom.com

Frank Barat @frankbarat22
Coordinator, Russell Tribunal on Palestine
russelltribunalonpalestine.com

Member of The Stream community also join via Google+.

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What do you think? Is there such a thing as an honest broker when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using #AJStream.

View the story "Palestinians: Lost in representation" on StorifyPalestinians: Lost in representationWho speaks for those in the West Bank and Gaza?Storified by The Stream · Mon, Oct 08 2012 10:53:07The Russell Tribunal on Palestine harnesses public opinion and witness testimony to "promote international law as the key factor applicable to the conflict between Israel and Palestine". Below are statements by some of the esteemed jurors describing why they attended the latest Tribunal.
Desmond Tutu and Alice Walker about the Russell Tribunal on Palestine- NYC - Oct. 6-7, 2012duffer2205Noam Chomsky "The Russell Tribunal on Palestine is very timely"duffer2205Roger Waters: "Why I became a juror of the Russell Tribunal"duffer2205The dispute between Israel and Palestine remains unresolved. Below is a historical overview of the conflict:
http://visual.ly/palestines-shifting-bordersAJstreamPalestinians expressed their frustration with the Palestinian National Authority by protesting rising prices in the West Bank. In light of climbing fuel, food, and living costs, many called for the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Below is Al Jazeera's coverage on the unrest, followed by a video of the protests:
Palestinians protest high cost of livingaljazeeraenglishProtests in Ramallah at Manara Sq. 05.09.2012luggeluggeAnother cause of anger towards leadership in the West Bank is the fact that many government employees are not being paid their full salaries. Ali Abunimah recently reported on Fayyad's complicity:
In private meeting, Salam Fayyad told US official it would be "unfortunate" if Palestinian workers' salaries were paid http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/when-salam-fayyad-secretly-urged-us-block-salaries-palestinian-authorityAli AbunimahFive-hundred protesters in the Gaza Strip called for the removal of Hamas for its inability to curtail daily power outages that have led to the death of numerous children from home fires. The father one child insisted, "I hold both the governments in Gaza and in the West Bank responsible for what happened to us". AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED ABEDAJstreamIn anticipation of a possible change in leadership for both Fatah and Hamas in 2013, netizens took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the issue of Palestinian representation:
Pessimistic that the choice between Haniyeh & Abu Marzouk for Hamas leadership is a good thing for Palestinians. Cynically: It dont matter.Abu Mustashriq@palestine Palestinians need two Springs, one to get rid of Hamas and the PA and another to resist occupationS. EL-SAIDThe video below provides an animated history of the disputed region:
This Land Is MineNina PaleyAl Jazeera's The Cafe recently sat down with Palestinian leaders to discuss the feasibility of an autonomous state. They explored the implications and possibilities for a variety of solutions to the conflict:
The Cafe - One state, two states or even three states?aljazeeraenglish