Palestinians Turn to Gandhi, Dr. King

While armed militias get all the attention, some Palestinian organizers are embracing nonviolent strategies like peaceful marches and boycotts as a more effective avenue to peace. As one organizer quoted by The Christian Science Monitor put it: “It’s not a war between two armies. By using non-violence, we take away the security excuse from the Israelis.”

Christian Science Monitor:

Frustrated with unending peace talks and disillusioned with the recent military Intifada, many Palestinians are looking for a new path to statehood. But those advocating passive resistance are asking Palestinians to swallow a bitter pill: accepting the inefficacy of Arab militants against Israel’s military superiority.

“It’s not a war between two armies. By using non-violence, we take away the security excuse from the Israelis,’’ says Mohammed Khatib, a Bilin businessman active in the local popular committee organizing the weekly non-violent protest. “It shows the power of the Palestinian people, which is the right to live in this land.’‘

Read more

Flickr / dibau_naum_h (CC-BY-SA)