Apology in order?
By
Abdel-Qader Yassin*
The recent tour by Mahmoud Abbas of Gulf states has opened old wounds. Kuwait refused to receive the Palestinian prime minister unless the Palestinians issued a formal apology for their support of Saddam's invasion of Kuwait.
I have a few points to say here. When the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait Palestinians living in Syria marched in protest against the invasion. Among the marchers were Khaled Al-Fahoum, former chairman of the Palestinian National Council, together with other key Palestinian figures. Their views, as well as those of other key members of the PLO Executive Committee and Fatah Central Committee, including Abu Iyad, were ignored by Yasser Arafat.
The invasion of Kuwait was not in the interests of Palestinians desperately in need of a strong and unified Arab position. More than any other Arab nation the Palestinians are particularly sensitive when it comes to depriving a people of their homeland. Still, many Palestinians, even those who were against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, were against the subsequent US military intervention. This was something else. This was an act of principled opposition to US imperialism.
The Jaffa-born academic Ibrahim Abu Lughod never tired of calling on the PNC to produce a White Book explaining the circumstances under which the leadership of the PLO Executive Committee formulated its policies during the Gulf war. When his pleas were ignored Abu Lughod resigned form the PNC.
The Kuwaiti government has every right to feel disappointed, and insist on a public apology. But it must not punish an entire nation for the position of one person, or of a minority within the Palestinian leadership. Sadly, the collective punishment of nations for policies made by their leaders is nothing new in our region.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is a Cairo- based Palestinian political activist.
