The next Nakba

By Abdel-Qader Yassin

---

Another catastrophe is ahead, not just for the Palestinians but all Arabs. The Arab and Palestinian houses are in disarray. The Palestinians need to unite their factions, leftists as well as Islamists, under one democratic leadership with a unified strategy. The Israeli enemy, meanwhile, is united and its policies are clear. Israel and US imperialism are hardly distinguishable now. The US is trying to control oil- rich areas and strategic points worldwide, pushing the Europeans, Chinese and Japanese out of the way.

To those who forgot why the 1948 catastrophe happened, let me remind you. It happened because the Arab League decided to send less than 20,000 soldiers, from five Arab armies, under five different military commands, armed with outdated weapons, poorly trained and oppressed by their commanders, to Palestine. Facing them were 68,000 Zionist fighters and an equal number of reserves.

Unlike the Arabs, the Zionists had sophisticated weaponry, ample ammunition and a unified command. Unlike the Arabs, they had a unified political leadership and a workable democracy. The Arabs had weak home fronts, undemocratic regimes and flagging economies.

At present, the Palestinians and Iraqis are fighting for their lives, but this does not mean that the rest of us are safe. Those who followed the statements made by US officials will know that all our countries are liable to invasion, unless we do as we are told. It is all a matter of time. Governments and nations, all of us are at a great risk. Unless we get our act together, more catastrophes will be coming our way.

The week's Soapbox speaker is a Cairo- based Palestinian political analyst.