West Bank Speech Crackdown As Peace Process Reminder

The peace process is stalled yet again even though U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in marathon talks with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. But all the players in the peace process game are sitting atop different standards, values and goals, and the Palestinian Authority gave us a helpful reminder of that this week.

An Arab blogger in the West Bank town of Qalqilya has been arrested for some of his comments on Islam. He did not incite violence, but was instead arrested by a government that supposedly seeks democratization and freedom for all religions, including the areas Muslims, Christians and Jews.

This arrest differs from the bulk of Palestinian speech crackdowns. First, the arrest was in the PA controlled West Bank and not in Gaza, which is ruled by the clearly anti-democratic, human rights violating terrorist group Hamas that has severely limited speech. Further, during the Yasser Arafat years, speech was severely restricted. But those limitations were largely against news groups that framed Arafat in a poor light and not as focused on censorship based on anti-Islam comments.

This arrest, coupled with countless other examples, further illustrates that the PA is not open to all views and all religions, a reality that differs from the English rhetoric spouted by PA officials. The PA, at its roots, is still an Islamic organization that values an iron fist as opposed to an open, democratic society. That reality has its positives and negatives, but it must still be remembered.

The United States is an open, democratic society that permits different religions and opinions and values free speech. Israel is an open, democratic society that provides all religions with rights and values free speech and permits opinions that severely counter the vary foundation of the state’s right to exist. The PA, in sharp contrast, does not value speech, conflicting opinions or dissenting views on Islam.

Arguments on whether the PA should embrace democracy or permit dissenting views is another debate (and one where I would argue they need stability over democracy in the short term to pave the way for eventual democratization). But the arrest provides another reminder on the foundation of the peace process and the starting point of the relevant parties to help craft policies that reflect the status on the ground.

There is virtually no common denominator between the PA and the two other major participants in the peace process, and that fact is integral to keep in mind as the peace process flounders, even if Sec. Clinton and Netanyahu see eye to eye.