The Green[e]house Effect: a Weblog

Stating the Obvious

Scott from Pedantry makes a brilliant point about the Palestinian-Israeli problem [emphasis added]:

There is a very simple notion in political science, one that goes back to Max Weber: A state possesses, by definition, a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence, and it protects that monopoly. When a state is unable to protect that monopoly, it isn't a state. There is no Palestinian state, and a non-existent state can not have a monopoly on violence. There is no possibility of anti-Israeli terrorism ending until there is a genuine Palestinian state with a monopoly on legitimate violence to protect. Any decision not to negotiate or make concessions until the violence abates is nothing but a cheap rationalisation for maintaining the status quo indefinitely.

I've tried for a long time to come up with a locution this simple to spell out my problems with the Sharon government. I understand why he doesn't trust Arafat — no sane man should — but every step Sharon has taken since coming to power, until recently, has set back the cause of peace by making it impossible for Palestinians to organize a central authority to quash terrorism. To say that "the Palestinians" haven't had luck with stopping the violence thus far doesn't address the issue, because ... well, I'll just quote Scott: "Letting up in the West Bank and Gaza and making concessions that lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state are not concessions to terrorists. The first reduces the misery of the Palestinians as individuals. The second offers them the possibility of forming powerful collectives other than Hamas and Fatah."

If only more people could state the issue this clearly.

Posted by Greg Greene at June 10, 2003 01:44 PM