In the LA Times, journalist and author Irshad Manji (a Canadian Muslim) bemoans the fact that the Palestinians are under an “ideological occupation” by their own leaders:
Over the last six decades, several offers for an independent state of Palestine have been floated by the British, the Israelis, the Americans and the U.N. – Palestinian leaders have rejected every proposal. Worse, they have never consulted the Palestinian people before saying no…
This much is clear: We liberals need to be asking as many tough questions of Palestinian officials as of Israeli ones. Until we do, we’ll always reduce Palestinians to the status of mere victims. And that does nothing to recognize their dignity. Or their capacity for making ethically – and ideologically – sounder choices.
