VZCZCXRO6925
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0200 0281405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281405Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3966
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 000200 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD, NSC for Shapiro/Pascual 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SCUL KPAL KWBG KPAO
SUBJECT: Gaza's Aftermath: A Civil Society Activist's View 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a January 26 meeting with PD Offs, a leading 
Palestinian civil society activist, Hania Al-Bitar,  expressed 
concern that the war in Gaza has radicalized Palestinian youth, 
causing them to turn away from peaceful activism in favor of violent 
opposition.  She said Hamas has "won" because young Palestinians saw 
Hamas fighters standing up to Israel.  Angry and frustrated over the 
situation in Gaza, Al-Bitar said she and other civil society leaders 
are setting aside previous judgments of the USG's commitment to 
helping the Palestinian people for now and putting faith in the 
Obama administration.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a meeting with PD Offs on January 26, Hania Al-Bitar, 
Director of the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and 
Rights Activation (PYALARA), shared the hopes and concerns of 
Palestinian civil society leaders in the wake of the Gaza crisis. 
Expressing sadness and anger at events in Gaza and a perception that 
the USG did not do enough to prevent the "catastrophe" there, 
Al-Bitar noted talk among civil society groups of a political and 
social "boycott" of the United States.  However, she said, most 
civil society leaders want to give the Obama administration a chance 
and so will wait and see what new initiatives the President will 
bring to the Palestinian-Israeli issue.  Al-Bitar said she and 
others are pleased with the appointment of Senator Mitchell as a 
Special Envoy. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Al-Bitar cautioned that the war in Gaza has changed 
Palestinians, particularly youth.  "While people [in the West Bank] 
do not favor Hamas, and while they did not like all of the scenes of 
violence they saw in Gaza, they also saw Hamas fighters continuing 
to fight and felt a sense of dignity that Hamas was able to fight 
the Israeli military," Al-Bitar said.  She is concerned that, as a 
result, the Palestinian public is losing faith in the effectiveness 
of negotiations. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Since the war in Gaza, Al-Bitar has found that Palestinian 
youth, in particular, see violent opposition as the only option. 
She fears years of work to convince youth there are alternatives to 
violence are collapsing.  She said, "Hamas has won."  Hamas and its 
violent values are emerging victorious in the war of ideas, Al-Bitar 
said.  Hamas is regarded by many, especially youth, as national 
heroes, and many young people aspire to fight like them.  She and 
other civic leaders fear young people will reject programs and 
campaigns built around nonviolence.  "These days we have to be 
careful about the terminology we use to describe a program," 
Al-Bitar lamented.  "We cannot say an event is about 'nonviolent' 
activism." 
 
¶5. (SBU) Al-Bitar said civil society leaders feel it is now critical 
that they find ways to communicate directly with the new 
administration and with Special Envoy Mitchell, and not rely on 
Palestinian political leaders to do so for them. 
 
¶6. (SBU) NOTE:  This was the first face-to-face meeting with a close 
civil society contact in the West Bank since the conflict in Gaza 
began.  Al-Bitar had declined requests to meet over the past ten 
days.  At the start of the January 26 meeting, Al-Bitar admitted she 
was reluctant to meet given her feelings about Gaza, but said she 
would continue her partnership with the USG.  End Note. 
WALLES