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Palestinian Affairs

The Palestinians and the Second Lebanese War

Many have suggested that Israel's questionable military performance in the Second Lebanon War have impacted negatively on Israel's ability to deal with the Palestinians. However, in reality the recent war revealed that the tendency to see the conflict in broader terms, such as a clash of civilizations, is very much exaggerated.

The Million Person Gap: A Critical Look at Palestinian Demography

Population statistics and predictions of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) are unreliable; a BESA study that subjects Palestinian demography to rigorous analysis shows that the 2004 Palestinian population of the West Bank and Gaza stood at 2.5 million, not the 3.8 million claimed by the Palestinians.Further demographic research indicates that Israeli concerns about demographic pressure from the West Bank and Gaza have been exaggerated.

The IDF’’s Record in the Current Intifada: An Interim Scorecard

At their recent meeting in Sharm-el-Sheik, Ariel Sharon and Abu Mazen announced the cessation of the hostilities that erupted in September 2000. Whether or not the ceasefire will hold remains, of course, to be seen. But its announcement certainly offers an opportunity for a retrospective, interim assessment of the IDF's operational performance during the past four-and-a-half years of violence. Its record, however, is no better than mixed.

Abu-Mazen’s Succession Strategy

Abu Mazen is seeking to amass power as quickly as possible, and his election as President of the Palestinian Authority is the easy part of his task. Sharing power with an elected legislature will prove much more difficult and dangerous, which is the reason why Abu Mazen will probably postpone such elections indefinitely. An Abu Mazen government, however, will be hard pressed to gain an overall monopoly of power.

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