Jerusalem – Next week, unless another twist of history prevails, President Abu Mazen will become the fulfiller of an old dream: the establishment of a Palestinian state. It will be a triumphant moment for many, the end of an era and a reason to wave the thousands of Palestinian flags woven in recent weeks. The world has been entranced with this small piece of land that has triggered too much blood and attention. Finally, one would hope, all of that would come to an end. Or, will it be to another dead end?

A short review of history revels that the “unprecedented moment of Palestine” occurred three times already and that a recognized government of Palestine has already been in office. This, of course, did not help the Palestinian people who were dispersed in the region under the yoke of Egypt, Jordan and, later, Israel. This moment might not be different.

In September of 1948 –in the midst of the first Arab-Israeli war- the first All-Palestine Government was formed in Gaza. Its leader, the Jerusalem Mufti, Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, unilaterally declared the independence of Palestine with Jerusalem its capital. The new state formed a government, issued passports but failed to gain recognition even amongst other Arab states. Nine years later, in 1959, the All-Palestine Government was annulled by no less than President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt who claimed that it failed to successfully advance the Palestinian cause. Continue reading →