Abstract

Abstract

The fall of the Soviet Union and the social regime has caused a total change of the international power game equation. The USA became the only superpower on the top of the world, which resulted on retreat of all national and leftist evolutional movements. These important changes were accompanied with clear confusion of certain concepts and values, most specifically, after September 11, were the war on "Terrorism" was declared according to the definitions and measures of the White House. As a result of the USA's imperialistic aggression, all resistance national movements have been labeled as "terrorists". Both the Palestinian, and the Irish causes are current lively samples of independence issues, where the trial intersected aspects of conflict is represented: Ethnic, Colonial, and Religious. They are also samples of long historical conflicts in which resistance took place both massively, and armed, and the severe aggression and collective punishment carried out by occupiers, is still present. Ireland, and Palestine have suffered (and still suffering) colonial occupation, total control of land and resources, and ethnicreligious obvious discrimination. As a result, national movements have emerged as self defense, and to fight for the right of existence, while it was quite clear that the Arabs are not up to fight for Palestine, in consequences, PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was formed to represent the Palestinian cause. The IRA (Irish Republic Army) was also established during the era of preparations for separation with southern Ireland. Both (PLO and IRA) have adopted armed resistance, which was carried out not only in the territories of the oppressors, but in all possible fronts all over the world. Peak of their violent activities took place in the 70s and 80s of the previous century, while it retreated during the 90s as a reflection of the regional and international atmosphere. In the meantime the violence of the occupiers, represented by the highly militarized regular armies, was and still a daily story of suffer and aggression against the Irish and the Palestinian peoples. Negotiations, and peace treaties between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and between the British and the Irish came as a logical result of the long resistance against occupation, which was quite variable from armed attacks to peaceful massive up rises. Both treaties, Oslo and Good Friday, were declared in 1993 under auspices of the United States, who did not use the same measures in both cases. The White House was sort of supportive to the Irish people pressured by the catholic Irish lobby, which happened to be very influential during the presidential elections, while on the other hand, it was totally bias for the Israeli side, also pressured by the Jewish and the Zionist-Christian communities. This attitude also reflects USA's strategic interests in the Middle East. According to the new standards set by the Americans, both the Irish and the Palestinian resistance have been described as terrorist actions. The severe violent aggression organized and directed by the state of Israel ,and the state of Britain targeting collectively the Palestinians and the Irish was justified by security reasons, "self-defense", and "fighting terrorism". A quick overview of the history of both causes points that nonviolent well-organized massive resistances have been always fruitful and productive on all levels: Media, negotiations, and politics. Massive revolts have always embarrassed the occupiers, and directly positioned the true objective, unequal sides, of the equation: Fully armed invaders striking natives demanding legal and human rights of dignity and independence. The Irish-British cause seems to be heading towards final resolutions, while the internal ethnic-religious discrimination between the two groups (Catholics and Protestants) in Northern Ireland is still present, and requires time. In the mean time, the Palestinian-Israeli cause is getting far more complicated. Al-Aqsa Intifada 2000, unlike the previous one in 1987, is armed and none massive, which allows the Israeli governments to use their full weaponry, totally supported by the USA, invading, destroying, confiscating lands, demolishing houses, chopping the Palestinian territories , constructing the separation wall, using all terms of collective punishment, and decreasing any chances of realistic sovereign Palestinian future state. The present international, and regional environment, requires lots of wisdom, and objective ways of thinking. The Palestinians have to work according to a realistic vision, and to ignore the Israeli attempts of provocations (the usual strategies of Israel). Acting and reacting should be strategic, with full awareness of the Zionists attempts of presenting the cause to the world as two parts in conflict. Massive revolutions embarrass the invaders, and oblige them to react accordingly, while colonialists tend always to colonize the minds of the oppressed people to control them. Israel clams the need of security, and manipulates the long history of anti-Semitism to cleverly provoke fear factors among the Israeli people, so violent reactions by the Palestinian would serve it, and would present its aggressive aggression as "selfdefense". On the scale of power, just causes are not counted. Previous experiences in history have undoubtedly proved it. Wisdom armed with intelligent and realistic visions is the right road towards justice accomplishment, as the tool is not sacred in resistance movements against aggression and racism, while the goal is.