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Jan 2 2015 / 12:01 am

 

By Hasan Afif El-Hasan

The passing of year 2014 must be marked by the Palestinians as another year of no state no prospects for a peace deal and no justice, only dashed dreams, broken promises and empty rhetoric. Most Palestinians recall how they were optimistic and looking for a better future a year after the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords by the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat on their behalf. A year after the ceremony of signing the Oslo Agreement, Arafat crossed the border into Gaza as a triumphant hero returning to his home-land and cheered by thousands of jubilant Palestinians who hoped that life under occupation would end soon. Vast majority of the Palestinians including those who opposed the Agreement like, Haider Abdul Shafi who had been critical of the Accords, and those who did not like Arafat’s management style, welcomed his return for its symbolism. Only Hamas openly voiced its disapproval of the Chairman return. Its spokesman said, “Arafat visit is shameful and humiliating, as it occurs in the shadow of occupation and submission.”