debating point in New York or Paris. It is in Nablus, Ramallah and Gaza that it has to stand its test. No one who visits these towns, who speaks freely with their inhabitants, can fail to be impressed by the intensity of Palestinian nationalism, by the deep conviction of people of all ages who answer clearly: We are not Jordanians, nor Egyptians. We are Palestinians. Filasteen is our country. As Palestinians we are part of the Arab world.
I believe in the force of nationalism as a prime mover in contemporary history. Try to combat nationalism, and you are bound to lose. Harness nationalism to concrete solutions of problems, and you have a chance to put an end to war. If we try to suppress this nationalism, we only create a vacuum which will be filled by adventurers like the detested Shukairy, or by terrorists like the el-Fatah, who are trying to start a genuine war of liberation against Israel. Nature abhors a vacuum. Wishing Palestine away will not make it disappear. Like the ghost of Hamlet's father, it will haunt the Region and Israel, creating new dangers and new miseries.
But once a provisional Palestinian Government is formed, once the black, white and green colors of Palestine are unfurled side by side with the blue and white flag of Israel, a real revolution will be set in motion, a revolution which will change the climate of the whole Region.
For Israel, it will mean the beginning of peace, actual cooperation between it and an authentic Arab state. For the Palestinian nation, it will mean an end to frustration, a place on the map, the restoration of its national identity, a safeguard to its territorial integrity, and, last but not least, an end to the misery of the refugees.