Edward Said in this collection of essays written between September 1993 and October 1995 lays bare the reality of what the "peace process" has been about from the beginning. The Palestinian authority gets "limited autonomy" in Palestinian population centers while Israeli troops "redeploy" to outside these centers. The settlements and bypass roads continue to be built at an ever expanding rate, but the world does not notice, at least when the labor party is in power. Jerusalem, which Israel is going to keep no matter what, includes "Greater Jerusalem" i.e. twenty five percent of the West Bank. Israel has veto power over seemingly every decision made by the Palestinian authority or the Palestinian legislature. The policy of "dedevelopment"--Sarah Roy's term--continues. No Palestinian economic enterprise is allowed to compete with the Israeli economy. Palestinians are to continue to serve Israeli business as sweatshop labor. Israel--as it did quite frequently during the last Rabin government--can institute "closures" at a whim, strangling the Palestinians to death, provoking violence and despair. The Palestinian authority continues to be Israel's clumsy and frightened proconsul taking every step to meet Israel's so-called "security" needs while the Palestinians remain exposed to Gush Emunim and Kach and the border guards to say nothing of Arafat's numerous secret police agenicies.
Said can be somewhat recondite at times when he is discoursing on philosphical matters but when dealing with current events in the middle east he is unbelievably clear, graceful and powerful.

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