But there were several unique factors in the Palestinian context. First, there was strong external pressure: confronted and exasperated by Arafat's deviousness and autocratic style, the United States and the European Union clearly told the Palestinians that any future support for their quest for independence would depend on their going through a reasonably acceptable democratic process.
是巴勒斯坦社会与其他阿拉伯社会不同吗？不全是。但是巴勒斯坦有几个独一无二的环境因素：首先，外来压力巨大。面对阿拉法特的诡计多端、专制独裁的统治风格，被激怒的美国和欧盟明确告诉巴勒斯坦，他们是否能获得争取独立的支持，将取决于他们是否实现能被适度接受的民主进程。