I simply cannot understand the division within the
Palestinian political makeup and I cannot understand why Palestinians are not
speaking up against this division in our ranks.
Here we are a people struggling to free ourselves from the
cruel and unjust chains of occupation and an apartheid system under the iron
fists of a brutal Israeli army and we are more organized in our disunity rather
organized against our oppressor. One
faction is being blackmailed by allowing the oppressor to collect the tax
dollars that belong to the Palestinian people that it governs while the other
faction is being retaliated against with US made weaponry with the goal of the
oppressor to keep the two Palestinian factions from reconciling. Both are playing into the hands of the collective
oppressor.
Israel would like nothing better than to continue the
division between Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority in the West
Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
By keeping these Palestinian factions split, Israel hopes to impose a three
state solution (3SS) to the decades old conflict. Israel is working against a
demographic time bomb that will unquestionably label the so called democratic
Jewish (oxymoron) state an apartheid state, even if it does not agree with this
label now. Israelis will become a minority
within the 1948 borders of Palestine by the year 2016; and as a minority it will
collapse as a government as it cannot rule a Palestinian majority as did the apartheid
regime of the minority White South Africa collapse as it tried to rule the
Black African majority. Keeping the
Palestinian factions from reconciling through blackmail and military might,
Israel hopes to overcome this demographic time bomb by imposing a 3SS.
The division, ironically, started after democratic elections
in 2006. Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislature and
should have been allowed to govern. Israel and the US would not recognize the
victor despite the fact that the world was told by President George W. Bush that
the Iraqi invasion will lead to the democratization of the region. Instead of embracing
democracy, blackmail and sanctions were imposed upon the Palestinians for
having elected Hamas. The irony of the taunting democracies to not recognize a
democratic election is beyond me. What
further irks me is that Fatah played right along with this devaluing of the
democratic principles that the Palestinians are told they must have in order to
establish a state.
The silence of Fatah during the 2008-2009 Israeli invasion and
constant slaughter of Gaza was beyond belief.
Here was Israel bombarding innocent Palestinian women and children and
Fatah leaders said nothing. This was
demoralizing to all of us diaspora Palestinians who demonstrated and organized
against this massacre which was happening before our television screens for three
weeks. What we should have been
demonstrating against was the silence of Palestinian Authority leaders.
Yet it was not enough that Israel was killing Palestinians, Palestinians
died from bullets fired by Palestinians during 2008 and 2009 as the various clashes
between Fatah and Hamas forces spilled Palestinian blood. While unfortunately
we are all too familiar with seeing Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers, we
are not accustomed to seeing Palestinians kill Palestinians. This is
unbelievable the worst thing that Palestinians can do to each other. Instead of having a unified front against the
oppressor, the two factions started vilifying and attacking each other which
lead to Fatah controlling the West Bank and Hamas governing Gaza. Ultimately, this division is leading right
into the Israeli plans to split, divide and impose its 3SS.
Reconciliation attempts have thus far been unsuccessful with
the Doha Agreement signed by Fatah and Hamas in 2012 still far from being
implemented. The agreement is described as “stalled” as no unity government is
in sight. Legislative elections have been announced, delayed and rescheduled—this
time for October, 2013, seven years after the last elections. There are election law reforms which are in
dispute. They were imposed by President Abbas because he states that he could
rule by decree as long as the legislature is unable to convene. From my readings, I am not sure whether Hamas
will participate in the elections.
Both Fatah and Hamas need to go to the ballot box in
October, 2013 and allow the Palestinian people to once again democratically vote
their collective will. Whoever wins the election must be respected by both
factions. If a unity government needs to be part of a ruling coalition, then
the Palestinian people demand that such a ruling government be allowed to
govern regardless what Israel, the US and Europe want, think, blackmail or
impose.
If Hamas wins again, Fatah must stand up to the Israelis,
the US and European leaders and state categorically that Hamas is the ruling
party and that all Palestinians will stand unified behind Hamas. The imposition that Hamas must first
recognize Israel and denounce violence is nothing more than smoke and mirrors
to keep the Palestinians from reconciling. It is a diversion from getting to the crux of
the conflict; it is another delay tactic by Israel to keep the status quo while
it usurps more and more Palestinian land on the West Bank, land that Israel
does not want to concede as it wants a 3SS. Israel wants to retain Area C and
parts of Area B; wants the PA to establish a state on Area A and part of Area B
that Israel is willing to give up; and it wants Gaza to be a separate
state.
This imposition upon Hamas is hypocritical as within Israel
there are parties that want to either annihilate the Palestinians completely
(as Hitler wanted to do to the Jews) or scatter them among the other Arab
states.
Israel’s demand that Hamas recognize the State of Israel
(not just as a state but a Jewish State) is absurd and will not result in any
new round of talks. “Hamas didn't come to power until 2006/07.
Between 1993 & 2006 Israel had the more moderate, peaceful & pliant
Palestinian authority (which recognizes Israel & renounces violence) to
deal with as a partner for peace. What did Israel do? Did it make peace?” [see Michael Aydinian https://www.facebook.com/groups/321400271210048/permalink/622882407728498/)
Israel cannot impose upon the Palestinians who can or cannot
speak for them just as Palestinians cannot impose upon Israel who can be a part
of their coalition government. Since
1984 every Israeli coalition government included the Shas Party whose spiritual
leader openly called for the annihilation of the Palestinian people without any
repudiation by any Israeli leader, including Benjamin Netanyahu. Could the Palestinians have said that they
will not negotiate with Israel as long as this racist and Nazi-like party is
part of the Israeli government? Rightfully,
Israelis would reject this precondition as should the Palestinians reject the
imposition that Hamas cannot be part of any Palestinian government unless
certain preconditions are met.
Before Palestinian elections are called, however, the
Palestinian people, both in Palestine and in the diaspora, need to call upon
both Fatah and Hamas to reconcile. We as a people need to impose upon our
Palestinian leaders the wisdom of unity despite what the US and Israel want. We can no longer be a house divided. We can disagree with each other but when
confronting the oppressor, we need to be united.
If the US and Israel want to impose economic and financial
sanctions or want to withhold financial aid from the Palestinians, that should
be the price of unity. The price of destabilization is what the Israelis and
the US will have to consider for blackmailing the Palestinians. Destabilizing economic conditions will lead
to a third Intifada and Israel and the US will be to blame.
