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Real Motive Behind Hamas-Israeli War
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
October 5, 2014
All Rights Reserved.
Tallying
up the costs of the six-week Hamas-Israeli War [July 8 to Aug. 26], Palestinian
officials estimate that the damages exceed $4 billion. Before the war, Hamas was
essentially bankrupt, unable to pay civil employees, looking for a way to pay
the bills. With Gaza-based Hamas
and Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority still at odds, 79-year-old Palestinian
Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas ripped Hamas for stretching the conflict out,
costing too many lives and untold damage to Gaza’s infrastructure. With Gaza and Ramallah running out
of cash, the real motive behind the protracted war became clear: Let Israel cause as much destruction
as possible to plead for billions from donor states. While grievances exist between Hamas and Israel, Haniyeh and Abbas get on the same page
when it comes to cash, preparing for a donors’ conference in Cairo this week.
Seeking to repair 60,000 home and 5,000 businesses, Hamas and Palestinian
Authority have a perfect excuse to request an estimated $4 billion in aid. When Israel completed its operation
in Gaza Aug. 26, they discovered over 30 military tunnels built with the same
building materials used in residential or commercial structures. Anyone following Palestinian
politics knows that Abbas and Haniyeh will spend a substantial portion of
donors’ cash on rebuilding military tunnels to again attack Israel. While Abbas sets himself up as the “good cop” against Israel, he made his true
feelings known early on in Gaza war. Abbas agreed with Hamas’s armed conflict with Israel seeing it as the only way to force
Israel into making concessions. In Gaza and Ramallah, Palestinians were told that the recent war would finally defeat
Israel and return Palestinians to their rightful land.
When the war ended, Palestinians held victory celebrations in Gaza and
Ramallah commemorating their defeat of Israel, despite the widespread
destruction. Letting the war go as
long as possible accomplished two things for Gaza and Ramallah: It gave Israel another international
black eye and accomplished the goal to new fundraising for essentially a
bankrupt state. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton warned Israel about the public relations damage from a
protracted war, despite knowing that Israel was forced to defend itself from
incoming rocket fire. Once donors’
commit to billions to rebuild Gaza, the U.N. is supposed to supervise the use of
funds. U.N. officials with
U.S.-backing want Abbas to control the cash, not Haniyeh in Gaza. Abbas walks a dangerous tightrope
trying to placate the U.N. and control Gaza’s purse strings, risking another
split with the more militant Hamas.
If the recent Gaza War taught anything, it’s that Gaza residents are
easily manipulated and controlled by Hamas.
While Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for using
residents as “human shields,” Gazans prove to be ready-and-wiloing martyrs in
Hamas’s self-destructive operation against Israel. Palestinian officials knew in Gaza and Ramallah that a war with Israel would result in
only destruction. Appealing now to
donors for cash accomplishes the real objective behind the war: Dig Hamas and Palestinian Authority
out its financial hole. “We have a
window of opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people of Gaza,”
said James Rawley, a senior U.N. officials involved in the reconstruction
project. “But for that to happen,
we need all parties to cooperate and work hard, including increasing the
capacity of the [Israeli-Gaza]
crossings.”
U.N. officials rarely admit publicly that Israel and Egypt are on the
same page about restricting the border crossings. Focusing only on Israel’s blockade
ignores that Egypt under President Abel Fattah el-Sisi also destroyed hundreds
of smuggling tunnels and wants to keep terrorists out of Egypt. With Hamas closely tied with Egypt’s
outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, el-Sisi fears more terrorist infiltration into
Egypt by opening up the Raffah border crossing.
Haniyeh and Abbas demanded an end to the blockade from Israel and Egypt
before agreeing to end the rocket fire.
Suddenly Palestinians agreed to end the conflict Aug. 26 without any
concessions from Israel or Egypt.
Neither Israel nor Egypt ended the blockade or agreed to any of Haniyeh or
Abbas’s demands, leading to the unmistakable conclusion the war was only about
squeezing cash out of donor states.
Before the donor states and the U.N. open the coffers to Hamas to rebuild
Gaza, there must be assurances that the cash won’t go to rearming militants. Whether Abbas is a better custodian
of donors’ cash is anyone’s guess.
If the U.N. is really serious about preventing another repetition of the last
war, there needs to be independent mechanisms in place to prevent Hamas from
misusing the funds. “We feel that
President Abbas is reluctant, but he shouldn’t be,” said Hams spokesman Salah
Bardawill. “There is a partnership
agreement it should be implemented,” confirming Hamas needs to get the cash
directly. Whatever problems exist
between Hamas and PLO, the U.N. should take as strong supervisory role in doling
out the cash or face a repeat of past mistakes.
Neither Abbas nor Haniyeh can assure that donors’ cash trickles down to
Gaza’s battered population: U.N.
supervision is mandatory.
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