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Palestinian Donors' Conference Raise Doubts
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
October 11, 2014
All Rights Reserved.
Set for a
Palestinian donors’ conference in Cairo Oct. 12, Secretary of State John Kerry
will call once again for peace talks to prevent future destruction of the Gaza
Strip. After battling Israel for 50 days this summer [July 8 to Aug. 26],
Hamas militants led by 54-year-old exiled leader Khaled Meshaal and Gaza leader
Ismail Haniyeh finally stopped firing rockets into Israel despite getting none
of their demands, including ending a 7-year-blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Since Hamas seized Gaza from the Palestinian Authority June 14, 2007, the
anti-Israel group has launched three wars, costing untold billions in
reconstruction dollars, yet getting Hamas none of its demands. Despite
celebrating a great victory over Israel Aug. 26, the Gaza Strip lost 5.000
businesses and 40,000 homes, leaving the densely populated area in ruins.
Even 79-year-old Ramallah-based leader Mahmoud Abbas expressed frustration with
Hama’s ongoing rocket war costing Palestinians so dearly.
Whatever side one takes on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Hamas’s unilateral
decision to take on Israel at the expense of 2,200 lives and billions of dollars
shows poor leadership. Begging donors for money now raises more doubts
about Gaza’s leadership that continues what it calls “legitimate resistance”
against the Jewish State. After making intractable demands during the
six-week war, Hamas finally stopped firing rockets, now looking for $4 billion
in cash to pay civil employees and run the government. Before the latest
war, Hamas had announced that it ran out of cash and could no longer pay Gaza’s
employees. If you look at the real motive behind the latest war, it looks
a lot like they laid Gaza to waste over six-weeks to beg donors for more cash to
run the government. Hamas waged a fierce propaganda battle during the
six-week war to turn public and world opinion against Israel. If they won
anything during the six-week conflict, it was the PR battle.
When 50 countries, hosted by the Egyptian government, meet in Cairo to raise
money for Gaza reconstruction, donors will want guarantees that history won’t
repeat itself. When you consider Hamas launched three wars in seven years,
Kerry will needs reassurances that Hamas will no longer start another war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that Israel won’t
negotiate at the barrel of a gun. After destroying most of an elaborate
tunnel network built by Hamas with past reconstruction funds to infiltrate
Israel, Netanyahu wants assurances that cash from the latest fund raising
operation won’t go to building more tunnels or rockets. Kerry wants to
reopen serious peace talks with Israel but hasn’t insisted that Hamas renounce
violence, disarm and recognize Israel’s right to exist. It’s difficult for
Netanyahu to sit down at a table with anyone committed to destroying Israel.
It’s equally unrealistic for Kerry to expect otherwise.
Hamas blamed Israel for the war because of creating intolerable conditions in
the Gaza Strip with its seven-year blockade. Hamas also has the same
problem with Egypt’s new government led by former Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who
also enforces a blockade against Hamas. Hamas identifies itself of part of
Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sisi toppled the duly elected
Muslim Brotherhood-controlled government of Mohammed Morsi July 3, 2013.
Since taking power June 8, 2014 el-Sisi closed the Rafah border crossing with
Gaza, destroying scores of smuggling tunnels just like Israel. Hamas’s PR
only focuses on Israel, not differences with Egypt. El-Sisi sealed off
Gaza because Hamas remained committed to toppling el-Sisi’s military-backed
government. Palestinians can’t keep asking donors to pony up cash when the
current Gaza leadership decides when it’s time to start and new war with Israel
and destroy Gaza’s infrastructure.
When donors meet again to raise cash for rebuilding Gaza they’ll want guarantees
that the same cycle won’t repeat itself. If you look cynically at the last
conflict, it appears that Hamas launched the war because it ran out of cash,
needing a new excuse to raise money. “We have seen infrastructure projects
that we have contributed to which have been destroyed,” said a Western diplomat
in Jerusalem. Adding that there is “considerable donor fatigue,” donors
will want reassurances from Palestinian leadership that the same cycle won’t
repeat itself. While there’s plenty of finger pointing, the fact remains
that Hamas’s latest war got Gaza nowhere, other than another donors’ conference.
As long as Hamas militants run Gaza and decide when it’s time to start firing
rockets, there’s no assurance that the cycle won’t happen again. When the
late Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave back Gaza to Palestinians Sept.
12, 2005, it didn’t take long for Hamas militants to seize control.
Meeting in Cairo today, donor states hoping to rebuild Gaza for the third time
in seven years needs ironclad guarantees that Hamas will no longer pursue their
“resistance” at the expense of the Gaza Strip. Hamas militants have
refused to disarm or stop their struggle to topple the Jewish State. With
Israel’s military ranked 11th among world powers. Hamas continues to play games
launching ineffectual rocket attacks. No sovereign nation tolerates rocket
fire without responding in-kind. Wasting 50 days of useless rocket fire to
destroy Gaza’s already battered infrastructure showed that Hamas had different
agenda. Hamas’s rocket war cost Gaza 2,200 lives and billions of dollars.
Getting $4 billion in new reconstruction cash will all go to waste again if the
same leadership burns through the cash and starts a new war. Donors have a
right to know that things will be different the next time around, including who
controls Gaza’s purse-strings.
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