Chaos in Palestine

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright November 23, 2008
All Rights Reserved.                    

           Hoping to conclude a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the White House badly miscalculated chaos with Palestine’s warring factions.  When the militant group Hamas was voted into power Jan. 26, 2006, it caused a destructive power struggle between pro-Western Mahmoud Abbas and Gaza’s Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.  Hamas seized Gaza July 2, 2007, splitting the Palestinian people into roughly equal sized groups in Gaza and the West Bank.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has worked on a peace deal with only half the Palestinian people, making current peacemaking efforts a farce.  Only through unity talks between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority can the U.S. work toward brokering a comprehensive Mideast peace.  When Abbas’ term runs out Jan. 9, Hamas has no intention of reconciling and extending his authority.

            Ignoring Hamas exacerbated the current internecine warfare between Abbas and Haniyeh.  Haniyeh has accused Abbas of cozying up to the U.S., unwilling to capitulate with Israel’s crackdown in Gaza, in part caused by militant activity.  Unlike the Palestinian Authority, Hamas does not recognize U.N. Resolution 242, accepting Israel’s right to exist in exchange for return to the pre-1967 borders.  What’s most ironic is that if Israel gave back territory to Egypt, Jordan and Syria, they’re would be no land for a future Palestinian state.  Prior to 1967, Palestinians held no territory.  What they call “occupied territories” is nothing more than Israeli spoils from the ’67 war.  Official State Department policy regards Hamas as a “terrorist” group, not a legitimately elected representative of the Palestinian people.  Whether admitted to or not, Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006. 

             President George W. Bush urged Palestinians to have fair-and-free elections to pick their government in 2006.  When they voted in Hamas, the State Department broke off all relations.  Palestinians went the polls and turned Mideast peacemaking on its head.  U.S. authorities and Abbas have never accepted the will of the Palestinian people.  Despite today’s truce, Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel, prompting retaliation by targeted assassinations.  “I have met with armed factions over the past two days and they stated their position clearly:  they are committed as long as Israel abides by it,” said Haniyeh, showing a willingness to talk.  While Hamas officially rejects Israel, Haniyeh wants to lead a unified Palestinian people, not share power with Abbas.  Haniyeh looks ahead to the end of Abbas’ reign Jan. 9, where he can present himself as the next best Palestinian leader.

              Abbas inherited the Palestinian authority after Arafat’s mysterious death Nov. 11, 2004, rumored from poisoning.  With Sept. 11 fresh in America’s minds and the Iraq War less than a year old, Bush shunned Arafat for using Hamas and other radical groups to pressure Israel.  At the time, Arafat often warned about unleashing Hamas’ Sheikh Ahmaed Yassin on the Jewish State, when, in reality, Arafat used Yassin as a de facto terror group.  Abbas fit into the Bush Doctrine, having no apparent history of terrorist activity.  Once Abbas gained power in 2004, it became clear to Hamas that he was an U.S. and Israeli puppet.  Earlier that year, Israel assassinated of quadriplegic Yassin March 22, 2004 and his successor Abdel Assiz al-Rantisi April 17, 2004, prompting Hamas’ exiled leader Khaled Mashal in Damscus to not reconcile with Abbas to make peace with Israel.

            When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) takes over the State Department Jan. 20, she’ll have some major challenges, not least of which is solving the Israeli-Palestinian riddle.  Bush made little headway because of other priorities, especially the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  President Barack Obama and Hillary will have to find a way to either bring Hamas into the fold or pressure Abbas into making more concessions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice found out the hard way:  You can’t make peace with only half the Palestinian people.  Working with the Egyptians, Clinton must first unify the Palestinians and get Hamas to play by the rules.  “When the leadership of the Palestinian Authority expires after 12 a.m. on January 9, the president of the Palestinian people will no longer be Mahmoud Abbas,” said senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri, counting the days.

               Israel closed its Gaza border crossing Nov. 4 due to cross-border rocket attacks.  There’s plenty of goodwill both sides could do to open a dialogue about improving conditions in Gaza.  Handing over captured Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit in exchange for humanitarian relief or other soldiers would go a long way in breaking the ice.  “The only lasting solution in the desperate situation in Gaza will require an end to terrorist attacks, continued restraint, and the opening of crossings,” said U.N. special envoy former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.  Whether or not Mideast peacemaking is high on Obama’s priority list is anyone’s guess.  With Hillary set for Secretary of State, he’ll have a capable and energetic diplomat ready to hit the ground running.  Little can happen until Israel picks a new prime minister early next year. Only then, can hope spring eternal in the Holy Land.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2012 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.