Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Hamas?
America, the erstwhile Quartet of the non-committed, and virtually the entire Western policy making establishment, don’t get it. Hamas, is not going to and cannot legitimately be asked to, renounce violence. Their obvious and instinctive response will be that Israel is not going to renounce violence. No modern states, other than the losers of wars that ended in unconditional surrender, have completely foresworn violence. That is the discourse the Palestinians see underlying renouncing violence as an option, an unconditional surrender to the Israelis.
It is much more important to Israel and to all peace loving, peace supporting people and states of the world, that Hamas and the Palestinians accept Israel’s right to exist. This is the basis from which all discussion must proceed. It should be evident to all the actors involved that accepting Israel’s viability and with it the inevitability of two states, implicitly changes Hamas’s positions on an array of other issues.
The agreements made by previous Palestinian and Israel governments are irrelevant and bankrupt for they have failed.
What is unique about Hamas is the opportunity for a blank slate that they represent.
Hamas must recognize Israel’s right to exist. But Israel and her Western brokers must recognize the Palestinians cannot be expected to unconditionally surrender just to get a seat at the table.
To extend this point further, one must recognize, the aid cuts and more importantly the freezing of all banking transactions to Palestine under American guidance is imploding the Palestinian government. This policy is actively hurting Palestinian citizens. Beyond that, democratically elected Hamas is being forced into coalition with corrupt and co-opted Fatah against their will. Rather than attempt to bring Hamas to the table, however difficult and repugnant it might be, America is giving Hamas cover to break the status quo cease fire and ignore future agreements negotiated by, what Hamas views as a beholden Fatah.
The true believers must negotiate the peace. If the so called weak negotiate the peace, than the self proclaimed strong will have prima facie reason to disobey.
It appears the conflagration on the ground is close to reigniting. Economic collapse is always dangerous kindling. A unilaterally imposed solution behind a wall is tinder. In this atmosphere, sparks abound. How can the lessons of Berlin not have been learned. No Wall is complete enough to keep “them” all out, not when the economic conditions, namely the availability of jobs and their pay rates, are wildly disparate on the two sides of said Wall. (America’s mortifying immigration policy makers need to learn this, too, but that’s another article.)
It is much more important to Israel and to all peace loving, peace supporting people and states of the world, that Hamas and the Palestinians accept Israel’s right to exist. This is the basis from which all discussion must proceed. It should be evident to all the actors involved that accepting Israel’s viability and with it the inevitability of two states, implicitly changes Hamas’s positions on an array of other issues.
The agreements made by previous Palestinian and Israel governments are irrelevant and bankrupt for they have failed.
What is unique about Hamas is the opportunity for a blank slate that they represent.
Hamas must recognize Israel’s right to exist. But Israel and her Western brokers must recognize the Palestinians cannot be expected to unconditionally surrender just to get a seat at the table.
To extend this point further, one must recognize, the aid cuts and more importantly the freezing of all banking transactions to Palestine under American guidance is imploding the Palestinian government. This policy is actively hurting Palestinian citizens. Beyond that, democratically elected Hamas is being forced into coalition with corrupt and co-opted Fatah against their will. Rather than attempt to bring Hamas to the table, however difficult and repugnant it might be, America is giving Hamas cover to break the status quo cease fire and ignore future agreements negotiated by, what Hamas views as a beholden Fatah.
The true believers must negotiate the peace. If the so called weak negotiate the peace, than the self proclaimed strong will have prima facie reason to disobey.
It appears the conflagration on the ground is close to reigniting. Economic collapse is always dangerous kindling. A unilaterally imposed solution behind a wall is tinder. In this atmosphere, sparks abound. How can the lessons of Berlin not have been learned. No Wall is complete enough to keep “them” all out, not when the economic conditions, namely the availability of jobs and their pay rates, are wildly disparate on the two sides of said Wall. (America’s mortifying immigration policy makers need to learn this, too, but that’s another article.)
Labels: Middle East, Politics
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