Signed A What?
Palestinians, we read, are joyful, there were great celebratory events in Gaza after a unity deal was signed between Islamist Hamas and only slightly terrorist Fatah. The necessary was achieved; ending the siege of the Palestinians. Odd, that; the parliament that Palestinians voted into office to represent their best interests is comprised of politicians from Hamas and Fatah, both groups claiming undying devotion to the Palestinians and their cause, yet it was armed groups representing both that presented the greatest physical danger to those very same people, killing some, wounding many in their zeal to prove how capable they are to serve and protect.
Palestinians have gone, in one fell swoop, from despair to jubilation. Those who have so recently dashed their hopes for a future of peace and prosperity, who sought so urgently to expunge each other's presence from the PA and in so doing casually exposed unarmed civilians to death and mutilation, now are celebrated as heroes of the Palestinian people. Which, one supposes, is a good thing, since people cannot live without hope. And faint hope is better than none at all.
In the same token where are all the intelligent, outraged Palestinians to demand their very real needs be met first and foremost, and the destructive forces of internecine jealousy be once and for all abandoned? Is it really too much for people to demand of their legislators that they begin to operate as though they were fully-functioning adults and not youths forever playing at war games? That peace, stability, the rule of law, civil infrastructure, economic progress, a meaningful education program be first and foremost in mind?
A leadership should lead by example and in this instance the PA has been quite successful in leading its people astray, affirming their undying enmity for the neighbour they claim has unlawfully taken their land, encouraging young people through popular social indoctrination and criminally faulty textbooks and schooling that the situation of aggrieved victimhood leading to hatred and revolt will continue ad infinitum. The worthiness of terrorist action against neighbourly civilian populations remains uppermost in the plans of the PA.
The "deal on a new unity government" has been signed. Is it worth the paper it's written on? Mahmoud Abbas calls on his own government "to respect international law and agreements signed by he Palestine Liberation Organization". Should we even go there? No mention of Israel's right to existence, no renounciation of violence, no mention of the adoption of previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
But the success lies in the fact that they now claim they will no longer engage in brotherly war games.
So in Gaza, celebration, with Hamas and Fatah militias firing their Kalishnakovs this time, not at one another and citizens helpless in their cross-fire, but into the air. This is all so tediously familiar. At that same signing ceremony site in holy Mecca Hamas officials bristle at the very thought of accepting Israel. "I wonder why the issue of recognizing Israel is the key to everything?" whines Ghazi Hamad, Hamas spokesman. "We are interested to end the siege but not at any cost."
Hello, have we missed something here? The just-signed agreement to agree on a unity government, which is to say a government that will work in concert for the betterment of the Palestinian people hailed as a great and worthy accomplishment. What has been accomplished exactly is puzzling, since they're back at square one. The key to everything, to settling the long-simmering dispute over territory is exactly that: recognizing Israel.
What sits within the craniums of these legislators, politicians, terrorists, Swiss cheese?
"We try to balance between our Palestinian national constraints and our opening up to the international community. Israel is not ready to deal with any Palestinian side unless the Palestinians deal with the Israeli conditions." No kidding. Isn't that exactly what one approaches the bargaining table for, to discuss exactly those issues which keep them apart, to make concessions, to co-operate, to make decisions that are ultimately in favour of both sides, each giving a little to accomplish a lot...?
That isn't about to happen, evidently. But all is not lost. According to the Islamist Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal "These dark days will be completely gone. Our Arabic, Islamic unity has brought us together, shining again."
Labels: Middle East
posted by Pieface @ Friday, February 09, 2007
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