generalspeaking

Reward What?

Saudi Arabia as intervenor. Well, why not, after all, everyone else has tried their diplomatic skills at a peaceful settlement between the Palestinians and Israel. Help is gratefully accepted, whatever the source. And, the fact of the matter is, the Islamic world was slightly upset and worried at seeing the bloody factional battles taking place between Fatah and Hamas. The purpose of the Mecca agreement was to have Fatah and Hamas agree to stop murdering one another for supremacy. In that they seem to have succeeded.

Now why don't we look at the other issue that's being pushed around, that of having a unified Palestinian Authority dealinh honestly with integrity and honour with the State of Israel? No one can accuse Hamas of not being honest; they're quite up front about declaring their long-term intention of annihilating the Jewish state. But is it honourable to expect a country to put all its cards on the table with an entity whose avowal is to destroy it?

Fatah and Hamas may have signed a deal, however reluctantly and under duress to get along with one another, but there is no agreement to deal fairly and honourably with Israel.

The Quartet and its supporters put it quite succinctly; the Palestinian Authority regardless of who heads it must be prepared to relinquish terror as a persuasive tactic, it must be prepared to recognize the legal authority and presence of the State of Israel, before support funds for the PA are released. Seems a simple enough formula, give up killing your neighbours, and deal with the honest intention of being prepared to live side by side as separate legal states in peace and harmony.

But Hamas remains adamant and will not move from its position of non-recognition of the right of Israel to exist. It is prepared to address a hudnah, a temporary accommodation, a low-impact state of neither war nor peace, with all options open for a future jihad with the intention of wiping Israel off the map of the Middle East. Not a very engaging, nor promising bargaining position. Yet Hamas has its supporters. Russia is now fully prepared to support the PA under the recalcitrant Hamas.

Russia now insists that the Western-led economic boycott be lifted. Hamas, evidently has earned Russia's respect. It has bargained in good faith with Fatah, and they have together reached an understanding that it is neither polite nor good for future relations to have their respective militias hunt and murder one another, along with innocent Palestinian bystanders. Good on them.

So because Fatah and Hamas have agreed not to kill each other, Russia believes they should be rewarded by a release of funds.

The signal requirements have not been met. With whom will this unified PA now willing to let one another's constituents continue living, bargain exactly? Is Israel expected to reward this accommodation-for-life-for-the-moment between Fatah and Hamas by extending its hand in friendship and unalloyed trust? Israel, unsurprisingly, isn't having any of it. She isn't committed to self-immolation to satisfy anyone.

The United States has indicated it too has no intention of rewarding Fatah-Hamas for their accommodation by lifting the economic boycott. Until it clearly and unequivocally commits itself to recognition of Israel, renouncing violence and expressing a clear commitment to previous agreements reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. A reasonable response, given the circumstances.

Despite which intent funds have still flowed into the coffers of the PA directly through Mahmoud Abbas, bypassing Hamas. And the PA remains one of the world's largest recipients of foreign economic aid, receiving fully $709 million in aid in 2006, double the previous year's aid. And this is exclusive of additional hundreds of millions invested by various UN agencies in Gaza.

Still, Russia is pressuring other members of the Quartet, and it's likely that Britain may be prepared to relent and deal with Hamas; the "more sensible elements of Hamas". In the interests of making progress. Progress as seen by enabling Hamas to continue its commitments, not the kind of progress which will continue to push for recognition of the State of Israel. Again, with whom will Israel pursue peace?

There remains insistence that Hamas meet international demands but that doesn't stop Hamas's Khaled Mashaal from his busy schedule of trying to persuade members of the Quartet to see their way clear to lifting sanctions. Obviously, responsibility in the world of Arab politics is a one-way street and always will be. For his part, Mahmoud Abbas has been talking up European countries with the claim that the 'unity' government is committed to meeting international conditions. Despite that Hamas is quite explicit in its refusal to do so.

Meanwhile, terrorist attacks cross-border into Israel continue on a daily basis. While Mahmoud Abbas states his "recognition of Israel" on his demands being met, demands which Israel deems unreasonable, Fatah terrorists continue their attacks. For until Israel agrees to the PA conditions that Jerusalem become the new Arab country's capital and millions of Palestinian returnees be permitted to resettle in Israel, there will be no peace.

Needless to say, the PA position has the full support of Arab countries, all of whom are exerting their own pressure tactics on the proceedings. Seems, in truth, very little has changed in the region over the last half-century.

Exploitive, extortionist, terrorist reasoning.

Labels: Middle East

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, March 01, 2007