Deadly Hatred Resurgent
Odd how two disparate yet connected bodies representative of the human aspirations of a troubled population have been incapable of bringing the higher purpose of their existence to bear, and have instead succumbed to the vituperative game of clandestinely reviling one another in the lead-up to bloody assault and murder. The two principals whose function as assemblies of dedicated functionaries it is to protect the Palestinian peoples' interests and eventually lead them to peace and prosperity have chosen instead to wage deadly battle one against the other.Each claims to have the best interests of the Palestinian people at heart. Fatah, long established as the political representative of the Palestinian Authority, and having failed in its original mission, succeeded however in further destabilization of the Palestinian cause vis a vis its relationship with Israel. It now though, claims to have learned from its errors and is prepared to reach an accord with Israel which will create an atmosphere in which peace can reign, and each state respect the other, once an autonomous Palestinian state has been established.
Hamas claims to bitter undying enmity with an interloper not of the region or the religion it represents, and in its Islamist fascist ideal sees no place for Israel in the entire geography. Hamas remains rigidly committed to Israel's military conquest and defeat leading to the complete dismantling of the State. In its vision of the future there is no Israel, there is only a greater, unified Palestine. A State of Palestine which never before existed, always a pawn in past history in the grasp of one Arab neighbour or another.
It isn't the fact that the two antagonists, secular Fatah and Islamist Hamas, don't agree on the solution toward achieving peace in the region that flames the cinders of their unremitting hatred of one another, but rather that each claims the right of ascendency over the imposter to the claim. And the bitter enmity is born of tribalism, primitively clannish blood feuds. While it has been possible to keep the animosity at a relatively low ebb from time to time, the virulence of their disaffection one for the other seeps through with resulting carnage.
They have such a deep regard for the well being and safety of Palestinian civilians, children on their way to and from school, mothers venturing out of their homes to shop for their families' needs, that they capture neighbourhoods, take over streets, each faction hooded in death's masked venture, weapons in hand, seeking out the other, while civilians flee in terror. When one side successfully manages to kill members of the others, it's a shame, isn't it, that innocent civilians, men, women and children will be caught in the cross-fire.
If they're not killed outright, then they're maimed, seriously wounded, burdened with a lifetime of physical deformity, mental incapacity, a total inability to understand and to believe that these people who care so deeply for their well being, in reality care so little that they consider them dispensable fodder in their internecine battles. Hamas sends its armed wing fully deployed into the streets to 'take control'. At the same time that Ismail Haniyeh, PA-Hamas Prime Minister convenes emergency meetings to 'put an end' to their conflict.
There is no law and order in Gaza. Matters were bad enough before the Israeli pull-out, but they've deteriorated beyond the belief of its residents since that time. Instead of celebrating their freedom in their territory and accommodating themselves to living in a semblance of peace, imposing order and a nascent example of good governance, establishing an environment conducive to an emerging economy that would benefit its inhabitants, masked and armed gunmen roam and wreak havoc, with no authority stepping in to staunch the resulting chaos.
Palestinian leaders have promised to reign in the rampant terrorism, the assaults on civil life, but their half-hearted attempts have proved fruitless; left too long unaddressed. So kidnappings, clan clashes and factional feuding remain the order of the day and night. Civil society suffers, and blame is placed, not upon the disinterested leaders more focused on internecine squabbling, but upon their neighbour, Israel, the fount of all the intractable problems that Palestinians face.
President Mahmoud Abbas's national security force, a Fatah construct, has accused the Hamas paramilitary force and their military wing, Ezazedine al-Qassam Brigades of attempting a coup. The Hamas armed wing denies the allegation, pointing the finger of blame instead on Israel, and although it's indisputable that Hamas Islamic militants have ambushed and murdered Fatah members, they're trying to draw Israeli forces into the maelstrom of violence to further confuse the issue, but as a device to draw blame from the Arab community of countries upon Israel.
While dispatching their militias to confront and murder one another, the Palestinian leaders piously call for peace and reconciliation, for restraint and response to the call of duty.
Labels: Middle East, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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