Fatah-Hamas Unity?
That might once have been a solution. It's a game that played itself out to a bitter end, however. One secular and striving for moderation, the other singularly Islamist and intolerant of moderation. To even begin to consider how moderation is construed is anathema to a jihadist group dedicated to the eradication of a declared enemy, not a clasping of that enemy to its bosom in a search for acceptable negotiations leading to a treaty of peace and co-habitation through defined and contiguous borders.The jihadists so love the regalia of terror. The flags and the banners pronouncing their intent, proudly held aloft as they march, masked, through the streets of Gaza and elsewhere - reaching even across the borders of Europe and North America. Theirs is a god-hallowed journey of revenge and recapture, and as such unquestionably noble and righteous. The black mask, the boots, the Kalashnikov, all symbolic of their might and their right.
Their dedication to their cause is reflective of Jihadists International. Their initial target Israel, and with success finally realized, they can move on to greater aspirations. Their growing conviction of their superior, theistic support - ensuring victory will be theirs (inshallah) - expresses a social malady, a pathology of hatred not readily eclipsed by rational consideration.
Crowing victory at the withdrawal of Israeli troops, Hamas promises to re-arm with "holy weapons". Holy weapons? Korans? To the international community, pledging to erect boundaries between Israel and Hamas, they respond: "Do whatever you want, bringing in and manufacturing the holy weapons is our mission, and we know how to acquire weapons", warned a Hamas spokesman.
Fatah has slowly and surely become pragmatically involved in negotiating for peace. And despite what it knows has occurred even throughout the Israeli "cast lead" invasion, it attempts to secure peace between itself and Hamas, hoping it can lead the Islamists to a unified peace treaty with Israel. "This is not the time to settle old scores and speak of winners and losers" urged Fatah's Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
"Either we coalesce around a political vision or agree on a way to manage our differences. There is room for diversity and pluralism here. I appeal to everyone to look at this without predisposition or prejudice. We must recognize what is fundamentally required and focus on that." Mr. Fayyad has appealed to Hamas and other jihadist factions to put aside their differences, for the common cause of representing Palestinian interests.
Egypt's Prime Minister Hosni Mubarak has gone so far as to infer it blames Hamas for goading Israel into its military response. To which Ismail Haniyeh responds by commending the families of "the martyrs who sacrificed their blood for this victory". Fatah, however responds with "Nam Hamas, Nam Jihad"; "No to Hamas, No to Holy War". While others mutter that "we are with Hamas now".
For its part Fatah claims it has evidence of the murders by Hamas of sixteen Fatah members, along with over eighty shootings of Fatah members by knee-capping, and hundreds of home imprisonments. They vow they will 'not allow' further attacks on their people in one breath, and implore Hamas to join them in a unity government on the other.
Somewhat reminiscent of the dysfunctional unity government that ended with Hamas viciously taking over Gaza, and in the process murdering dozens of Fatah members.
It was merely arresting collaborators with the enemy, traitors and criminals, during the Israeli onslaught of Gaza, Hamas claimed in all innocence. That Fatah members were ordered by the Hamas regime to stay in their homes under curfew was merely incidental. Any Fatah members who were sufficiently injudicious to defy those orders and leave their homes while under house arrest courted death.
So much for the unity of purpose of the Palestinian leadership.
Labels: Middle East, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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