Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Hamas and Fatah, which have been in a battle for the soul of the Palestinian national movement ever since Hamas forcibly evicted Fatah from Gaza and took over the Strip in 2007, have kissed and made up, or so they say. Officials from the two groups met in Cairo and emerged all smiles, going so far as to state that "all points of differences have been overcome."
If that is true, it's very big news. It would mean one of two very different things: either Hamas has agreed to recognize the state of Israel, cease all violence against Israel, and be satisfied with a two-state solution; or Fatah has decided it no longer recognizes the state of Israel, now endorses violence against Israel, and will no longer be satisfied with anything other than the complete conquest of all Israel. There is no happy medium between two states and a total Palestinian conquest of Israel; it's one or the other.
Odds are strongly in favor of Fatah's capitulation to Hamas rather than the other way around, but no one is clarifying this, at least not yet. All we know right now is that they want to build a government together, to consist rather mysteriously of "independent" "nationalist" figures -- they probably won't be putting hardcore Hamasniks on the ticket at the outset, but will use the tactic the Muslim Brotherhood used in Egypt for years of running extremists as independents. The two factions plan to hold an election in eight months or so.
The election talk already has them swooning at the UN and in Europe -- the Arab Spring has reached the Palestinians! -- but hold on there, partner. There's another item that ought to give one pause, if one seriously envisions peace with Israel emerging from this reconciliation. Hamas and Fatah have agreed to meld their security apparatuses.
That might seem part and parcel with an accord, but in the absence of any statement by Hamas that they are renouncing violence and favor peace with Israel, the decision by Abbas to fuse his security force with that of Hamas seems tantamount to an abandonment by Fatah of the peace process with Israel. Abbas claims he's as keen as ever to forge a two-state solution, but that simply doesn't jibe with an agreement of security cooperation with an entity still formally dedicated to the total destruction of the alleged peace partner.
Bibi has said, simply and correctly, that Fatah can have peace with Israel or Hamas, but not both. Abbas undoubtedly knows this. This reconciliation move appears calculated to add oomph to the push for unilateral Palestinian statehood that will come before the UN General Assembly in September -- a move that in and of itself demonstrates Fatah's abandonment of the peace process with Israel, since it will force terms on Israel and deny Israel the opportunity to defend her own territory or interests at the negotiating table. Abbas seems to have made his choice pretty clear, I'd say. What remains to be seen is whether the Americans, who have pledged not to support or underwrite any agreement of which Hamas is a part, stick to that position or wriggle out of it for the sake of giving Obama a peace treaty.
I personally think this reconciliation is great news. The more Abbas reveals the reality of Fatah's aspirations, the better. If he wants what Hamas wants -- and it appears he does -- it is as well that he shout it loud and proud. Shoving a statehood declaration down Israel's throat at the UN and allying with Hamas make his position quite clear. Obfuscations will abound, and he will continue to talk about peace and obstructionist Israelis, but he's thrown the Oslo Accords out the window. Now we can all face facts.
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Dec '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Once the unity government is formed -- and I rate the chances still at about 1 in 3 that the newfound comity between Fatah and Hamas won't blow up before that happens -- that makes Abbas a co-captor of Gilad Schalit. Either he then demands that Hamas release Gilad immediately, or he adds Fatah's demands to Hamas's for the terms of a "prisoner swap." (Hamas will never willingly release its best bargaining chip, so it already sets the price for Gilad's release too high for any Israeli government to meet.)
Assuming that the course of nature runs true and that Abbas acquiesces in Gilad's captivity, what measures (if any) will the West use to pressure the Palestinian unity government to let Gilad go?
Are you done laughing at that idea yet?
Aug '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the killing of five members of a West Bank Jewish family “despicable,” “inhuman and immoral" (Jewish Journal.com)
"The report of five murdered Israelis is not enough to punish someone," said Hamas Spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri, adding, "However; we in Hamas completely support the resistance against settlers who murder and use crime and terror against the Palestinian people under the auspices of the Israeli occupation soldiers." (ynetnews.com)
Well they got over their differences quickly, didn't they?
Feb '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
"Odds are strongly in favor of Fatah's capitulation to Hamas rather than the other way around, but no one is clarifying this"
And if someone did try to clarify "the other way around," what fool would bel9ieve it. (Maybe Kadima, but they don't count.)
Apr '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Is that really a Latuff cartoon accompanying this post? Can't be: it doesn't depict any Jews or American soldiers dying excruciating deaths.
Sep '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
I will say again that this is a version of Bin Laden's Strong Horse/Weak Horse argument. (BTW I don't mean to say that Al Qaeda is involved in this). As long as the Palestinians continue to be UN welfare mothers, all they need judge Fatah and Hamas by is their warlike stance toward the "opressor". The reason Hamas appears strong to the Palestinians is their ability/willingness to fight Israel (though through largley feckless rocket attacks). The key, it seems to me, is to end the Palastinian refugee status, so that the Palestinians can judge their government's ability by something other than pugnacity in the face of a superior enemy.
Dec '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Sure it does. Just like a picture of a hen's egg depicts a chicken dinner at its inception.
Feb '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Ms. Levy: "Now we can all face facts."
OK. For those of us who believed all along that the differences between Hamas and Fatah were always merely tactical, not strategic, having everyone else face facts is encouraging. So if we all agree that they've both been working for a one-state solution all along, what now?
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
I remember when Syria and Egypt formed the United Arab Republic and when Sadat and Gaddafi declared that Egypt and Libya are one. This, too, will pass.
Feb '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Not the same. In neither of those instances did one intend to displace the other. In this case, one does. With extreme prejudice and no chance at a comeback.
Apr '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Sadly,Hamas could claim they they want to destroy the state of israel and purposely kill innocent woman and children and still the world would blame israel and call upon her to make more concessions...oh wait,Hamas and the world already do....the entire situation in the region is a complete moral relativists farce in every possible way and it will only get worse until the free world comes to the defense of the regions liberal,free and open democracy
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Israel P.
Not the same. In neither of those instances did one intend to displace the other. In this case, one does. With extreme prejudice and no chance at a comeback. · Apr 28 at 11:49am
In neither case did one intend to displace the other? I wonder.
Feb '11
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
The green cartoon character's hands are not showing. They are probably holding knives.
(And why has Ricochet asked me to sign in four times today?)
Oct '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
I just hope this alliance falls apart before any serious joint military/terror campaigns are launched.
May '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
Israel P.: The green cartoon character's hands are not showing. They are probably holding knives.
(And why has Ricochet asked me to sign in four times today?) · Apr 28 at 12:54pm
Why does this seem so familiar?
Dec '10
Re: Hamas and Fatah Reconcile
This is the inevitable result of America's weak posture in the region and around the world. Obama admin is so focussed on soft power initiatives, that hard power is having it's way. Can anyone name a single country or organization has moved to strengthen it's association with the US in the last 30 months?