COMMENT Finding lessons in Gaza's
bloodshed
By Ramzy Baroud
The Hamas-Fatah clash that has culminated into a mini-civil war in recent weeks
is both old and new, and while some of its elements are uniquely Palestinian,
much of it was manufactured at the behest of US-Israeli intelligence and
governments.
The tensions between Fatah and Hamas are decades old. Fatah has - since the
late 1960s until today - claimed a superior, if not exclusive, position at the
helm of Palestinian politics. At times
there seemed little margin for any other organization - be it secular,
socialist or religious - to share a platform with Yasser Arafat's movement.
Throughout the years, Fatah ensured the relevance of Palestinians to their own
struggle. It's important, therefore, that Fatah is not seen as one monolithic
body. Fatah security chief Mohammed Dahlan and the likes have tainted the
reputation of Fatah forever, but the movement and its decades-long struggle
must not be reduced to these individuals. With Fatah through its hegemony
within the Palestine Liberation Organization being the "sole legitimate
representative of the Palestinian people" for so many years, Hamas' rise was
never accepted as part of the fold.
The second Palestinian uprising of 2000 can be seen as a revolt against Israel
and its occupation, but also against those who did its bidding among
Palestinians - the shameful legion of Palestinians whose wealth grew to
unprecedented levels as the great majority were steeped further in poverty.
Such shamelessness fostered support for Hamas among ordinary Palestinians, and
in January 2006, Hamas swept the polls, to its own surprise and the surprise of
many. The elites and wealthy few had espoused a society that was governed by
brutality, nepotism and favoritism and was unabashedly managed with the help of
Israel. Hamas was the only serious alternative: its anti-corruption record and
the tough fight it displayed against Israel made it deserving of the
responsibility from the ordinary Palestinian's point of view.
Though Palestinians were ready to give Hamas a chance, the US government,
Israel, various Arab regimes and Fatah were not. The latest weeks in Gaza, the
tragedy of killings and brutality there, all attest to the lengths the US and
Israel are willing to take to keep Hamas at bay.
What took place in Gaza was tragic, but the question remains. Considering the
circumstances at the time, did Hamas and Fatah have other options that could
have allowed them to achieve their objectives peacefully?
I think there was enough determination on both sides to prevent a civil war at
any cost, thus the agreement in Mecca. However, US officials entrusted with
ensuring the failure and collapse of the unity government and the utter
corruption among Fatah's self-serving security circles made good intentions
simply extraneous.
The violence was heartbreaking, especially when one read the details: people
getting thrown from the top of high buildings and summary executions.
Palestinians were caught in many violent episodes in the past, but this one is
most tragic, for it took place under the watchful eye of Israel, which
mercilessly continued to kill Palestinians, young and old at the same time that
Palestinians were killing one another.
Now that the tragedy has occurred, one can only hope that common sense and
sanity will return and for Palestinians to rediscover, once more, that they are
still an occupied nation that has no meaningful political sovereignty.
Unfortunately, the US government and Israel remain most relevant in determining
the course of action in Palestine, and naturally, they continue to infuse much
harm. Israel is now scheduled to hand back the money it stole from the
Palestinians in the form of taxes collected on their behalf to Mahmoud Abbas in
the West Bank, while declaring it intends to tighten the siege on the already
besieged and utterly poor Gaza.
Even personal money transfers, Western Union and the like, will be halted to
ensure the total suffocation of Gaza. The US will pumping tens of millions of
dollars into hand Abbas' hands, and Fatah's warlords - rampaging against Hamas
institutions in the West Bank - will also receive more than their fair share of
money and weapons. It is quite simple to understand the underlying intents of
this generosity after a year and a half of embargo, or to picture the horrible
scenario that will result from an empowered, corrupt and vengeful regime.
Israel is committing itself to ensure that the friction among Palestinians will
destroy their national project in the West Bank as well. Fatah will now be
allowed to do what Israel has failed to do over six decades of occupation.
Despite the painful nature of this conflict, one can only hope that some
valuable lessons can be gleaned from all of this, not just by Palestinians
alone, but by others who endure along with them the meddling of superpowers and
whose democracy is a constant target.
First, Gaza has exposed, like no other experience in modern history, the
hypocrisy of the US government's democracy charade; if it was true democracy
that the United States was seeking, it would have acknowledged the Palestinian
people's collective will and fostered dialogue with their representatives, as
opposed to starvation and blockade and covert operations to topple the
government.
Second, corruption, although temporarily rewarding, is never lasting, and the
people, although forgiving and patient at times, have the ability to withstand
pressure, to prevail and force change, even if violently.
Third, proxy politics is most harmful, in Palestine and elsewhere.
Palestinian leaders must learn that selling one's political will to foreign
polities for the sake of money, power or political substantiation is
unforgivable in the eyes of ordinary Palestinians. After all, it's those
"ordinary" people who have stood up and confronted the awesome powers of
Israel, the US and the corruption and brutality of some of their own for many
decades. They will continue to do so no matter how high the price may be.
Freedom for Palestinians is more precious than bread, no matter how irrational
this may sound.
Gaza might have descended into chaos for a few weeks or months, but so also has
the US agenda championed by the remnants of the neo-conservative clique in the
administration of President George W Bush, which stubbornly fails to operate
outside the parameters of the doctrine of violence, secrecy, conspiracies and
military coups.
They refuse to knowledge that it is not weapons that Palestinians want. It is
simply freedom.
Ramzy Baroud is a Palestinian-American author and editor of
PalestineChronicle.com; his latest book is The Second Palestinian
Intifada: A Chronicle of a People's Struggle (Pluto Press, London).
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