by Rich Meyer
"CPTnet
2 July 2007
HEBRON REFLECTION: What's happening in Gaza?
North American media have again found one of their favorite stories in current upheaval in Gaza: Palestinians bent on killing, incapable of arranging their political lives without massacres. I do not claim to have the complete story, but I can interject some additional perspectives. For example, I saw Fatah and Hamas legislators in Hebron walk arm-in-arm down Ain Sara Street on a day last month when five of their colleagues in Gaza died in a gun-battle. Hebron is not Gaza. But what is behind the fighting in Gaza?
Last month in Gaza, Hamas fighters finally drove Fatah fighters out of police headquarters. Maybe North American reporters have forgotten that early in 2006, Palestinians held a free, fair, and democratic election in Gaza and the West Bank. The voters chose Hamas by an overwhelming majority.
The United States government objected to the choice and acted in a variety of ways to stop the incumbent party from handing over the institutions of government to the winning party. So, the Fatah legislators, bureaucrats and officials did not pack up. That's why they were still there in control of this police station more than a year later.
The U.S. convinced Fatah that losing the election did not mean they had to hand over power. We convinced them that maybe losing the election meant they should offer to share power, or form a "unity" government. Hamas agreed, for a time, to try some of these creative alternatives to actually implementing the election results--no doubt in part to avoid suffering the effect of embargoes and sanctions imposed by the US and Europe .
What happened last month was the election results of last year finally taking effect after a considerable U.S.-imposed delay. Tragically, twenty-five people were killed in this stage of the transfer of power. But when the US imposes an artificial governing regime (here as in Iraq) then the US needs to accept some of the blame for the resulting mayhem.
Why the differences between Gaza and Hebron? One difference is that Israeli troops continue to patrol and control Hebron. Palestinian politicians do not have many scraps to fight over. In the Hebron district Fatah didn't hold onto much -- they never had that much to begin with. . Fatah needs to do what any political party does after a drubbing at the polls--accept the judgment of the voters, regroup and reform, clean up their act and prepare for the next elections.
The interparty killings of the last months should be seen for what they are--another consequence of bungled U.S. policies. The U.S. decision to punish Palestinians for voting has claimed enough victims . As a next step, how about trying to see if Palestinians would respond better to offers of respect, hope and opportunity?"
2 July 2007
HEBRON REFLECTION: What's happening in Gaza?
North American media have again found one of their favorite stories in current upheaval in Gaza: Palestinians bent on killing, incapable of arranging their political lives without massacres. I do not claim to have the complete story, but I can interject some additional perspectives. For example, I saw Fatah and Hamas legislators in Hebron walk arm-in-arm down Ain Sara Street on a day last month when five of their colleagues in Gaza died in a gun-battle. Hebron is not Gaza. But what is behind the fighting in Gaza?
Last month in Gaza, Hamas fighters finally drove Fatah fighters out of police headquarters. Maybe North American reporters have forgotten that early in 2006, Palestinians held a free, fair, and democratic election in Gaza and the West Bank. The voters chose Hamas by an overwhelming majority.
The United States government objected to the choice and acted in a variety of ways to stop the incumbent party from handing over the institutions of government to the winning party. So, the Fatah legislators, bureaucrats and officials did not pack up. That's why they were still there in control of this police station more than a year later.
The U.S. convinced Fatah that losing the election did not mean they had to hand over power. We convinced them that maybe losing the election meant they should offer to share power, or form a "unity" government. Hamas agreed, for a time, to try some of these creative alternatives to actually implementing the election results--no doubt in part to avoid suffering the effect of embargoes and sanctions imposed by the US and Europe .
What happened last month was the election results of last year finally taking effect after a considerable U.S.-imposed delay. Tragically, twenty-five people were killed in this stage of the transfer of power. But when the US imposes an artificial governing regime (here as in Iraq) then the US needs to accept some of the blame for the resulting mayhem.
Why the differences between Gaza and Hebron? One difference is that Israeli troops continue to patrol and control Hebron. Palestinian politicians do not have many scraps to fight over. In the Hebron district Fatah didn't hold onto much -- they never had that much to begin with. . Fatah needs to do what any political party does after a drubbing at the polls--accept the judgment of the voters, regroup and reform, clean up their act and prepare for the next elections.
The interparty killings of the last months should be seen for what they are--another consequence of bungled U.S. policies. The U.S. decision to punish Palestinians for voting has claimed enough victims . As a next step, how about trying to see if Palestinians would respond better to offers of respect, hope and opportunity?"
posted by dm at 12:10 PM
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