Palestinians Should Seek An Alternative Salvation Strategy
02 July 2015By Khalid Amayreh
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic liberation group, is rightly rejecting
Palestinian Authority (PA) dictates regarding efforts to form a Palestinian
government.
We all know that the main raison d'être of the PA is to serve the so-called
security interests of the Israeli occupation regime. Otherwise, the PA is
completely redundant as far as the Palestinian people are concerned.
Having utterly failed to make any tangible achievements for the Palestinian
people, the PA is trying now to woo Hamas to join a "government of national
unity" to replace the present government, headed by Rami al-Hamdillah.
But such a government must be acceptable to Israel first and foremost as well
as to the so-called donor countries, including the United States, Israel's
guardian ally. And as we all know too well, Israel will only accept and deal
with a Palestinian government that is completely subservient and answerable
to it.
In other words, Hamas would have to unconditionally recognize the
illegitimate Zionist entity in fulfillment of the Israeli-inspired Quartet
requirements.
Needless to say, recognizing Israeli would be an act of political adultery
and ultimate national treason on Hamas's part.
That is why Hamas must never ever recognize Israel. Doing so, God forbid,
would make Hamas just another Fatah. That would be the ultimate moral and
political suicide for Hamas.
We know that Fatah, the mainstream faction of the PLO did recognize Israel
(even without specifying Israel's borders) more than 22 years ago in the hope
that Israel would reciprocate by recognizing a Palestinian state along the
1967 borders.
However, instead of recognizing a putative Palestinian state, Israel embarked
on a frantic campaign of settlement expansion all over the West Bank, which
eventually killed any remaining prospects for the establishment of a viable
and territorially contiguous state worthy of the name.
Unfortunately, the PA realized the enormity of its blunder much too late.
Last week, PA official Saeb I'rekat threatened to withdraw the PLO
recognition of Israel.
His threat, however, should not be given any real political weight given the
fact that the PA is subservient, almost totally, to Israel and the United
States. A few months ago, Hussein Sheikh, a PA official, said that "the very
oxygen we breathe comes from Israel."
Fatah- Hamas rift is not the real problem
That is why we must be honest with regard to diagnosing the Palestinian
situation. Yes, the enduring division between Fatah and Hamas doesn't play a
constructive role in enabling Palestinians to get their act together.
However, we must always guard against any exaggerations in this regard.
Indeed, in the final analysis, even if the Palestinians were able to get
their act together so successfully and form the best government in the world,
such a government would still be utterly powerless to do much for the
Palestinians and their just cause.
The reason is simple. The PA itself is languishing under the sinister Israeli
occupation.
Hence, whether Hamas joins or doesn't join a government of national unity
with Fatah and other factions, there won't be a qualitative difference to the
better in the overall political situation.
Hamas should also declare openly that the PLO is no longer the sole and only
representative of the Palestinian people. This was true in the late 1960s,
1970's and a good part of the 1980s, but that was history.
Now, things have changed and the PLO lost the status it once held. This is
why Hamas must never accept continued PLO hegemony on the national-decision
making process.
No one is suggesting that the PLO should be written off completely. However,
we must have the moral courage to proclaim that the PLO is now one of many
political and social forces permeating among Palestinians both at home and in
the Diaspora.
But the PLO is living in a dream world. It is often seen trying to convince
itself that a recognition of a non-existing Palestinian state by a majority
of nation-states in the world will eventually force Israel to end its
decades-old occupation.
But this is wishful thinking in broad daylight.
This is because it is too late for a Palestinian state, given the reality of
settlements in the West Bank, especially in East Jerusalem, as well as the
political realities in Israel itself, now in the clutches of Jewish fascism
that is conspicuously anti-peace and anti-Arab.
In light this writer suggests that all Palestinian factions, including Hamas
and the PLO, should abandon, once and for all, the goal of establishing a
dwarfed political entity on less than 20% of the historical Palestinian
homeland.
Instead, we should pursue an alternative salvation strategy based on enabling
and empowering our people, especially at home, to enhance the level of
steadfastness and resilience, and be better prepared to withstand systematic
Israeli repression.
Khalid Amayreh is a Palestinian journalist and current affairs political
commentator living in Occupied Palestine
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