The Arabs Have the Answers

Ron Ross
BFP News
Email: ronrossbfp@hotmail.com

25th February 2007

After the Arab factions Fatah and Hamas have been at each other's throats for months, they have now declared plans for a unity government for the Palestinian Authority raises.

What has to happen for such intense enemies to finally reach agreement, kiss and make up?

The Arab world freely and openly discussed the differences between the warring factions and many Arab observers believed agreement was an impossibility.

The West has a tendency to observe these confrontations and brush it off as another Arab problem but the issues are not that simple.

Haniyeh (the PA prime minister and head of Hamas) resigned and opened the way for the unity government selection process to begin. When the Mecca Agreement was signed by the Arab leaders it was decided Haniyeh would lead the new unit and Hamas would have 9 seats in the Cabinet. Fatah would occupy six. The other senior posts were to be filled by independents. In the ministry posts Hamas had the right to nominate three and Fatah two.

One of the Hamas leaders Dr Yahya Moussa indicated before the pm resigned there were many issues to overcome before the dance with Fatah could begin.

Arab observers said Hamas had three major issues which Abbas had to accept before Haniyeh resigned.

First it was essential the new team would accept all the decisions made by the previous Hamas-led government. This is a biggie. I presume Abbas agreed to it because the PM quit. If so, the requirement gives control of the PA executive force to the interior ministry and it will be recognized as a legitimate security force.

Previously this group answered to Chairman Abbas. So what's the probem?

Remember all those national leaders who said they would not support Hamas? In their wisdom they gave millions of dollars for rifles and ammunition to Mr Abbas so he could strengthen his position. In one swoop of the Mecca Agreement the whole arsenal comes under the control of the Hamas gang called a `terrorist group' by the USA. Under this agreement all that money and that entire arsenal comes into their camp.

The second biggie was who indeed would be acceptable as the new interior minister?

If he has control of the firepower, you would certainly want to know whose side the anointed player is on. Makes sense?

The third issue seems very strange but the Arab analysts say it has to do with MP Ziad Amri and whether he will be identified as an independent, a Hamas member or a Fatah person when he is appointed to the foreign ministry?

So now Ishmael Haniyeh has resigned we can assume all these issues have been cleansed and moved into the agreement clauses, post-Mecca, of course.

The White House spokesman Tony Snow also had three conditions for the Middle East process. "The Palestinians deserve a state. They deserve a state living side-by-side in peace with Israel. Israel needs a negotiating partner that acknowledges Israel's right to exist, renounces the use of violence against Israel, and also abides by previous international agreements involving the Palestinians and Israel. Those are the basic conditions. And we certainly hope that Israel will find that partner."

See what he said?

(1) There will be a Palestinian State which recognizes Israel's right-to-exist;

(2) This new state will be led by a government that renounces the use of violence against Israel and

(3) It will abide by all `previous international agreements involving the Palestinians and Israel.'

Remember what the man on the moon said, 'One giant leap for Hamas' or something like that? "Renounce violence"? How do you spell that phrase in Arabic?

One columnist I read was much more direct. This Arab reporter said, 'If Hamas recognized Israel, as a necessary requirement of this stage, it will no longer be Hamas." (Turki Al-Hamad, Asharq Al Awsat, 11th February, 2007)

Do you see the dilemma? The reason for the very existence of Hamas, and so many terrorist groups made in the same image is the removal of the state of Israel.

The Arab world knows this. (I wonder why the West ignores the fact?)

This same columnist wrote very insightfully on the instability in the Palestinian territories. He said, "Iran needs Hamas to be present on the political level in Palestine." If you want to see a carbon copy of this strategy think of Hizbullah and Lebanon.

Iran cannot allow a unity government to work with Israel.

Hamas is facing a major challenge right now. Can it put aside the rifles, missiles and revolutionary attire and done the demeanor of statesmanship?

For all those using Israel as the pawn in this process, please have these questions answered before you make more demands on the only democracy in the region.

Maybe visit some Arab analysts. They seem to know what's going on.
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