The bloody feud between the two largest Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, continues to cause alarm. It is not yet civil war but agreements to stop the violence have so far proved worthless. Appeals for unity from both Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas have fallen on deaf ears. If the violence continues civil war will not be far away, whatever Haniyeh thinks. His statement a couple of days ago that “there will never be civil war” because Palestinians have no history of such disastrous infighting is understandable. This is, after all, the man that was so desperate to believe that the European and American financial boycott following the elections would not hurt the Palestinians because others would step in with the money. And Palestinians have indeed turned guns on each other before, as evidenced in Lebanon and Jordan.
What is needed at this dangerous time is the courage and intelligence to face up to the seriousness of the problem and the will to resolve it. The cause of a free and independent Palestine must not be betrayed by power-grabbing or impotent ideological posturing. What is not needed is denial. Blaming all the violence on the Israelis, which Hamas (and Fatah) tend to do, is easy enough. These claims come packaged for delivery to the populous with Israel’s help, as recently demonstrated in attacks in Ramallah on Wednesday in which at least four Palestinians died. But this talk does not fool Palestinian people.
The murders, also on Wednesday, of a Hamas member and two others in Gaza, and then later the same day the killing of Gaza’s security chief, Nabil Hudhud, a leading Fatah-loyalist, were obviously the work of elements within both organizations, as have been earlier killings. Almost all Palestinians are aware of this infighting.
Yesterday’s decision by Hamas to withdraw its military forces from the streets of Gaza and the shrewd ultimatum by President Abbas of a referendum on recognizing Israel if the two sides do not settle their differences within the week is therefore most welcome at this 11th hour. But sighs of relief need to be tempered with caution. The deployment of Hamas military forces in Gaza was dangerously shortsighted, and demonstrates a worrying lack of political grasp within the Hamas leadership. From similar deployments and troop call-ups have so many wars sprung. But the withdrawal may still fail to trigger an outbreak of peace within Gaza even if Hamas and Fatah leaders can hammer out a compromise.
There remains deep and bitter resentment among the two sides’ foot soldiers and middle-ranking commanders. Moreover, there is every possibility of conflict escalating if there has to be a referendum. Polls indicate that the majority of Palestinians will vote for firm borders and the recognition of Israel.
The Hamas hard-liners, and their counterparts in Fatah, are turning out to be as dangerous to the hopes of Palestinians as the Israelis themselves.
