It is not often that Zionists allow themselves to be seen by the world trampling under foot the very democratic values they pretend to hold so dear. But that was what the international television cameras were showing yesterday. When police moved in on two high profile candidates beginning the first day of campaigning in East Jerusalem for the Palestinian general election, Israelis were plainly seen to be both bullies and hypocrites.
Political activity by non-Israelis was made illegal after the eastern half of the city was seized in 1967. If Palestinians in Jerusalem are actually allowed to vote there will be no hustings and votes will be recorded at post offices. However, the main reason for the unseemly clampdown yesterday on candidates Hanan Ashrawi and Mustafa Barghouti was given as a fear that “terrorists,” specifically Hamas terrorists, would use the election campaign as a cover for further suicide bombings.
Yet Hamas is standing as a political party in the election. In embracing democracy, the radical organization is accepting the validity of the political process and moving away its old intransigent position that only violence and yet more violence would bring the Palestinian people justice.
However much blood there may be on the hands of Hamas, when it moves toward a peaceable path, it needs to be encouraged, not banned. It is simply no good the outgoing Sharon administration announcing it will never deal with Hamas and terrorism. When Menachem Begin, leader of the Stern terrorist gang abandoned violence and turned to politics, Israelis did not condemn, but welcomed him. Why therefore should they not accept that Hamas, which has also been guilty of terrible crimes, should be applauded when it moves away from violence and turns to peaceful means to pursue its ends?
The answer of course is that Israel effectively created Hamas along with other violent groups, so it could protest that it was impossible to talk to Palestinians while terrorism was rampant. Israel nurtured Hamas by crushing hopes of peace, advancing despair of decent living standards and kindling anger that would radicalize moderates and swells the ranks of would-be suicide bombers. Now all of the sudden, the monster fostered by successive Zionist governments is turning toward peace and politics, something it was never supposed to do.
There are still many people in Hamas distrustful of the political process. Israel will undoubtedly try to provoke them with calculated outrages. Many analysts feel that Fatah, which is surrounded by allegations of corruption and incompetence and seen as fresh out of ideas, would be happy to have the elections postponed should Israelis deny Palestinians in East Jerusalem the vote. However it is worth thinking what it will mean, if, as expected, Hamas candidates do well in a free and fair election. Will it signal that ordinary Palestinians are endorsing more violence? Or will it actually mean that they are applauding the arrival of Hamas as a new political force with fresh political faces and ideas?
