The weekend demonstration in Gaza against Hamas ended quickly. It was not particularly large or violent, but it was the biggest show of opposition to Hamas since it took control of Gaza in June. Such protests could increase in number and strength, as could the reasons behind them — all part of the continuing poisoned relationship between Hamas and Fatah. The lack of Palestinian unity is disastrous, not only because it serves as a diversion from the struggle for freedom and sovereignty but also because it also presents Hamas and Fatah with very limited options. Hamas’ isolation will likely strengthen a more radical view among its members which will make it difficult to find a common ground in the future, while Fatah will have to continue to rely on outside help and initiatives, notwithstanding the hardly promising November international Middle East peace conference aimed at, among other things, solidifying support for President Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas.
In the time leading up to the conference, Abbas is expected to continue to demonstrate his trustworthiness to Israel and the US at the expense of the Palestinian people who are now denied the only card they ever had in their six-decade struggle for freedom: their sense of collectivity.
Once they had ascertained that the Palestinians were solidly split down the middle, Israel and the US reverted to their old ways. They are hardly discreet about the role they expect Abbas to play: to keep Hamas away or at least at bay as a ruling authority and a popular political force. The rewards for meeting Israeli and American policy objectives have been tens of millions of tax dollars that Israel has illegally withheld from the elected Hamas government, military training for Fatah security forces and, finally, an international platform to provide Abbas with the political validation he needs. As a reward for such active involvement in deepening the desperation in Gaza and widening disunity among Palestinians, Abbas has been granted the privilege of meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert once every two weeks, and also the trust and confidence of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her boss. Any attempt at reconciliation with Hamas would most definitely lead to the withdrawal of some, if not all, of these advantages — and this is a risk Abbas will not take.
Abbas, in return, is throwing in a few extras, beyond what is expected from him. Reports that Israel is soon to launch a military strike targeting Hamas militias may not be news, but it is incredible, if true, that Fatah officials have asked Washington to persuade the Olmert government to press ahead with such an offensive, first to ensure that Hamas’ rule in Gaza does not extend farther, and then to debilitate Hamas to the point where it will be unable to hamper the success of the international meeting. At some point, Fatah and Hamas need to reach an historic compromise and then with Israel. This will be hard but could be made much easier if America and Israel sought the same goals.
