Ha'aretz' Danny Rubinstein explains why Abu Mazen and Dahlan won't use force against Hamas
Israeli spokesmen point out that the Palestinian defense establishment in Gaza alone is paying the wages of close to 50,000 people.The problem is thatOn the other hand, how many armed men does Hamas have in Gaza? 400? 800? Those who exaggerate say 1,000. So what is the problem?
The extensive public support in Hamas is no secret. In the last elections to the UN's welfare and employment agency staff committee in Gaza, Hamas won close to 80 percent of the votes. In other words, if Abu Mazen and Dahlan were to launch a violent struggle against Hamas at this stage, they might find themselves up against real civilian insurgence and lose everything.An example is given
a few weeks ago [there was a] demonstration of Beit Hanun residents in the north of the Gaza Strip against the Qassam missiles launched at Sderot. After the Israel Defense Forces uprooted citrus groves and fruit orchids there (the Israeli sources described it: "The IDF removed shrubbery that served as hiding places for missile launching terrorists"), the residents protested against the missile firings.In other words, the Palestinian Authority has little authority or political legitimacy. Abu Mazen is an empty suit, a fictional creation of the "international community". Whether or not he is more moderate than Hamas is irrelevant. He is both incapable and unwilling to impose his authority on Hamas. The only agreement he will be able to enforce is an agreement that carries the Hamas seal of approval, that is to say an agreement that increases Hamas's power and ability to threaten Israel.The Palestinian media almost ignored the incident. Palestinian journalists explained that they were afraid of publishing the story because the missile firings were massively supported by the Palestinian public.
Rubinstein's analysis contains hints at a solution to the deadlock. Israel should destroy Hamas, exterminate its leaders, demolish its facilities and dismantle its institutions. and in the process impose a high enough cost on ordinary Palestinians to undermine support for the perpetrators of terrorism. Only after the Palestinian public reaches the depths of despair and there is no rival to the peacemakers, is there likely to be any Palestinian movement towards a solution.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 22, 2003 03:05 PMI think Rubinstein's (or yours) inference that hitting some sort of "bottom" of despair will lead to a change in attitude underestimates the ability of the Palestinians to absorb disaster and still come back with the same goals and methods.
Posted by: Erix138 on June 23, 2003 06:32 AMAbsorb disaster?
Actually, they court it.
And the more's the better for the world's leader in victimhood.
But it'll all be worthwhile once their goal is achieved.
Posted by: Barry Meislin on June 24, 2003 03:45 AMArafat has made the Palestinian people incapable of government self or otherwise.
This is not bad for Arafat.
He can continue his rake offs unimpeded.
Posted by: M. Simon on June 27, 2003 01:13 AM