Abbas Goes over Hamas’ Head on Borders

Democracy is better in action that in theory sometimes. Faced with an elected Hamas government that doesn’t want to face political realities, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, not of Hamas, has said the government has 10 days to recognize Israel implicitly, or he’ll hold a referendum on the issue and take the matter out of Hamas’ hands. Nothing undermines those who claim to speak for the people more than asking the people what they want.

The rush stems from armed clashes in Gaza between armed thugs who back Hamas and armed thugs who back the Fatah Party of the president. A Palestinian Civil War is the one thing that could actually make peace prospects in the region even worse. Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, a Hamas man, said, “"The best thing that we can work on is to remain united -- to work together. We are now passing through a very critical moment where all of us need to be behave [sic] very responsibly . . . so that we can face all the challenges internally and externally.”

The issue in question is detailed in a 5-page document crafted by leaders of Hamas and Fatah, some currently in Israeli jails, and it calls for a Palestinian state to be created in the Occupied Territories that Israel has held by force since 1967. The prisoners, “all discussed it together, and they came up with this product, which I think is a great product,” President Abbas said. It is a de facto recognition of Israel’s existence, something which Hamas has refused to make for years.

Then he dropped the Palestinian equivalent of The Bomb, “In 10 days you [the Hamas government] have to decide; you have to agree. If you don’t agree, then I will say that frankly none of us will be responsible, and in 40 days, I will call for a referendum. I will ask my people directly whether they accept or do not accept this document.”

Nothing would make Hamas a lame-duck regime quicker than having the people accept the deal after the government rejected it. The Hamas politicos will have to come up with an air-tight reason to reject this, or they will have to back it. Of course, there is a single nightmare scenario in which both the government and the people turn it down. Then, there would be a Palestinian side in the talks with no clear set of demands. President Abbas is betting that the people are more moderate than the government. In most polities, they are – the world will know in 10 days if Hamas has the nerve to find out.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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