By George T. Wise
The situation in the Middle East is more complicated than ever. For years there have two factions, each representing a different side of the Palestinian movement: Fatah, the more moderate group, and Hamas, the more radical group. The latter is considered by many countries to be a terrorist organization. They currently are in control of Gaza, while Fatah rules the West Bank. The two groups have stated publicly that they have united and are one organization. The reason is obvious; they want to reach an agreement with the State of Israel so as to form a country of their own and join the United Nations.
There are several problems with that. First, Hamas has not withdrawn its terrorist ideology and has not recognized Israel’s right to exist, nor reversed its promotion of violence. Many countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization and refuse to give them official recognition. Among those countries are the United States, England, and Israel.
Since the two organizations have stated that they are now united, technically under the name Fatah, they want the world to negotiate with them and give them official recognition. So to all the world, Hamas appears to have disappeared. Frankly, I don’t believe it.
Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for some time and has no intention of stopping. They fire as many as six hundred rockets per day into Israel. Their brutality and callousness is only exceeded by their ineptitude, as most of the rockets are ineffective, or are intercepted by Israel’s high-tech Iron Dome system. The only missile that has been effective is the one which destroyed a gas station, although shrapnel from another one injured an Israeli citizen.
Despite claims that they seek peace, however, there will be no negotiation with the new organization until Hamas gives up its long standing opposition to Israel’s right to exist, and its violent actions as well.
Furthermore, I believe that Israel will demand actions instead of mere words, particularly in view of the ongoing rocket attacks. There is a long standing axiom in Israel. It states the following: “What would happen if the Palestinians laid down their arms. The answer is that there would be peace between the Palestinians and Israel.” Then it continues: “What would happen if Israel laid down its arms? The answer is that Israel would be wiped out and destroyed.”
So, as good as their stated intentions may be, the only way the new organization can expect to have meaningful negotiations with Israel is for both Hamas and Fatah to lay down their arms and declare themselves to now be a peaceful organization. Let’s be clear: the only reason for them to maintain the arsenal they have is to attack Israel. There is no other country in the area preparing to attack them. Their only enemy, as stated by them, is Israel. Therefore, they haven nothing to lose and a lot to gain by laying down their arms. However, they will never do it.
Finally, I must commend the State of Israel on it’s restraint. Hamas has been firing a huge number of rockets into Israel on a daily basis; Israel bides its time and asks them to stop. Every so often Israel drops leaflets into Gaza telling residents that they are about to be bombed, and telling them as well where the bombs will fall…all to give the civilians time to get away and thereby avoid civilian casualties. How long does one believe the United States would stand idly by if Canada or Mexico were to start firing rockets into the United States? The fact is, if Israel wanted to do so, it could simply state: “Stop firing rockets into our country or we will bomb Gaza out of existence.” And it would be a simple matter to do so.
So, the Palestinians have a clear choice, but in my estimation, they will never lay down their arms nor will they ever make a serious effort to negotiate with Israel. Instead they will keep doing what they are now doing and hope the world will support them, simply because the world as a whole still displays an enormous degree of anti-Semitism. The late Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir, said it best: “This won’t stop until they love their children more than they hate us.”
George T. Wise is a La Jolla resident, published author and frequent contributor to online blogs.
