Peace In Pieces

Tuesday, June 17, 2003
By: Tashbih Sayyed

The Arab-Israeli conflict is unlike any other political or regional conflict in modern history. In past territorial disputes, the parties were only interested in having their violated rights restored. Their goals never included the total annihilation of the opposite party. In the present conflict, while Israel has accepted the right of Palestinians to have their own state, radical Islamist leaders wants the total destruction of the Jewish people. Also, in past conflicts, negotiations, once commenced, almost always led to some resolution because the leaders participating in the negotiations enjoyed the total and unconditional backing of their people. In the Israeli - Palestinian conflict no negotiating Palestinian leader represents the popular mood of the street which is controlled by militant Islamists.
The grip of the radical Islamists is so strong over the Palestinian street that Mahmoud Abbas's summit speech at Aqaba prompted not only violent demonstrations in Gaza but raised demands for his resignation as well. Like a criminal, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority had to defend his position on every issue that the radical Islamists have kept alive to keep the conflict going. He was chided for making a "concession" on the right of return for Palestinian refugees, "ignoring" the issue of Palestinian prisoners and failing to refer to Yasser Arafat's virtual house arrest in Ramallah.

People wondering why peace negotiations between Palestinian and Israelis always fail will have to acquaint themselves with the a variety of elements of this riddle. Israeli leaders enter negotiations with the knowledge that their people want peace and are willing to live side by side with Palestinians. But any Palestinian leader who shows any inclination for peace, like Mahmoud Abbas, does not have the benefit of the same unity of purpose in his people. Palestinians are no longer a united people. They are fragmented and confused.

A majority of them, who were once known for their secular leanings have been hijacked by a radical Islamist leadership and others are being lynched as collaborators. Their "leader," Yasser Arafat, who originally owed his leadership to Communists in the Soviet Kremlin and rulers like Gemal Abdul Nasser in the Arab world, has always been a power hungry, corrupt and incompetent. He is a prisoner of his own greed. He has allowed himself to be led by the anti-Semitic Islamist fundamentalists with the result that today, the true power to direct the course of events in the region is not with the peaceful and secular Palestinian leadership but with radical Islamists like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

Thus, the players that matter in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict do not include moderates like Mahmoud Abbas, but Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Yasser Arafat. Mahmoud Abbas, the choice of moderates as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority does not seem to factor in at all.

The road map, therefore is doomed to fail if it does not concede the influential role Hamas and Islamic Jihad play in the region, especially at a grassroots level. The road map also ignores the level of Saudi and Iranian involvement in this conflict. When Bush, in Aqaba, Jordan accepted Mahmoud Abbas's plan to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas, Bush allowed himself to be manipulated by these forces. Hamas cannot be allowed to have any role in the peace process. It has to be disarmed and eliminated. This failure is a clear mistake and illustrates the real threat radical Islamism poses, which the US is still not fully appreciating.

So, it seems that the US must make an effort to understand what Hamas and company really want in contrast to what the road map will offer. First, the US must realize that any plan that aims for a two-state solution is anathema to Hamas. It is committed to the creation of a single, Islamic state in all of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Therefore any road map that seeks to accommodate Hamas is bound to fail, since it will not include the dis-establishment of Israel itself. Second, the US should note that every time Hamas is included as a partner in negotiations, it uses the time to rest and rearm. In my view failing to recognize the real thorns in the region is at the root of all previous failures attempting to achieve a peace in the Middle East.

Instead of reevaluating the real situation and key players at hand, Mr. Annan and Colin Powell are going to be at a second meeting of the "Quartet" at Aqaba again. I wonder why Mr. Annan and Colin Powell bother since Yasser Arafat is still in power and Hamas is protesting in the streets while Mahmoud Abbas looks on, crippled by the fear of a Palestinian civil war if he attempts to disarm them along with Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Mr. Bush should realize that he will join the list of US Presidents who have failed to resolve the Middle East crisis unless his administration:

1) Empowers Mahmoud Abbas by freeing him from Hamas. If the quartet forces eradicate Islamist terrorism without involving Mahmoud Abbas, it can be achieved. The news that U.S. forces may help "root out terrorism" by taking aim at Hamas is a step in the right direction. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said American forces might be part of an international force to help stop attacks by Hamas, the main group behind a campaign of suicide bombings against Israelis, and other groups.

2) US Spends more political capital by establishing beyond any doubt that it means business. US should make it clear to all the parties concerned that radical Islamist domination will not be allowed to overwhelm moderation and justice. I believe that President Bush recognizes the importance of his role by statements he has made including, "The free world and those who love freedom and peace must deal harshly with Hamas…,"and "I believe peace is possible ... until these people are brought to justice, those who will kill innocent people in order to deny the establishment of a Palestinian state, there will be violence."

3) Once Hamas is eradicated, Mahmoud Abbas will have no excuses to implement the "road map" for peace. But to make sure that Hamas is not revived, the quartet will have to encourage the PA administration to reform the educational system in Palestinian schools that continues to exhort the "Muslims" to wage jihad against the Jewish state of Israel. The Palestinian Authority PM will also have to be persuaded to ensure that the pulpits in the mosques are prevented from indoctrinating anti-Semitism among the "faithful."

Without drying up the wells of hatred, the Hamas ethos will never die since the elimination of senior leadership within Hamas simply allows a dozen more radicals to fill the void.

4) Lastly, the quartet must understand that true stability will follow the establishment of a truly secular Palestinian security force. Since only a secular Palestinian security apparatus can keep militant and radical Islamism from taking roots. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas should be helped in the organization of a true secular Palestinian security force.