[Mb-civic] IMPORTANT: Don't rush to judge with Hamas in power - Shlomo Gazit - Boston Globe

[William Swiggard]

  Don't rush to judge with Hamas in power

By Shlomo Gazit  |  February 23, 2006  |  The Boston Globe

IT IS TOO early to determine whether we should deplore the 
Hamas-dominated Palestinian legislature, which was sworn in on Saturday, 
or welcome it. The installation of the new parliament underscored the 
acute differences among Palestinian factions' relations regarding Israel.

We will be wiser in a few months' time when we see what steps are taken 
by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Israel, the United States, and the 
international community, particularly the other members of the Quartet 
for Mideast peace, including the European Union, the United Nations, and 
Russia.

But it is not too early to state that until the picture becomes clearer, 
it would be better for Israel, the United States, and the international 
community if politicians refrain from offering reflexive, obstructive 
pronouncements or legislation merely to indulge voters. On the contrary, 
all of us should make it known that we are prepared to meet with any 
leadership that is ready to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. 
And then we must wait until the Hamas-led Palestinian government begins 
to implement policies.

One positive outcome of the election results is that they did away with 
the screen of political and diplomatic illusions that allowed all sides 
to ignore reality and that also served as an excuse to refrain from 
making difficult and inevitable decisions. Despite illusory and wishful 
thinking, the fate of Fatah was written on the wall in huge letters. The 
recent elections in cities and local councils indicated a clear victory 
for Hamas. Twelve years of Palestine Liberation Organization leadership 
in the territories had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the PLO is 
not ready to become a legitimate state with a strong and stable 
government, a uniform security force, and an uncorrupted civil service. 
In this respect, it is better that the die has been cast, because we 
have saved ourselves another four to six years of treading water.

The Hamas victory is also a death sentence for the ''Road Map," and 
this, too, is a blessing. It put an end to the illusory idea that there 
is a political solution that is already acceptable to all sides of the 
Israel-Palestinian conflict. As long as politicians could cite this 
misguided and worthless plan, they had the excuse not to look for other 
ways to extricate ourselves from the dead end that we have reached.

The road map was not a solution -- not even an outline sketch of the 
solution. It proposed methodical steps for dealing with the problem. 
However, the first item in the plan served only to explain the lack of 
action on both sides: It necessitated that the Palestinian Authority 
''destroy the terrorist infrastructure" and that Israel dismantle the 
illegal outposts in the West Bank and stop the expansion of settlements. 
But neither side took the first step, saying that the other side had not 
done so. Now, with the map laid to rest, all sides need to look for 
alternatives.

The biggest screen of illusions may turn out to be the Hamas movement 
itself, with its noncompromising platform endorsing the establishment of 
an Islamic Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean 
Sea. This same platform excludes any solution that recognizes the 
existence of the State of Israel within any borders whatsoever.

The Hamas victory, which calls for the establishment of a Hamas 
government, presents three challenges to the movement's leaders, and a 
fundamental question is whether they see the same things from their 
government seats that they saw from the opposition.

Their first challenge is internal, arising from their having to rule 
three million Palestinians and provide basic services to them. Their 
second is to ensure the continuous flow of money from donor countries. 
The third test, which is of the greatest concern to Israelis, is whether 
they adhere to their policy of ''everything for us" and continue their 
armed struggle against the occupation of all of Palestine.

Many in the Hamas movement seem to be signaling that they understand the 
need to alter course. However, we cannot know yet whether their views 
will succeed. Until we know where the new Hamas government is heading, 
we must withhold judgments and simplistic declarations. If we Israelis 
determine that we have no partner on the Palestinian side, we can always 
take a unilateral position behind our security barrier and the borders 
that we delineate unilaterally.

Retired General Shlomo Gazit, a member of Israel Policy Forum's Israel 
Advisory Council and of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel 
Aviv University, served as head of Israel's Military Intelligence and as 
coordinator of Israeli Government Operations in the occupied territories.  

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/23/dont_rush_to_judge_with_hamas_in_power/
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