The Peace Progress: has there been any? (Part B) - By Yahal Porat
The Peace Progress: Has there been any? (part B)- by Yahal Porat
So, as it was stated in part A, new surprising initiative occurred in the Middle East lately: the prisoners’ document. Very briefly (read more in part A) a few different figures of Palestinian public who are prisoners in Israel at the moment, have joined to agree on national reconciliation. Among other things they agreed to recognize Israel and therefore to only demand a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, i.e. west bank and Gaza strip. Abbas, the PA (Palestinian authority) president decides to use the new agreement as a tool to create some progress: he gave an ultimatum to the Hamas extremist government to adopt the new document till last weekend or he will order a referendum.
Since last week many different things have happened. First, the ultimatum dead line was crossed while the Hamas Prime Minister, Hanya, did not adopt the new document. Therefore president Abbas announced a referendum, taking place on July 31st. this is a major risk by president Abbas: if the referendum outcome will be “no” to the prisoners’ document, Abbas may have to leave the position. If the voters will say “yes” to prisoners document, how will Abbas promote it when his government are opposing it?
Another significant change in the last week is the official end of the non-official ceasefire. After about a year of very low level fighting between Israel and Palestinian terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, those groups announced the end of the “Tahadia” (Arabic for temporary ceasefire) with Israel. That was due to several reasons, one of them due to Israel’s moves in the west bank and Gaza strip (such as assassinating top terrorists); another one is a strategic decision to fight Israel before the realignment plan. (Realignment plan: Prime Minister Olmert’s planned to evacuate most of the west bank unilaterally).
While Hamas took that decision, the outcome was a “rain” of rockets, called “Kasam”, from the Gaza strip into nearby Israeli towns and villages. In few cases few people were injured and a lot of damage was caused to property. Israel struck back by killing the people that launched the rockets, but also again assassinating Hamas leaders. In one of those cases 11 were killed, among them were 8 civilians. In the car that was bombed by Israel’s air force one can see a new rocket, “Grad”, meant to be fire deep into Israeli town of Ashkelon to hit the citizens of the place.
Of course Israel has apologized and Hamas announced their men would pay back; and this is going again back to the so familiar blood shed cycle.
So what difference will the prisoners’ document may create? By now 2-3 of the 5 who signed it backed their agreement. So is it just another document to be forgotten soon?
Well it may be different in this case. This is to do more with internal Palestinian life then with anything less. President Abbas might use the prisoners’ document to oppose Hamas government. If the referendum is good for Abbas, voters will adopt the prisoners’ document. This means that Abbas will have the legitimacy of the public to either dismiss Hamas government or call new elections or to make Hamas agree to the prisoners’ document – and therefore start negotiating with Israel.
In the mean time, Prime Minister Olmert visited London and declared Israel will never give up all the west bank, while president Abbas said Israel is operating “a state terrorism against the Palestinian people”. So will it soon end?
For more info read:
www.haaretz.com
www.jpost.com
www.ynet.com
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC07.php?CID=298
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2473
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