The only democracy in the Middle East

http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=10623

By: Remi Kanazi

On January 25, HAMAS surprised the world with a dominating victory in the first
Palestinian parliamentary elections in ten years. Although the world was
stunned, the case for HAMAS, and more importantly the case against FATAH, was
made over the last few months by the actions of each group.

FATAH, already rife with corruption and disorder, accomplished little since the
passing of YASSER ARAFAT 14 months ago. Following Abu Mazen?s election, the
occupation raged on, Israel endorsed then skirted the Sharm Al Sheik cease-fire,
and unemployment, poverty and malnutrition rose subsequent to the unilateral
?disengagement.? Israel also reneged on its commitment to a passageway between
the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, while internal fighting consumed the Occupied
Territories. Moreover, FATAH?s image of being the ?Western ticket? was
reinforced after a report exposed that the U.S. paid nearly two million dollars
to fund FATAH?s campaign. The defeat in the parliamentary elections exemplified
the failures of the group over the last 15 years and more directly the failures
over the last 14 months.

FATAH took on the role of absolute power inside the Occupied Territories, yet
played pawn to the West and Israel, and lost sight of the reason for its
creation?the liberation of the Palestinian people. In the end, Palestinians were
put into a precarious position: Vote for conservatism or vote for corruption.
With the vote for conservatism, however, came the possibility of stability,
improved social programs, and a long needed crackdown on corruption.
Conservative HAMAS glided into the finish line victorious.

One cannot solely blame FATAH for its loss. America, Israel, and the European
Union delivered the Palestinians a blunt message, ?Do not elect Hamas?or else.?
This?coupled with the collapsing of FATAH and its lack of commitment to rebuild
infrastructure and social programs?energized the pro-Hamas movement who rejected
Western influence. The world witnessed a similar occurrence in Iran before their
elections, ?Go moderate?or else.? Yet, the people of the Middle East don?t deal
well with threats from the West?especially those who don?t have the slightest
interest in democracy. Instead of building a base of legitimacy for Abu Mazen
and supporting progressive and democratic movements in Palestine, America and
Israel undermined the very process.

Israel foolishly believed that it could deligitimize ABU MAZEN and FATAH to the
point of non-negotiation without a viable alternative emerging within
Palestinian society. America, as usual, went along for the ride to preserve its
interests.

These elections have proven the failure of unilateralism. An occupier cannot
force the occupied into concession by pretending they don?t exist. In this case,
the occupied shifted towards a conservative movement that does a better job
feeding Palestinian children, sending them to school, and rebuilding bulldozed
houses. HAMAS chose to fight against injustice, rather than give into it. While
some of HAMAS' methods in the past, i.e. bomb attacks and targetting civilian
population, are morally reprehensible, they were fighting against the injustice
of occupation?the same could not be said for ABU MAZEN and FATAH.

What Will Happen to the Peace Process?

Since the election of HAMAS, the world has been terrified that the peace process
will collapse. Yet the peace process died a long time ago. Since ABU MAZEN's
election last year, Israel has denied him as a negotiating partner, America
refused to bolster his image on the international front and the international
community reneged on their commitments to help bring stability to his people.
But this had to be the case. If it were not, Israel would not have been able to
further Judaize Jerusalem, continue the construction of the Apartheid Wall
(completion is expected by 2007), expand settlements, displace indigenous
Palestinians, appropriate land, and continue its tactics of extrajudicial
assassinations and mass arrests.

Unfortunately, this process has undermined peaceful voices. The West and Israel
ignored the progressive and non-violent movement in the Palestinian territories.
The U.S. only backed FATAH in the weeks leading up to the election in fear of a
strong Hamas showing, not because the US thought they were backing a more
democratic choice. But America could not endorse a Palestinian movement that
fought for equal human, land, water, and refugee rights.

They could not embrace this movement because it would legitimize the Palestinian
people based on peace, international law and justice. And they further rejected
it because Israel refused to concede to international law and the 1967
borders?the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Israel?s rejection is
indicative of their unwillingness to recognize the dispossession of 780,000
Palestinians in 1948, the refusal of those refugees to return to their homes
based on international law, and the right of reparations (received by the
dispossessing force). It is easier to turn the spotlight on HAMAS, an
organization that only killed one Israeli in 2005 (while Israel killed more than
250 Palestinians during the same year, which included nearly eleven months of
the Sharm al-Sheikh cease-fire), as the cause for the breakdown in peace. But
actions speak louder than words. Look at the facts on the ground. Who has been
driving whom to the sea for the last 58 years?

http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=10623

Alan

"Can't you see we're still here,
Can't you see we're still here,
Singing loud; Singing clear,
We shall not go under,
We're still here."

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