Interesting article: http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=272688&rel_no=1
"With Hamas's landslide victory in the Palestinian elections breaking years of political stagnation, we are witnessing, right before our eyes, a chapter of history being made. Those of us directly touched by this conflict are more than witnesses; rather, we are actors who will define the sequel to this chapter. Expectations of the global debate about when, if, and how the world will acknowledge the results of the Palestinians' internationally-observed, free, and democratic elections are still building. The actions of everyone and everything involved are being assessed very carefully on the basis of this new reality." -------- "Three Ironies The first irony of the situation is that Palestinians practiced a form of democracy while under occupation, possibly the first instance of this in world history. George Orwell would have had a ball with this. In a nutshell, Palestinians simply voted their realities: the reality of a failed peace process, of a road map that has led to the Wall of Separation, and of a corrupt government propped up by the same funds that are now threatened with being cut off. Palestinians have been fully aware that real democracy could not be implemented given their difficult circumstances, but that did not keep them from conducting an electoral process that would include the third of their people who live under Israeli military occupation on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians have also been fully aware that elections are only one element of democracy and that without the other elements - freedom to organize, freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of the press, etc., - the elections will have been a wasted effort. Furthermore, after a decade and more of trying to negotiate with the Israelis, Palestinians have no illusions that better governance for them must entail the dismantling of the colonial occupation that suffocates their existence. Secondly, Yasser Arafat's Fatah party incurred a signal defeat under Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who steamrollered Palestinians through a process that brought about the party's downfall. This is definitely a first in this part of the world. Despite one's political perspective, it is apparent that President Abbas was attempting, through elections and other means, to craft a state-building institution with the potential to serve Palestinians long after his own term ended. Whether this was an intended outcome or a by-product of a plan to bring Hamas into the political framework and break the historic monopoly that Fatah came to enjoy is still unknown, but the process has been a healthy one. It may be true that President Abbas did too little too late, but we cannot forget the colossal mess that he inherited (and contributed to for so many years) both internally and in the face of unrelenting Israeli aggression. The third irony of the times is that Israel's strategy of "Unilateral Disengagement" from Gaza is a failure and has contributed to bringing Hamas to power. Even U.S. President Bush's declaring Sharon to be "a man of peace" cannot disguise the continuing death grip on Gaza. Such historic mistakes by Israel are not new. For example, when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon after an occupation of more than 20 years it left under its control the Lebanese Shabba Farms, which remain a flashpoint. Likewise, the Gaza "disengagement" left Israel in violation of international law. To claim disengagement from Gaza, leaving the military occupation fully in control, was a strategy that even Hamas would have had a hard time designing as part of its election campaign. Israel is well known for making partial gestures, ones that serve a public relations more than a peace agenda. This Israeli blunder was only outdone by the infamous "generous offer" scam Israel made following the failed Camp David II talks, in essence making "generous offers" for internal consumption and pretending to the world that the Palestinian side refused a feasible solution." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:195988 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
