What Hamas and Fatah agree about
After reading the news this week about the way the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement is falling apart, you might think that the two terror organizations don't agree on very much. But you'd be wrong. Khaled Abu Toameh tells us about some of the areas of agreement between Hamas and Fatah. Both parties agree on the need to restrict freedom of speech and the media. The two Palestinian governments continue to display intolerance toward any form of criticism, regardless of its source.I'd add one other thing: They both agree that they would like to destroy (God forbid) the State of Israel.
Palestinian journalists and political activists who dare to criticize the governments in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip face arrest, harassment and intimidation. This explains why there is not a single Palestinian opposition newspaper in the West Bank or in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas and Fatah also agree on the need for each party to stay in power at all costs. That's why they don't want to hold new elections. In many ways, the status quo is not bad for the two parties.
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority continues to receive millions of dollars in financial aid from the international community. The Palestinian Authority's leaders hold Israeli-issued VIP cards that allow them to travel freely, especially to fancy hotels and restaurants in Tel Aviv.
The VIP cards also allow the Palestinian leaders to pass through Israeli checkpoints without having to wait in line together with ordinary Palestinians.
The status quo is also good for the Palestinian Authority leadership because it is no longer being held responsible for what happens in the Gaza Strip. For example, no one holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israel.
Hamas, on the other hand, has learned from the Palestinian Authority that, in order to stay in power, it must tighten its grip over the population in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas and Fatah agree that democracy and transparency is something that they can live without. They share the perception that repressive police states are the only way to control their people.
Finally, Hamas and Fatah agree on the need to blame Israel all the time for the miseries of the Palestinians. Neither party is prepared to accept responsibility for any wrongdoing.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Hamas, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Palestinian Authority
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:12 PM
1 Comments:
Yup. The only reason why they aren't getting in bed together is personality... Hamas simply cannot abide Fayyad. But absent that, they'd be off on their summer honeymoon!
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