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Ali Abunimah: Questions about “Hamas-Fatah reconciliation”

By Ali Abunimah – Electronic Intifada – 04/27/2011
  • Elections: What is the point of having elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip once more under conditions of brutal Israeli military occupation, siege and control? Neither the West Bank government nor the Gaza government are truly in control of the fate of Palestinians. The power lies in Israel’s hands. As I wrote recently, such elections only further the illusion of self-governance while doing nothing to challenge or change actual Israeli control. And, when there is so much political repression in the West Bank, and indeed in Gaza, how can we have a guarantee of free elections?
  • Reform of the PLO: If Hamas and Abbas made a deal to reform the PLO which just includes adding Hamas to the dead body of the PLO how will that serve the Palestinian people? What about elections for the Palestinian National Council that include ALL Palestinians, including the majority which does not live in the 1967 occupied territories? A deal where Abbas and Hamas make a cozy deal to share seats in an undemocratic PLO is simply unacceptable.
  • More broadly, the goal for Palestinians should not be “unity” among factions, but unity of goals for the Palestinian people. What is the purpose and platform of the planned “transitional government” other than merely to exist? A real Palestinian strategy that unites all segments of the Palestinian people has been articulated by the BDS movement:

(a) an end to occupation and colonization of the 1967 territories; (b) full equality and an end to all forms of discrimination against Palestinians in the 1948 areas (“Israel”); and (c) full respect and implementation of the rights of Palestinian refugees.

Notably neither Fatah Abbas nor Hamas have endorsed this campaign, and neither has articulated a realistic strategy aimed at restoring the rights of all Palestinians. … Full post

April 28, 2011 - Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Solidarity and Activism, Timeless or most popular

2 Comments »

  1. Ali Abunimah is a man with a working brain but the others will screw things up and nothing will ever be accomplished.
    Too many cooks spoil the broth.

    Like

    B.Benhamid's avatar Comment by B.Benhamid | April 28, 2011 | Reply

  2. Ali,

    I am no expert, merely concerned world citizen. With that caveat I humbly suggest:
    a) you are right to have the PLA disbanded and to throw it all back to the occupying powers vs. enabling the occupiers. This would be closer to the true situation.
    b) you should also throw it all back to the UN. I haven’t researched this but I suspect that the initial establishment of the State of Israel violates the (stated, official) founding principles of the UN which involves issues pertaining to national sovereignty and suchlike; even if this is not the case, the subsequent conduct of Israel has violated the original deal.

    So I think you should have the Palestinian people draft a formal Common Law Claim of Right to determine their own destiny free of any outside (hostile) interference from non-local powers and interests such as the so-called ‘state’ of Israel, the UN, other foreign governments and so forth and that if this claim is not acknowledged and passed into international law that the UN and Israel and any other nations not in agreement are in violation of international law themselves.

    The point is to proclaim independence from unjust, unlawful occupation and tyranny.

    Force the UN, the West and Israel to admit they are hostile, unlawful occupiers. And in so doing hopefully inspire them to change.

    Like

    ash's avatar Comment by ash | April 28, 2011 | Reply


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