Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian National Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, held a talk in Jerusalem on August 28. In this "constructive" talk, the two sides discussed the fundamental problems in the realization of "Israeli-Palestinian coexistence programs."
This is the second talk between the two after less than a month, as well as a symbol indicating the warming relations between the two countries.
It is undoubtedly good for them to resume the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and accelerate the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, it is not wise to exclude the decisive Palestinian political force, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), from peace talks. As long as Palestine continues to be in a state of internal division, it is not possible for the two to reach agreement on core issues such as "final borders" and "Jerusalem." Even if the two sign an agreement, they would not be able to fulfill it. Currently, the Gaza Strip is under the control of Hamas. Abbas cannot ignore the Gaza Strip, a region containing one third of the population of Palestine, and would not hastily sign any agreement with Israel alone. Many Palestinian people also wish that Fatah and Hamas could join hands in power by bridging the differences and disputes between them. This is the only way to make the dream of the establishment of the Palestinian nation come true. Therefore, in addition to winning over most extensive support from international community, Abbas and the Palestinian transitional government should properly handle the relations with Hamas by restoring dialogue and achieving unity, so as to protect the most prominent Palestinian national interests.
However, both the United States and Israel consider Hamas to be "a terrorist organization." Weakening and eliminating Hamas is the goal of the United States. Just two days before the talks between Olmert and Abbas, a principal Israeli security official issued a warning at the routine cabinet meeting, claiming that Hamas was planning a "large-scale" suicide attack within Israeli territory in order to prevent the Abbas-led Palestinian National Authority and Israel from reaching any peace agreement. He also said that there was an increase in smuggling weapons along the border between Gaza and Egypt. Over the past two months, 40 tons of weaponry and ammunition has been transported to Gaza through underground tunnels.
At the moment when the international community is striving to push forward the Palestinian-Israeli talks and speed up the international conference on the Middle East issue, Israel has stressed the "terrorist" nature of Hamas to further isolate the organization and make way for a military strike on Gaza.
After Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in June of this year, the Israeli army intensified military strikes and continuously launched ground and air raids in the region. Recently, the Israeli army launched a series of violent strikes against Palestinian militants who attacked Israel with mortar shells and homemade rockets. From June 20 to 23, the Israeli army killed more than 10 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members, and was responsible for the deaths of two Palestinian children. However, the beleaguered Hamas did not give in. Exiled Hamas political leader in Syria, Khaled Meshaal, said that as long as Israel does not end its occupation of Palestine, does not stop constructing settlements in the occupied territories, and does not recognize the rights of Palestinians, resistance is the organization's "only option".
When shooting the movie "Munich", Jewish-American director Steven Spielberg said, "Using a 'response' to confront a 'response' will not solve any problems. It will only create a 'perpetual' retaliatory mechanism." The confrontation between Hamas and the Israeli army is actually such a "violence for violence" vicious cycle. As long as the violent conflict between Palestine and Israel continues, Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations will not make any progress.
It appears that determining how to involve Hamas rationally and effectively in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is an unavoidable topic for all parties.
By People's Daily Online
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