One PA - with Hamas - Haaretz

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Mon., December 03, 2007 Kislev 23, 5768

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Last update - 10:58 02/12/2007

One PA - with Hamas

By Zvi Bar'el

Tags: Hamas, Israel, Annapolis

As much as the Annapolis conference sought to be "in favor" of the peace process, it measured its success in its ability to be "against" - against Iran, against Hezbollah, against Syria and against Hamas. This is an ostensibly simple and convincing method of measurement. The more Arab leaders at the conference's gala dinner, the greater the victory of the "against" forces: Iran became more isolated, Hamas was pushed into a corner and Hezbollah remained alone. This is one way to assess the conference, but it will turn out to be meaningless when the time comes soon to pay the Annapolis IOUs.

Take, for example, the question of isolating Hamas. This chapter should particularly interest Israel because Hamas is the key to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' ability to demonstrate his "partnerability." According to the "Bush test," which requires "destroying the infrastructures of terror," there is no gray area: Hamas must be dismantled. Abbas not only needs to disarm the Hamas army, crush the Qassam cells and jail the wanted men. He must also take apart Hamas' organizational framework, its civic infrastructure, schools and health clinics. He will be judged by these steps, which Israel will require as initial proof of implementing the road map.

But what about the many people who support Hamas - not because they are more religious, but because the movement was perceived a year ago as a worthy alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization's corruption? Even today, despite a drop in Hamas' popularity, especially after its takeover of Gaza in June and the street battles against ordinary citizens, Hamas is regarded as more than a terror organization. It is seen as a political movement that does not recognize Israel and rejects negotiations with it - principles that have considerable support among the Palestinian people.

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Therefore, Abbas' staying power as a partner (assuming Olmert proves to be an Israeli partner) will not hinge on a suitable formula for the refugee problem, or an acceptable demarcation of East Jerusalem's borders, or even on an agreement on the aquifers. It will hinge on the Palestinians putting their house in order. Abbas speaks about 6,000 or so square kilometers of the state he seeks to receive from Israel, while Gaza, an inseparable part of this state, is currently ruled by a rival - in fact, enemy - government.

Waging a real war against Hamas would resemble a Lebanese attempt to wage war against Hezbollah. That is, it would be impossible without completely shattering Palestinian society. It would be a civil war that splits neighborhoods and families. The other alternative is to return to national dialogue and the framework of understandings established in the prisoners' document, which ultimately led to a national unity government. This in turn was boycotted by Israel and most of the world.

True, even if this path is successful, it will not allow for a peace accord soon. As long as Hamas does not recognize Israel and rejects negotiations, its participation in a unity government will not reverse its policy. At most, it will allow Abbas to continue to conduct negotiations with Israel as PLO chairman without obligating Hamas to the results. In fact, this would create an identical situation to the one before and during Annapolis: negotiations with Israel that do not obligate the entire Palestinian people.

But there would be one significant difference. The Palestinian Authority would maintain one army and one system of law in a united territory, and would represent the entire Palestinian people. It would be more difficult to conduct negotiations with this PA, and even more so, to reach an agreement with it within a year or five years. But it would at least be possible to agree on managing everyday life in a reasonable way. And this would be no small accomplishment - not only for the Palestinians, but mainly for future agreements. Without this, it would perhaps be possible to sign impressive documents, but these would only be documents.

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1.	http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/928781.html	11:13	\|	Dalia Shhori	02/12/07

2.	Do you think we are stupid??	12:14	\|	Zev	02/12/07

3.	putting the cart before the horse	12:31	\|	David Hoffman	02/12/07

4.	Zvi Bar`el: do you really know what you are talking about?	12:47	\|	S	02/12/07

5.	Only without Hamas can there be lasting peace	13:02	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

6.	more and more waffle! alice is reborn a return to wonderland	13:18	\|	victor hardman	02/12/07

7.	ABBAS AND HIS ANNAPOLIS HENCHMEN SHOULD GO FIRST	13:20	\|	indrajaya	02/12/07

8.	Israel as the State of the Jewish people	13:52	\|	real vision	02/12/07

9.	one hundred year truce	13:56	\|	habakook	02/12/07

10.	Isolating the terrorists	14:26	\|	KUTW	02/12/07

11.	3.David Hoffman: putting the cart before the horse	14:30	\|	KUTW	02/12/07

12.	5.British Leftie: without Hamas	14:32	\|	KUTW	02/12/07

13.	8.real vision: Israel is the state of the Jews people	14:35	\|	KUTW	02/12/07

14.	No minority government can speak for a nation	15:15	\|	Mark Lincoln	02/12/07

15.	BRITISH leftie try reading outside collective approved material	15:22	\|	PETER S.M.	02/12/07

16.	#5 KUTW (1)	15:38	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

17.	#5 KUTW (2)	15:44	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

18.	#4 S	15:49	\|	Courcey	02/12/07

19.	#5 KUTW (3)	15:50	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

20.	#5 KUTW (4)	15:51	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

21.	To British leftie...be happy Marx love you	18:35	\|	The stupid ant	02/12/07

22.	British Leftie & Arafat	18:50	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	02/12/07

23.	Israel`s talking to itself	18:53	\|	Walter	02/12/07

24.	#21 The stupid ant to the British leftie	18:54	\|	H	02/12/07

25.	Peter, SM, why limit it to Hamas? PLO charter is no better	18:59	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	02/12/07

26.	sorry Courcey Israelis are not `White` and pals not nonwhite	19:02	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	02/12/07

27.	Zvi Bar`el, Well said!	19:13	\|	Dutch Gordan	02/12/07

28.	Courcey #18	19:22	\|	S	02/12/07

29.	#22 Margie	19:49	\|	British Leftie	02/12/07

30.	#27 Zvi Bar`el, Add the folks in South America and Lapland ....	21:33	\|	Dutch	02/12/07

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