Today's unity sends strong message to Israel, say Palestinian factions

In a solid show of unity, Palestinian factions joined Palestinian Unity Government ministers and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Gaza on Thursday to denounce the violent military operations against civilians in the West Bank, and warned of revolution.

Dr Ahmed Bahar, Speaker of the Gaza PLC, stressed that the detention of Dr Aziz Duwaik, the President of the PLC, represents an attack on democratic freedoms that Arab and international parliaments cannot afford to ignore.

The Israeli assaults, targeting former ministers and members of the PLC, university lecturers, students, human rights activists and ex-detainees, have seen 280 civilians detained in the last six days, more than 200 of them members of Hamas.

“We will defend ourselves against this violence by all means possible, and we call on Arab and Muslim leaders and international organisations to stand up to the escalating aggression, and put pressure on Israel to abide by international law,” said Bahar.

It is increasingly perceived that the three missing settlers are but pawns in Netanyahu’s political game; providing an opportunity for Israel to crack down on Hamas to distract attention from hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners; split the unity government and incapacitate Hamas as a political force.

These perceptions are amply supported by a plethora of editorials, commentaries and statements appearing in recent days throughout the Israeli media. Israeli security and military personnel have openly pledged to destroy not only Hamas political infrastructure, but also its social and religious institutions, and the government is considering demolition of the houses of its leaders, and their deportation to Gaza.

As a strategy, it is not only dangerous, but apparently not particularly effective.

Far from destroying unity, and with a few notable exceptions, the Palestinian factions are forging ever-stronger links against their common foe.

Minister of Justice in the unity government Dr Saleem Al Saqqa, Fatah representative in the PLC Dr Faisal Abu Shahla and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) representative Gameel Majdalawi joined with Hamas representative Dr Ahmed Bahar to commit to ongoing unity, and to the Palestinian prisoners.

Dr Al Saqqa confirmed that the prisoners’ issue is a unity government priority, adding, “This government represents all the Palestinian people,” while Fatah’s Dr Faisal Abu Shahla said, “We are here in one body to say that Israel is acting in vain.”

Not only in vain, but at great risk to itself – and its missing settlers, if they are indeed the victims of a political abduction.

“Israeli actions against Hamas will provoke a revolution,” Head of the PLC Security and Interior Committee and Vice-President of the Change and Reform bloc Ismail Al Ashqar said after the press conference. “The Israeli occupation should cease its violence or it will backfire on them.”

Reiterating mounting accusations that the unfettered repression unleashed by Israel is collective punishment of the Palestinian population, and that deporting Hamas leaders to Gaza is similarly illegal under international law, Al Ashqar pointed out that international law also gives Palestinians the right to resist occupation.

“The third intifada is very close, there is no doubt it is coming,” he said. “The occupation will suffer a lot, and they know it. Last century it was stones, but this century we have rockets.”

Rejecting suggestions that the Israeli attacks on Hamas are linked to Egypt’s repression of the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Ashqar stressed that the essential difference between the two is that Palestinians are under occupation, while in Egypt, it is an internal conflict.

“Since its establishment, Hamas has faced a lot of attempts to crush it, but we are still standing – we have got stronger.”

This game of brinkmanship is indeed a very dangerous ploy by Netanyahu, and a knee-jerk strategy counselled against by former senior Israeli diplomat Alon Liel in a Times of Israel report, who notes that both the first and the second Lebanon wars started with Israeli reactions to single incidents such as the settlers’ disappearance.

Pushing Hamas to the point where they have nothing to lose is hardly good statesmanship – especially when the stakes are so high.

As Al Ashqar remarked, “How did the French respond to the Nazi occupation? Throw them flowers? If it was possible to throw Israel flowers, and have them leave, then great! We will do it!”

The rampage in Hebron is anything but a floral arrangement, and it is brickbats, not bouquets, that Netanyahu will receive if he continues the carnage.

Also on the receiving end will be the international community, which has once again stood silently by while Palestinians are subjected to collective punishment and state terror, in the name of Israeli security – while Palestinian security is tossed over the shoulder of the departing bride, and all hell breaks loose.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.