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What is currently transpiring in the
Occupied Territories is by far a worst-case scenario, ironically
one made possible with the direct help of many Palestinians themselves.
The democratically elected Palestinian government is now officially
isolated, as many Palestinians cannot see beyond their own narrow
- and frankly irrelevant - ideological differences and immaterial
factionalism.
Others cannot resist their
total reliance on foreign, mostly European funds to run their
mostly self-exalting NGOs, whose tangible contribution to Palestinian
life is still disputed.
The final outcome is that turning
Palestine into another Nicaragua is working. That was the intent
from the moment Hamas was declared victorious in the Parliamentary
Elections last January. US mainstream media conveyed the over-all
feeling that an utter miscalculation in US foreign policy took
place. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice charged back, leading
a campaign of defamation and coercion aimed at politically and
financially isolating the democratically elected Palestinian
legislators, further solidifying with the former corrupt political
elite.
Similarly, Nicaragua of the
1960s and 70s seemed of little concern as long as our formidable
man, Somoza, ruled with an iron fist. His elites robbed the country
senseless until the Sandinistas vigorously emerged, toppling
him and eventually his US-armed National Guard. Predictably,
the US took on the new Sandinista government, which was described
then by the international development organization Oxfam as "exceptional..(in
its) commitment to improve the conditions of the people and encourage
their active participation in the development process."
On the other hand, it was obvious that Somoza had fled with his
country's entire movable assets.
For obvious reasons that have
more to do with US strategic reasons than the welfare of the
people of Nicaragua, the Sandinistas were labeled a 'cancer'
that had to be extracted. To do so, Nicaragua was completely
cut off, denied any form of aid and was forced to squander its
resources to fight off Somoza's former National Guard, renamed
the Contras. The rest, of course, is history. Bullied, isolated
and terrified, the people of Nicaragua couldn't withstand the
US-led multifaceted pressures, and were forced into submission,
ditching the Sandinista government in a rare democratic election,
orchestrated by the Sandinistas themselves. The human cost for
such American adventurism was of course unbearable to ordinary
Nicaraguans, though it constituted a mere continuation of US
foreign policy in Central America and all over the world.
The Palestinian case is, more
or less, being handled the same way: the multi-faceted internal
and external pressures, the unreasonable demands, the boycott
and the collective punishment. All elements are indeed falling
into place to remanufacture that same nightmarish scenario which
is hoped to eventually lead to diplomatic deadlock, regional
and international isolation and further deterioration in the
already unstable (read non-existing) Palestinian economy. On
the external front, the new Palestinian government was met almost
immediately with unfair demands of unilateral renunciation of
violence and the unconditional recognition of Israel. The fact
that Israel was not urged to reciprocate was an obvious indication
of the objective of such demands. The intent was of course discrediting
the new Palestinian government, knowing fully that it was unlikely
to succumb to such pressure.
Similarly, a regional isolation
campaign was underway, one that resulted in denying the Palestinian
government an invitation to the Sudan Arab League Summit, a sign
that Arabs are too adhering to the assigned task. The real mockery
is that various Palestinian factions too have opted to steer
away from what they sense might be a challenging and perhaps
costly period in their history. Rather than solidifying in the
face of danger, Fatah intentionally impeded Hamas' attempt to
join the new government and the socialists failed to see through
their ideological constrictions.
Unfortunately, Hamas was forced
to form a government and to seek its legislative approval alone.
The ground is now prepared for the US to unabashedly cement its
international boycott of the 'terrorist', democratically elected
Palestinian government, and for Israel, to finish off demarcating
its border as it pleases, turning the scattered leftovers of
the Occupied Territories into South African-style Bantustans.
In fact, the escalation of
the US-Israeli war is already underway as US State Department
spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters on March 27 that his
government rejects Hamas' call for dialogue, once again outlining
Washington's incongruous conditions as a stipulation to precede
any talks. Israel on the other hand, according to the Sunday
Times, is preparing a massive military campaign in the West Bank
that would continue 'until the last of the terrorists are dead
or under arrest.' Considering that Hamas has unilaterally refrained
from counter violence for over a year, Israel's anticipated campaign,
which will reportedly see the reoccupation of most population
centers, is an act of collective punishment against the Palestinian
people for electing a parliament that refuses to unconditionally
concede to Israel's egotistical definition of peace.
The bottom line is that the
stage is set for Palestinians to pay, for Israel's illegal settlements
policy to be officiated as part of the country's permanent borders
and for the US to prolong its international campaign of economic
and political suffocation. Even if Palestinians stubbornly resist
the pressure, as they most certainly will, Israel will be allowed
to dictate its own 'solution' to the conflict unhindered, for
reprimanding Israel is now equal to siding with a terrorist group.
For some Palestinian groups
to completely succumb to the role of abetting such a scenario
is most troubling. It's this thoughtlessness that has indeed
continued to expose the vulnerability of Palestinians before
Israeli and American schemes. While, in my opinion, a religious
ideology is not the most helpful formula for any Palestinian
polity and that suicide bombings were the single most tainting
act employed by Palestinians in recent years, I believe that
all Palestinians must recognize that the impending fight is of
greater consequence than the dialectics of religion and politics.
Israel is clearly reaching the final stretch in its fight to
deny Palestinians every single legitimate demand for freedom,
sovereignty and true peace and justice. Failing to see that is
tantamount to partaking in the Israeli plot to deny Palestinians
any say in the shaping of their future, which is sadly growing
dimmer by the day.
CounterPunch
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