It All Adds Up Liberals, progressives and people on the left, have, as a rule, little or no sympathy for Hamas. In the present crisis, Hamas is almost completely isolated internationally and even in the Arab world. When you look at the military relation of forces in the clash between Hamas and the IDF, and when you see the forces which have aligned with Egypt to force Hamas to succumb to a cease-fire on Israeli-Egyptian terms, it does not add up. Hamas cannot survive. It does not add up for the simple reason that it appears inconceivable that Hamas can stay in power in Gaza and conduct a tremendous battle against Israel in these circumstances. According to any rational analysis of the line-up of forces against Hamas, its control of Gaza and ability to rule should have disintegrated within hours or days. Hamass ability to stay in power is a mystery. We need an explanation of Hamas endurance, but we do not have to start believing in miracles. Hamas has the wherewithal to keep fighting because it is fighting for the Palestinian interests. Hamas can act as it does because masses of Palestinians support their action. This is the crux of the matter. Most of the rational, liberal and humane forces in the international arena have turned their back on the Palestinians and have been evading their elementary responsibility to the Palestinian people for decades of brutal repression. There are, of course, other Arab forces asides from Hamas which support the Palestinian cause, but their contribution is basically symbolic or ideological. There is no reason to be pleased with this situation. It is not hard to come up with suggestions of more respectable and even elegant representatives to represent the Palestinian cause. But these more respectable forces are, at the best, on the sideIines. Putting it simply Israels attack on Gaza is an attack on the rights of the Palestinian people. Whatever its faults and motivation, Hamas is representing the Palestinian cause. If you take this fact into account, it all adds up. The Qatar connection, though significant, does not explain Hamas endurance. It is the ability of Hamas to claim that it is fighting for Palestinian interests in the face of an almost total betrayal in the Arab world which is decisive at this point. Amira Haas in Haaretz today (20.7.14) forcefully describes how the paralysis and cowardice of of the PLO and Fatah have paved the way to Hamass mounting prestige. I repeat, Hamas has succeeded to this point in convincing masses of the Palestinian people that it is fighting for the Palestinian cause and this is the main reason for its ability to keep on fighting.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 09:16:59 +0000
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