Fatah vs Hamas

… … … Following on from the last debate about the status of the Islamic minority in India this Doha debate is an absolute corker. I'm actually very impressed that they had the balls to get two Fatah and two Hamas big wigs to sit opposite each other after the quasi civil war they fought after Hamas became the dominant party in Gaza in the Palestinian National Authority (Palestine's de facto governing body since 1994)elections in 2006 breaking decades of Fatah dominance. The dispute turned bloody when Fatah members in Gaza try to take back control by force effectively splitting Palestine between Hamas Gaza and Fatah West Bank. And tensions have remained high ever since as both sides have done everything in there power to oust the other in there home bases, including arrests and intimidation. So lets watch and see how it'll all turn out.

   

Well the result of the vote, essentially a referendum on the Palestinian peoples confidence or lack thereof in there current leadership (which includes all parties and factions) doesn't really surprise me. Fatah once a giant of Plaestinian politics under Yasser Arafat have now become a magnet for Palestinian discontent and anger under Mahmoud Abbas whose been accused of kowtowing to the West (Americans) and Israel, while many of his constituents are facing expulsion or worse. Then there's Hamas. Since Hamas became the de facto leadership of Gaza they have faced extreme repressive measures from Israel (Hamas still refuse to recognise Israel or rule out armed struggle). The blockade of Gaza with the shameful support of Egypt's Dictator Hosni Mubarak. Then of course there was operation Cast Lead essentially a re run of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 2006 (warning contains pictures of casualties). And in the face of all that Hamas has maintained a reputation of defiance which like in the Black communities of Apartheid South Africa is one of the few things Palestinians can take pride in that the Israeli's can't take from them.(There's a Palestinian tradition of naming your children after the prison they were incarcerated in). But there strict interpretations of Islam have ensured that the Palestinian religious minorities and large sections of the female and secular Islamic communities are alienated. And there defiance though undoubtedly noble hasn't translated into any meaningful gains on the ground, that noose on Gaza just keeps getting tighter and tighter. With all that said it is good to see the two sides fighting with words rather then Kalashnikov's and its encouraging to hear that a final ceasefire agreement isn't to far off. Photo source