Palestina 11

An image presumably distributed by Hamas sympathizers reads, "Punishment has come/ The leadership of the collaborationist faction in Fatah."

Electronic Intifada bericht:

The desecration of democracy

Philip Rizk writing from Gaza City, occupied Palestine, Live from Palestine, 22 June 2007

What does it take to get Israel to just begin recognizing some Palestinian human rights?1. Carry out democratic elections2. Determine a government according to the election outcome3. THEN isolate this government in one part of the country4. Set an illegal embargo on the people there5. Freeze the government's bank accounts6. Isolate the government internationallyThe result will be:1. The return of all stolen taxes belonging to Palestinians2. An easing of roadblocks and security measures3. Lifting of the illegally imposed economic embargo4. International funding for a new non-democratically determined government5. Normalization of relations between international governments and the non-democratically determined government6. The legalizing of private American trade (the world's largest economy) with Palestinians (previously this deed could result in incarceration)7. The releasing of a political prisoner (with four life sentences) to strengthen the non-democratically determined governmentTo try and bolster this two-faced US foreign policy position in the Middle East, the US Secretary of State said Monday:"Through its actions, Hamas sought to divide the Palestinian nation, we reject that. It is the position of the United States that there is one Palestinian people and there should be one Palestinian state."In reality is it not Israel and the US that are dividing the Palestinians by politically immobilizing their elected leaders?On Tuesday White House spokesman Tony Snow was reported saying, "What's important is, you have to have a partner who is committed to peace, and we believe that President Abbas is. And therefore we are committed to working with this new emergency government."A source in the prime minister's entourage in the US explained, "We want to make Hamas a pariah and prevent it joining the international game."Hamas' violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last week resulted in two governments: the Hamas leadership headed by deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza and a new emergency cabinet led by the Western-backed economist Salam Fayyad in the West Bank. Both are calling the other the perpetrators of a coup.What are the sources of this division?A fear overtook the Gaza Strip after Hamas took control of institutions this past week, which are rightfully theirs to control. The US and Israel's anticipated and proclaimed reaction to the latest round of events (a democratically elected government taking over government institutions) is causing fear and uncertainty concerning Gazans' future plight. Few outside realize that the Gaza Strip can hardly be more isolated, or sink into a worse economic depression, save starvation, than it has in the past two years.Many in Gaza consider the emergency government to be legitimate, for the sole reason that the world, not the majority of Palestinians, actually recognizes the new political entity (in the last parliamentary elections the new prime minister's party received 2.4 percent of vote).The colonial tactic of conquer and divide is being put to use on the Palestinians yet once again; initially in the Gaza Strip between Fatah and Hamas and now between the West Bank and Gaza.'

Lees verder: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article7050.shtml