The PLO, which is currently synonymous with Fatah and Palestinian Authority until the next time Hamas wins an election which is scheduled for May, has announced their intent to disengage from economic and security agreements with Israel and instead seek popular resistance and unilateral universal recognition in order to gain full member state status at the United Nations. This is virtually the same language used when the Palestinian Authority declared their intent for the second intifada which was, by their assurances, to be popular resistance through nonviolent means. History shows a rather different reality where terrorist bombings and attacks raised dramatically resulting in over one thousand Israeli citizens being murdered and many thousands more suffering a varying range of injuries with many resulting in permanent disability and injury. One of the reasons for this declaration of a change in direction by the PLO and thus the Palestinian Authority and Fatah was a result of the reconciliation with Hamas. This declaration has been echoed by Hamas who has declared their intent to pursue the less violent Arab Spring style demonstrations and resistance against the Israeli occupation of all of Palestine. What we are witnessing is a moderation of both entities with Hamas giving a pretense of moving to a more political and less violent approach while the Palestinian Authority is moving towards a more vociferous and demonstrative resistance and forgoing all forms of cooperation. This is presumed to allow both groups to meet in the middle and share a common approach.
Once the election has been held, providing they do not again suffer additional postponements, with Hamas once again taking a sizeable majority of the Palestinian Legislature and awarding the office of Prime Minister to one of the Hamas leadership while allowing Abbas to retain the Presidency, as has theoretically been agreed upon, what then will be the consequences? I seriously expect once the dust settles after Hamas has taken overwhelming power in the Palestinian Authority that they will move steadily and inalterably towards removing every vestige of Fatah representation by whatever means necessary, just as happened in Gaza. We may even witness another violent coup to remove the last of the former Palestinian Authority Fatah membership followed by trials for crimes against the resistance and numerous executions, some after and some without need of actual trials. This move by the PLO to appear to distance themselves from all ties and cooperation with the Israelis is a desperate move to attempt to appear as resolute and determined to liberate all of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea as Hamas is perceived. The truth for both the Palestinian Authority of today and the one that will be revealed and produced resultant to the coming elections will make all the posturing and declarations of how they refuse to cooperate with or receive anything tainted by the Occupiers are still going to need to cooperate with Israel simply to continue to rule.
The main reasons why, no matter who are in charge of the Palestinian Authority, is they will need to cooperate with Israel and hold open the means of communication and cooperation of things of mutual interest are simple. The entire infrastructure in the West Bank and much of the fuel, electricity, sewage treatment, water, communication, tax collections, and other pesky little necessities are provided by Israel either in large part or solely. So, what will the Palestinian leadership prove if they refuse to deal with or accept any cooperation and supply chains with or from Israel? Will they honestly forgo electricity, water, fuel, and everything else which is supplied by Israel and simply tell their people that it is better to refuse the necessities provided by Israel than to admit the existence of the Jewish state? Oh, how I hope so as then they will be removed from power and chased from the Palestinian territories and then, just maybe, then there could be honest discussions and a resolution reached in what has been an impossibly complicated situation.
There is one truth that many refuse to recognize, and it is a truth that is amazing. The never ending lack of progress between the Israelis and Palestinians in negotiations towards a lasting peace is complicated by leaders of the Palestinians who are not native to their society. I can prove this if you promise to keep an open mind. Yasser Arafat was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt and graduated Cairo University with a degree in civil engineering. Hamas receives its marching orders from their headquarters which is outside of Israel and the territories. Hamas headquarters is currently in flux moving from Damascus, Syria due to the current violence and their backing of the rebel forces against President Assad. Hamas is a subsidiary formed by the Muslim Brotherhood which is an international group with their roots in Egypt and influence in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and other Muslim Arab countries in northern Africa. The Army of Islam terror group which coexists with Hamas, despite tensions and disagreements on tactics exist, is a Salafist group directly linked to al Qaeda which is not indigenous to the areas around Israel. Islamic Jihad was started by a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt who felt that the existing groups were not showing an urgency or were sufficiently violent in their conflict against Israel. They founded and financed Islamic Jihad including appointing the leaders who were to instill a proper sense of urgency and produce greater violence in the struggles against Israel. All of the Palestinian organizations are dependent upon decision making and influences from beyond their borders. They were all formed by different Arab and Muslim groups spread throughout the countries surrounding Israel, some even further such as Iran and Iraq, when it became obvious that Israel was not going to be destroyed through conventional warfare. One of the officers under Yasser Arafat once stated their intention was not to form a Palestinian State but rather to destroy the Jewish State and as soon as Israel was destroyed they would necessarily join as part of Jordan and not attempt to start a new country. Does that sound even remotely like an independence movement for the Palestinians or a group simply sworn to enlarging the Arab influence under any banner and removing the Jewish State?
Beyond the Cusp
