Hamas and Fatah part of peace process

Submitted by titania jones (United States), Nov 28, 2007 at 20:49

I think it is essential to bring Hamas to the bargaining table.

You have an unstoppable and determined permanent insurgency, who will not recognize deals made by the Palestinian Authority.

I'm sure the leader of Hamas is blithely aware that the United States is funding, has been funding the counter insurgency group Fatah, who is more anti –Hamas, and more Pro Palestinian Authority.

Although seen as a necessary tool to quell the overzealousness of Hamas, the infighting between Hamas and Fatah, needs to be addressed, as part of unrest within Palestine itself.

Hamas has many social arms, which provide services, as well as being a terrorist group. This blurs the line's a lot for people who do not just believe in Hamas, but depend upon Hamas for food and services. Some are unhappily trapped in choosing to help Hamas, and there have been reports that some of the parents are suddenly not so happy that their child is being raised as suicide bomber.

Making friends with Hamas rebel leaders and the actual leader himself isn't a total write off. Iraq has seen many victories in the past year. Bitter enemies such as Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi army , and many tribal leaders along the borders of Iraq/Iran in the Anbar province have now become our allies.

Provincial reconstruction teams are inclusive, and well "provincial, which translates as" quaint rural people".

People get to attend the meetings regarding their own projects that THEY want to do, not just imposed projects. So, this is not only a way of gaining trust with all the villages scattered around Iraq.

People in these villages are motivated to protect their new projects, from the insurgency, and man and women within these villages all over Iraq are being trained to do just that.

Plus, they get on the payroll, so that helps them financially.

I would imagine the twelve tribes, and all the villages across Palestine could be approached in this manner. I do not know the exact lay of the land, or the boroughs, counties, towns, or what name is used to describe different "zones" in Palestine.

But I think the individual zones, and plotting out willing factions could be part of the solution. Half a happy Palestine is better than no happy Palestine.

As in the case of bitter enemy Sadr, people can be won over, and swaying the opinions of Hamas would have to be part of any sort of peace in Palestine. They would have to back down on their charter, in which they say they support the work of Yasir Arafat, but do not believe in a two state solution.

Yasir did get to the bargaining table with the Palestinian authority. I don't know all the in's and out's of what happened though, because I don't know the full history, which I am sure is important.

Hamas is also inspired no doubt by the rise of Hezbollah in Lebanon immediately following the agreed departure of the Israeli army. Without Hezbollah and/or Hamas at the bargaining table in Lebanon, in Palestine they can easily perceive solutions and leaders as weak and take advantage of any solutions as they have done with the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and all over Lebanon.

Judging from the last fiasco's Israel should not be willing to give away land, or increase border traffic into Israel, because the suicide bombers are dangerous.

Easing back on the infighting between Hamas and Fatah,

Is a risk for a peace agreement as well. I notice that Israel cuts off supplies to Palestine to punish them. This seems to get taken out on the people.

Maybe we should send nato and provincial reconstruction teams to speak with individual village members, and win Palestine inch by inch. Promising individual towns in Palestine and rebuilding, and not cutting off their supplies in my opinion would be way more effective than giving more land, which will be taken over by Hamas.

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