DSPR Gaza Update
United We Stand
Dr. Bernard Sabella
Jerusalem
Thursday, June 14th 2007
The situation of factional infighting in the Gaza Strip raises serious concern among its citizens and our colleagues in the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches. There is fear that the situation of internal fighting can deteriorate which would in effect plunge the Gaza Strip further into chaos and uncertainty. In particular, talk is now about Gaza Strip being separated from the West Bank with repercussions for the continuity and viability of the Palestinian National Authority itself.
United We Stand
Dr. Bernard Sabella
Jerusalem
Thursday, June 14th 2007
The situation of factional infighting in the Gaza Strip raises serious concern among its citizens and our colleagues in the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the Middle East Council of Churches. There is fear that the situation of internal fighting can deteriorate which would in effect plunge the Gaza Strip further into chaos and uncertainty. In particular, talk is now about Gaza Strip being separated from the West Bank with repercussions for the continuity and viability of the Palestinian National Authority itself.
The internal fighting has placed particular political agendas above the national agenda: with Gaza the power base of one faction, Hamas, there is the strong possibility that the ongoing infighting will eventually see Hamas taking over all of the civil and security institutions of the National Authority. If this happens Palestinians will be faced with a new situation that would lead to various scenarios the best of which will not help the least in realizing our aspirations for an independent Palestinian state.
Like other Palestinians, we in DSPR are concerned that this developing situation will further impoverish and disempower our people. We have appealed to the various factions, as hundreds of our people have done on the streets of Gaza and elsewhere in the West Bank, to stop this madness. At these sad times we are reminded that we need leadership of such a caliber that would make it possible for all of us to put the national agenda above our particular agendas.
The infighting in Gaza definitely gives a break to Israel as it diverts attention from the root cause of overall instability in the Holy Land, which is Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and control over our people. When we fight each other, the world becomes oblivious to the evil that is in occupation and the need to end the 40-year old Israeli occupation legacy with all its violations and measures to negate our basic rights to freedom and self determination.
Some in Palestine are asking Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority to take a tougher stand on Hamas. This would be translated into dissolving the Government of National Unity led by Hamas. It could also mean dissolving the Palestinian Legislative Council or Parliament which was elected on January 25th, 2006 with majority Hamas members. There is also some news that speaks of possible mass arrests by the Palestinian National Authority of hundreds of Hamas functionaries in the West Bank, as a means to put pressure on Hamas in Gaza in order to stop fighting.
The continuing infighting and all counter measures proposed would in effect spell the end to the possibilities of a shared vision for our future that could combine both the religious and the secular in Palestinian politics. We cannot but admit it: we are in deep political crisis that can spell over onto social, cultural, economic and in fact all other spheres of life. Palestinians of all factions are called upon to help find a way out. We can lend our support to President Abbas at this time in order not to derail our struggle to achieve independence through an end to occupation. National priorities should take precedence over particular factional priorities. United we stand; divided we fall. All help extended to us by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Arab League and others in order to overcome the present impasse is most welcome. But in the end the way out is determined by how we stand together.