To paraphrase what the munchkin coroner said about the witch in the Wizard of Oz,the so-called peace process between Israel and the 'Palestinians' is not only really dead, it's most sincerely dead.
Fatah and Hamas announced yesterday that they had signed a formal reconciliation agreement to end any differences remaining in their proposed unity agreement. The ceremony was broadcast live across the Middle East on al-Jazeera.
Known as the Doha Declaration, the agreement was signed in Qatar by Fatah's Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al.Under the deal, a new 'Palestinian' government has been formed, with Mahmoud Abbas becoming temporary Prime Minister, ousting unelected Prime Minister Salam Fayyad from the office, something Hamas has insisted on since the unity talks began.It also solved the problem of whom was going to head the interim government,another sticking point.Since Abbas has already announced that he's not going to seek re-election and is taking the money he stole and retiring once the new elections take place, this is exactly the sort of deal he wanted to ensure a proper exit, especially since he and most of the Fatah kingpins already have Jordanian citizenship and passports in place.
For Hamas this likewise ensures a peaceful takeover and provides their senior leadership with what's probably a new haven and perhaps a new patron in Qatar now that Syria is closed to them and the mullahs have cut off their financing because of Hamas' refusal to follow Iran's orders and provide manpower to suppress the revolt against Syria's Basher Assad.
The agreement calls for an interim unity government to be named February 18th, and also calls for the release of Hamas and Fatah prisoners who are being held by both sides, lifting travel bans and allowing Fatah members who fled the Gaza Strip to return to their homes. In fact, as a sign of good faith Fatah has already released 64 Hamas prisoners Fatah was holding in Ramallah.
The shiny new army General Keith Dayton built for Fatah courtesy of the American taxpayer to 'bolster Palestinian security' will of course come under Hamas command and turn their rifles on Israeli civilians just as they did under Arafat, but then that was always going to happen eventually and anyone who supported the creation of that army and says in the future that they didn't see it coming is either a despicable liar or so inept they probably need help getting dressed in the morning.
Now that the genocidal Hamas is officially back in the fold and a part of the 'Palestinian' government , the 'Palestinians' are figuring that both the Europeans and the Obama administration are going to ignore their laws about funding terrorism and keep the aid flowing. It's probably not a bad bet.
Some of the initial reactions are worth noting.
In a written statement, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said "If President Abbas moves to implement what was signed ... in Doha, he will abandon the path of peace and join forces with the enemies of peace," Netanyahu said in a written statement. "Hamas is an enemy of peace. It's an Iranian-backed terror organization committed to Israel's destruction. It has not accepted the minimal conditions set by the international community."
Netanyahu said Abbas could not have it "both ways."
"It's either a pact with Hamas or peace with Israel. It's one or the other," he said.
Considering that Abbas and Fatah are unwilling to 'negotiate' anything with Israel unless all their demands are met, Abbas and Fatah don't particularly have anything to lose at this point by jettisoning agreements they already announced some time ago they aren't bound by any longer.
It will be interesting to see what Netanyahu actually does to back up his words.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "We still have President Abbas at the head of the government,we still have Prime Minister (Salam) Fayyad responsible, so frankly any impact this may or may not have is unclear." She also said that the US would continue to work with "the partners that we have on the Palestinian side."
You can't really blame her for sounding this clueless,since she's being told what to say.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee was a lot more straightforward and realistic, described the Hamas-Fatah deal as "trouble."
She said bluntly that the Obama administration should "stop pretending (the Palestinian Authority) is something it is not."
"The Palestinian leaders in Ramallah are not partners for peace and security, as this latest union with Hamas clearly demonstrates. It's time for the administration to hold the PA accountable for its actions," she said, claiming the latest deal represents a "path of extremism and rejectionism."
She's absolutely right about that. And it will be even more evident when elections are held and Hamas gets a 70% majority and takes over. A source of mine inside the PA said elections should be held sometime between 3-6 months, tops.
Here's hoping the Israelis take decisive action on this and finally give up the illusion of peace with the 'Palestinians'.
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