'Livni was right when she said Abbas has become irrelevant'
Photo: AFP
Missed opportunities
Like it or not, there is no authority in Palestine today other than Hamas
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni paid a quick visit to the World Economic Forum in Sharm al-Sheikh Sunday, and took the opportunity to meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. Minister Shimon Peres joined them, but the meeting had no real meaning: Since elections to the Palestinian parliament in January, Abbas has steadily lost his grip on the reigns of power, while Hamas has established itself as the only legitimate ruling power.
Despite the fact that Yasser Arafat left his successor with a wide range of powers, Abbas has been hesitant to use them. For instance, he had the legal authority to refuse recognition for the Hamas government on grounds that the organization's policies were fundamentally opposed to his – but he recognized he government, and gave it his blessing.
In addition, Abbas had the unilateral right to instruct PA soldiers and police officers to disarm all armed organizations and groups – but he did nothing. Rather, he made due with stern warnings and repeated calls for "dialogue" and "national unity." These calls have been interpreted by Hamas as weakness and capitulation.
Paper tiger
Want proof? Abbas threatened and raged, but Hamas established its own legal militia and security apparatus. Slowly, the Palestinian parliament is passing Islamic laws to replace the secular laws enacted by the PLO.
Senior Hamas officials have internalized the principle that the current PA president is no more than a paper tiger. Therefore, it is incorrect to describe the violent clashes between Fatah and factions associated with Hamas as the opening battles of a civil war. There is no organized political – military force to oppose Hamas today.
Fatah gunmen (most of whom have no military experience) want only to be integrated into the new apparatus without losing their standing, rights or (mainly) their salaries. Abbas and other civilian Fatah activists completely missed an opportunity to band their organizations together to form a strong opposition to the Hamas government. This would have been a real possibility, in light of the fact that Fatah received just 14,000 fewer votes than Hamas.
No one but Hamas
In addition, Abbas' office has shown it has no answers with relation to international humanitarian aid to Gaza. In light of this, France's (weird) initiative to use the PA president's office to bypass the Hamas government to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Today, it is clear: There will be no bypassing Hamas in the Palestinian Authority today. Not with regard to leadership or with regard to aid.
So what should Israel do? It is currently trying to bribe Abbas – a gift, really – with NIS 50 million worth of medicines and foodstuffs purchased in Israel, for him to distribute to Gaza residents. If the Israeli government wanted to really help the Palestinian population, it would reopen the job market to Palestinian workers and allow tens of thousands of Palestinian workers currently clamoring to find work in Israel to do just that.
Nor is the Shin Bet security service opposed: After appropriate screening, Palestinian workers in Israel pose no security risk.
Missed opportunities
But don't expect such a decision. Not from Prime Minister Olmert, and not from Defense Minister Peretz. Like Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli officialdom, too, missed its last chance to bring about Hamas' demise. This could have been brought about by a series of luring proposals and pressures that would have brought about new elections in the PA.
At the moment there is nothing more to be done. We can only get used to the situation. Hamas is the only authority there is in Palestine.
Foreign Minister Livni was right when she said two months ago that Abbas has become irrelevant. Her lighting meeting with him in Sharm yesterday did not change that. It only strengthened it.
