“We are one people, but right now we are sailing in two ships, in opposite directions.”
The BBC’s West Bank correspondent Paul Adams offers some excellent insight into the recent conflict in Gaza and the deep divisions within the Palestinian leadership. Adams discusses Hamas’ takeover of Gaza and Fatah’s subsequent consolidation of its authority in the West Bank within the context of the 1993 Oslo Accords, which allowed Fatah leaders to return from exile and assume internationally-recognized, albeit limited, civil authority over the West Bank and Gaza. According to Adams, the new arrivals from Fatah arrogantly brushed aside Palestinian leaders that had held the fort in their absence and openly flaunted their misappropriation of the foreign aid they received as part of the Accords, construcing extravagant villas for themselves in the heart of impoverished neighborhoods. This corruption and ineptitude caused widespread disillusionment and spurred the rise of Hamas, which culminated with its surprising victory in the January 2006 elections and predicated the current crisis. The shocking manner in which Hamas fighters executed their Fatah adversaries and looted the property of Fatah leaders in Gaza was thus as much an act of revenge and reprisal as it was a show of force.
In any case, the degeneration of the Palestinian struggle into a gangland-style war between factions is much simpler than the “Fatah good, Hamas bad” dichotomy often portrayed in the media. But that’s not good news; judging by their actions since taking power, Hamas likely won’t fare any better than their rivals did. Hamas brought little relief to the Palestinians during its tenure as part of the short-lived unity government. Though it persisted in refusing to recognize Israel despite the crippling economic sanctions its position brought on, Hamas presented no practical alternative path to resolving the crisis. And, as explained by BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen, there’s little indication that Hamas’ leadership can control the masked gunmen that now patrol the streets of Gaza. Despite the apparent reality that neither side has a coherent vision for the future, nobody seems willing to back down. And so the tragedy of Palestine continues to unfold.