Things I should not say 5. Sometimes one question is more crucial than a thousand statements. There is a question that someone must ask Hamas. Why did its leadership accept the self-same Egyptian Plan for Gaza and its 72 hours cease-fire now, which it had adamantly refused 10 days ago for being pro-Israeli? Ten days ago Hamas accused Egypt of collaborating with Israel and vowed to fight on until victory over Israel, who had then accepted the Egyptian initiative. In these 10 days, a third of the 1800 Gazan war-victims were killed, thousands injured and many more Gazan civilians displaced. Were these preventable losses of Palestinian lives necessary for a higher purpose? Has Hamas accepted NOW to cease firing its missiles and to begin negotiating permanent cease-fire together with Israel in Cairo because: 1- Hamas has achieved the victory it aimed for over Israel and I, together with millions of Palestinians, can burn our non-Palestinian passports and head back to our homes in Palestine (my father’s is just off Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem and has a magnificent view over the Dome Mosque)? Or 2- Hamas has in the last 10 days achieved a military set-back which the Egyptian cease-fire could have prevented Hamas from getting it? Or 3- Hamas has recognized that its betting on Hezbollah coming to its rescue was a daydream, and that its old ally is not going to open a Northern front when its soldiers are busy fighting the Syrians? Or 4- Hamas was informed by its Qatari patrons, that it is time to go to the negotiating table as part of Saudi-Qatari deal, which has been finalized by the son of the Saudi king who yesterday made a surprise visit to Qatar after months of boycott? While the Israeli media and public has began questioning the performance of their government and taking stock of the latest round of the Gaza war, the bulk of the Arab media and public are being confined once again to praising “the victorious achievement of the Resistance” and the “tough lessons” it taught the Zionist aggressors. For almost a century and at each confrontation with Israel, the Palestinians were told by their leaders, and often they believed, that they have to sacrifice and suffer and through their sacrifices they will gain back their rights, their lands. After each confrontation, 1936, 1948, 1967, and the last three Gaza-wars, the Palestinians lost both lands, rights and lives. These losses, these defeats were not only caused by Israel’s supremacy, and the Western support. They were also caused by the deficient strategies and misguided policies made by the Palestinian leaders. These leaders could continue to lead their suffering people from defeat to defeat because they hushed and silenced any questioning by stamping it as treason or by giving Palestinians surrogate “victories” such as Hamas is trying to do now. While right-wing Israelis are dissatisfied with their right-wing government for not totally crushing Hamas, for not obliterating it from the face of earth, Hamas is claiming victory for its resistance for NOT being totally obliterated. Does that chimerical victory justify the 3000 homes, the 1800 dead and the quarter million displaced? Israel lost 65 soldiers, 3 civilians and is questioning its leaders and their decisions to start and end the war. That is why they keep winning, not only the wars, but also the living in relative peace. More questions. Less wars.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 23:13:50 +0000
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