Palestinian infighting is a curse

Illustration by Dwynn Trazo/Gulf News

October 20, 2006

By As'ad Abdul Rahman, Special to Gulf News

When two communist parties exist in one country at the same time, then one of them is an opportunist."

This is how Lenin, most righteously, once put it. In view of the Palestinian status quo, one can probably rephrase this statement to read as follows: "When two armed organisations, with two different ideologies and two opposite policies, exist in one place at the same time, then confrontation between them is imminent."

This remains true unless essential changes take place before such a clash.

A few days ago, I gazed at a caricature by A'wartani on the differences between Fatah and Hamas. The artist depicted them as two cocks fighting each other inside a cage, while the Israeli occupant was happily busy sharpening his knife to slay both of them.

This is precisely what an Israeli political analyst had said in Yediot Ahranoth. "Israel," she had asserted, "in a long range strategic planning, has succeeded in pushing the Palestinians into a pit of chaos and internal fighting through weakening of the two poles of Palestinian rivals, as well as through economic siege and political pressure enforced on the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip.

"At the time when Israel claims to have no axe to grind with what is taking place in the [occupied] Palestinian territories, describing it as internal affairs, this serious conflict originates from the Israeli policy of equally weakening both parties, Fatah and Hamas, in such a way as no one of the two can effectively control the Palestinian territories. The chaos and internal Palestinian fighting are but a result of long-term Israeli planning."

We, Palestinians and Arabs, have heard so many statements regarding a possible Palestinian civil war, with a strong internal wish to absolutely believe that such a war is taboo and a transgression of our sacred principles.

However, why and how should we be different from other nations that descended into civil war whenever the causes were?

Painful as it is, we, unfortunately, do have sufficient reasons to be driven into a civil war despite all the inhibitive deterrents that still prevent, or at least postpone, its occurrence. However, an absolute deterrent, or a guarantee, is certainly absent.

Based on this, we sincerely believe all slogans in praise of "the sacred Palestinian unity", and consider the civil war a taboo that no one dares come near.

Did it not actually happen in the far as well as near past, in fact a few days ago? Can we really believe that Palestinian blood is a "red line", when there are two ideologically and politically different and armed organisations, both insisting on keeping their arms? This is to say nothing of the international and regional pressures that are being put on both parties in favour of such a confrontation.

No guarantees

All this is likely to provide the spark that will detonate the dynamite build up caused by this situation. Indeed, the "guarantee" lies (a) in the collective Palestinian awareness that refuses Palestinian infighting, and (b) in the rationality that the leaders of both parities should have. These two guarantees, frankly, are not absolutely certain.

True, until now, both conditions have been effective and may remain so for a while, irrespective, so far, of the casualties on both sides. Still it is certain that an absolute guarantee, based on the aforementioned conditions, for the negation of widescale fighting is not there.

For what will prevent a civil war if the general populace expressing the Palestinian conscience is kept marginal, and if the discretion on part of one or both of the two major parties is absent? What will prevent such a war if the external parties pushing for the fight get the upper hand?

The seeds of the crisis and the factors of contradiction are, therefore, there. They only need effort and rationality on behalf of the leaderships, in addition to revival of the collective memory of our people, to prevent an explosion.

Rationality, however, is not a permanent state. One side may have it; both together might not. "Thanks" also to external pressures! As a result of this, it becomes seriously dangerous to relax at the idea that "a civil war is a taboo … and will never happen".

With the continuous failure to accept the "Arab initiative", eruption of a civil war is becoming more and more likely. In this case, Palestinian blood will not remain a red line.

The two organisations should discern that the way out of this crisis is not possible with a kind of Palestinian vs Palestinian "monologue" that may fill us with "political ecstasy", without offering a "political solution".

What is needed is a political "dialogue" with the intention of saving the Palestinian cause by bringing it back to the status of being a national issue, and not a matter of livelihood demands or an attempt to control the security services.

In view of this debasement of the image of the Palestinian cause, there is no other choice but a form of "national unity" that seeks the support of the outside world and accommodates its demands, as we do not live in an excluded island.

Professor As'ad Abdul Rahman is the Chairman of the Palestinian Encyclopedia.