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Bob Westbrook is a Titusville, Florida based professional
photographer, writer, and consultant. He writes commentaries
from a Christian Zionist perspective, endeavoring to encourage Christian support for Israel. He is the Bible Prophecy moderator for the website and the author of .
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By Bob Westbrook
November 19, 2001
Based on a flurry of recent statements from President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and others, it appears that momentum for the creation of a Palestinian state is accelerating. As the politicians discuss a potential state that they presume would live in peace with Israel, they conveniently avoid examination of the positions and dispositions of the people that would comprise that state.
Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, has strengthened its position among the Palestinian people, securing a wide popular base of support. If a Palestinian state would be established in the near future, there is a likelihood that it would become a Hamas state in short order. The widespread support for Hamas has become a real threat for Arafat's supposedly "moderate" Palestinian Authority. Events in the last few days, in conjunction with the ideology of Hamas, illustrate how disastrous a nation of "Palestine" would be.
On Monday, there was a student council election An-Najah University's in Nablus. Unlike the participants in similar elections at United States universities, those taking part in this election are closely aligned to the major political factions in the "West Bank." Thus, results of this election are highly representative of the degree of popular support for those groups.
Hamas, whose name means "zeal," won a huge victory with 48 percent of the vote, with Arafat's Fatah receiving 28 percent. This is indicative of the broad support that Hamas enjoys among the Palestinian population. In addition, it is indicative of the composition of Palestinian leadership in the future, because these university students are tomorrow's Palestinian leaders.
The influence of Hamas in Palestinian society is extensive. Hamas is not only a terror organization. It is also a major social organization, providing healthcare, schools, orphanages, legal-aid societies, and other recreational and educational services for children. This is not an organization on the fringe of society, but one that has successfully integrated itself. Its social works are appreciated by many, but they are always accompanied by the doctrines of Islamic extremism. For a generation, Palestinian young people have been indoctrinated while attending the Hamas schools and camps. Hamas' objective has been to promote their brand of Islam by infiltrating every aspect of society, and they have been successful.
What kind of organization is Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement? According to its charter, it is fundamentally opposed to any kind of negotiations with Israel, because it regards Israel's existence as illegitimate. The Hamas charter states, "Initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and the international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem, are all contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement... In order to face the usurpation of Palestine by Jews, we have no escape from raising the banner of Jihad..."
These chilling words represent the sentiments of a large portion of the Islamic Palestinian population. In their minds, agreeing to allow Israel to possess any portion of "Palestine" is tantamount to denying Allah. Their interpretation of Islam compels them to persist in the violent struggle against Israel until the Jewish state no longer exists.
Arafat differs from them only in terms of tactics, not objectives. Their goal is his goal, but in contrast to their direct approach, he employs subterfuge and ruse. According to the Koran, deception is a perfectly acceptable tactic to use against the enemies of Islam. Arafat has utilized this masterfully, portraying himself as a purveyor of peace while deceptively attempting to maneuver Israel into a position of weakness.
The Hamas regards him and the Palestinian Authority as compromisers who are willing to negotiate with a regime that has no legitimacy. Yet, they still regard them as partners in a common cause. Hamas also rejects the secular approach that the PA takes, insisting that "in spite of our appreciation for the PLO and its possible transformation in the future, and despite the fact that we do not denigrate its role in the Arab-Israeli conflict, we cannot substitute it for the Islamic nature of Palestine by adopting secular thought. For the Islamic nature of Palestine is part of our religion, and anyone who neglects his religion is bound to lose."
But in the end, both Hamas and Arafat see each other as partners, using different approaches to reach the same goal. Arafat is being forced by events to move towards adoption of Hamas's positions. Just prior to the September 11 attacks, he was about to convene discussions with Hamas about the possibility of formally joining forces. But now that the international political situation has drastically changed, Arafat is under extreme pressure from the Bush administration to at least give the appearance of standing against the terror organizations. Thus far, Arafat has been unable or unwilling to deliver, perhaps realizing that if he does the Palestinian people will turn against him.
His control is increasingly tenuous, threatened by Hamas and Islamic extremists, as illustrated by events Wednesday. Senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Mahmoud Tawalbi was arrested in Jenin by Palestinian policemen, presumably at the order of Arafat, who has been under pressure by the Bush administration to crack down on terrorist groups. But after the PA took Tawalbi to a Nablus prison, severe rioting broke out in multiple locations. According to the Jerusalem Post, "About 3,000 Palestinians protesting the arrest then surrounded the governor's headquarters, where the Preventive Security Service has its offices. Gunmen fired rifles and threw grenades at the compound and burned cars in the city. Some protesters even threatened to blow up the compound should the PA refuse to release Tawalbi."
Arafat's reaction is indicative of how seriously he regards the danger of the Islamic extremists to his regime. Initial media reports indicated that he ordered that Tawalbi be immediately released from prison. Even if he sincerely wanted to take forceful action against terrorists, (which is doubtful because his own Fatah faction has carried out numerous attacks), the deterioration of his power base and the increasing number of adherents to Hamas and Islamic Jihad prevent him from doing so.
These two events, the university elections, and Tawalbi arrest fiasco, demonstrate the true nature of a large segment of the Palestinian population. If a newly formed Palestinian state were to hold elections, it is likely that Hamas and its brand of Islamic extremism would shortly take power. Even if they do not, their influence would be strong in a Palestinian Authority government. This is the kind of nation that Israel would be confronted with as a sovereign neighbor. This is the kind of nation that Bush, Powell, Blair, Peres and Arafat are in favor of forming.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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