By Bruce S. Ticker
February 28, 2006
'Israel could drive more Palestinians into Hamas' corner if it is seen as immediately sabotaging a government that the public elected in a free, fair and well-run election.'
- editorial, Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 22
It all goes back to an ongoing argument which applied when Mahmoud Abbas was technically in control of the Palestinian government. Israel has no obligation to help any society with which it is in a state of war.
Hamas campaigned on a platform of destroying Israel, maintained its position to destroy Israel when it was elected to control a majority of parliamentary seats and refuses to budge from this position.
For this reason alone, Israel has every right to withhold its roughly $55 million in tax and customs receipts from the Palestinian Authority, as it did the day after the new legislators were sworn in on Feb. 18.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit unwittingly argued for Israel's action on Tuesday, saying, "I'm sure that Hamas will develop, will evolve. We should not pre-judge the issue." He issued this comment as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sought international support for a united front against support for Hamas.
What is there to pre-judge? Hamas' charter is not a matter for interpretation. They categorically state that Israel must be destroyed. War means war. Just like the adage "no means no." Gheit contended that "it's only a matter of time" before Hamas comprehends the need to recognize Israel and pursue a peace deal. That's fine. When the time comes, Israel will no doubt reconsider its relationship with Hamas. Until then, not a chance.
The Inquirer editorial writer argues that Hamas may feel obligated to work with Israel once it gets "used to a couple of those $50 million payments -- If, after those few months, Hamas does not shed its support for terrorism or its goal of eliminating Israel, then Israel and the world will have more credibility when it imposes serious consequences."
Israel has plenty of credibility, after withdrawing from its settlements in Gaza, facilitating the Jan. 25 Palestinian elections and getting stuck with a terrorist-filled government in its backyard. Any more concessions and extremist Palestinians will view Israel as weak. Reasonable people could regard Israeli leaders as fools.
Palestinians are yet defiant over Israel's decision. According to The Washington Post, acting Palestinian finance minister Jihad Wazir said, "This is our money, so what they've done is illegal. Israel really jumped the gun, I suspect for political reasons, and it will severely affect our ability to pay salaries." It was partly political, but acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak no doubt shares public attitudes that Israel cannot fund terrorists who plan to use that money to destroy Israel.
By Thursday, the European Union was scratching for ways to funnel money to Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, to support government services under his jurisdiction, The New York Times reported. One problem there is that Abbas may funnel money to Hamas. As former diplomat Martin Indyk puts it, "It's one thing to provide funding to Abu Mazen (Abbas), but if he is just a conduit of money to Hamas-led ministries, it's not something the United States is going to cooperate with."
People need to remember that since Abbas took office more than a year ago there have been a half-dozen acts of war -- including a number of fatal bombings and a drive-by murder spree -- against Israel. Abbas himself may have only honorable intentions, but it was his responsibility to stem attacks against Israelis. Israel had every right to pull the plug after a fatal bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightclub more than a year ago.
Hamas leaders warn that they may obtain funding from Arab countries. It's about time. The Palestinians are their people, they launched this six-decade war and they have the oil revenues to help them.
Of course, that will make it easier for Hamas to one day launch their little war against Israel. So what part of the word "war" don't people understand?
Views expressed by the author do not
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