A new Palestinian parliament, dominated by the militant group Hamas, was sworn in yesterday amid threats of an international boycott and domestic paralysis that could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has promised to enforce an economic blockade of Palestinian areas, while the European Union and America say they will withhold aid unless Hamas renounces violence and recognizes Israel. Hamas also faces strong internal opposition, with some members of the Fatah party, which until the elections dominated Palestinian life, determined to obstruct the new government in every way they could.
At the meeting of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the government compound in Ramallah, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, told Hamas it must form a government as quickly as possible, but laid down stringent conditions that contradict its declared aims. He said Hamas must respect all agreements made with Israel, which means the group must recognize Israel. Hamas calls for the destruction of the state of Israel in its charter and has rejected all previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
On a practical level, Hamas has accepted many of the President’s principles. Apart from a few isolated incidents, it suspended military activities more than a year ago and its participation in government and elections implies recognition of the agreements – and the existence of Israel. However, it is reluctant to abandon its aggressive rhetoric or recognize Israel until the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.
Within an hour of the inauguration of the new parliament, the first divisions emerged. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza City, said it rejects negotiation while Palestinian territory is occupied. Hamas will propose Ismail Haniyeh, one of the Hamas leaders in Gaza, as Prime Minister. He said he hoped a compromise could be reached, despite conflicting views.
‘We will deal with this difference in the political position… through dialogue and understanding, to preserve the national unity of the Palestinian people and promote the higher interests of our people,’ he said.
In spite of the conciliatory rhetoric of Abbas and Haniyeh, the Palestinians face an extremely difficult task in bridging the positions of Hamas and Fatah. Although Hamas control 56 per cent of the seats, it won only 44 per cent of the vote, with Fatah receiving 42 per cent. According to Khalil Shiqaqi, a Ramallah-based election analyst, if Fatah had organized its candidates better it would have won a further 16 seats and the election.
Consequently, many Fatah members see the result as an aberration thrown up by the voting system rather than the will of the people. ‘Some Fatah people are already talking about fresh elections tomorrow,’ he added.
Last week the New York Times reported that Israel and the US had decided to isolate the new Hamas government and lay the ground for a political crisis which would lead to fresh elections.
In addition to the international opposition, there are a raft of measures available to Fatah to hold Hamas back. The President has an effective veto on any legislation and Fatah dominates the ministries of government and security agencies. Hamas is further constrained by Israel’s control of the Palestinian territories and the importance of international donations to prop up an economy severely damaged by the effects of more than 20 years of conflict with Israel.
Nashat Aqtash, Hamas’s media adviser during the elections, said he believed Hamas would be able to weather the initial storm and force Fatah to deal with its government constructively.
‘Hamas had all its leaders deported by Israel in 1992 and imprisoned by the PA in 1996. Many of the leaders were assassinated by Israel. Despite this, it has continued to grow in popularity and strength. Either Fatah will get on the Hamas train or will disappear as a political force. The good people in Fatah have already been making contact to explore how everyone can work together,’ he added.