A New Opportunity For Dialogue Or Just An Illusion?

A New Opportunity For Dialogue Or Just An Illusion?

In his speech in Ramallah on 4 June 2008 (see text of speech below) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas left the door open for a comprehensive national dialogue among the Palestinians with the aim of implement the Yemenite initiative. Hamas, verbally so far, welcomed the announcement by the president. It did so in the past too. Nevertheless, when matters came to genuine effort to talk and find a way to end the current situation in the Gaza Strip, Hamas backed off. Pressure by the armed militants of the group on their political leadership bore fruits on more than one occasion. Outside pressure on the same political leadership bore similar fruits on some of the occasions too.

That is why it might be a bit premature to suggest that the dialogue between the PNA and Hamas, and for this matter between FATAH and Hamas a well, will lead to substantial results.

The initiative was presented by the Republic of Yemen in March 2008 to end the feud between the Palestinian National Authority and FATAH on one hand and Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, on the other. In its first clause, it clearly calls for returning "the situation reining in Gaza prior to June 13, 2007; fulfilling the commitments signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO); and holding the anticipated legislative and presidential elections." This clause is the starting point of any Palestinian, Arab, Islamic or international effort to end the weird situation in the Gaza Strip that was caused by Hamas' military coup in June last year. For Hamas to indulge in genuine dialogue with the Palestinian National Authority, it has to accept in principle the three conditions stipulated in the Yemenite Initiative, which Hamas, by the way, accepted but backtracked later. Hamas at the time thought it would start a dialogue with the PNA only for the sake of dialogue and not with the intention of solving the weird conditions in the Gaza Strip. Whether the movement is reconsidering its stance this time or resorting to meaningless rhetoric as in the past is a question that days will answer.

Hamas will have to address this matter in the clearest manner possible. It cannot continue to hold over 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip hostages under its ruthless control until after the world accepts its own agenda. It has to think of creative ways to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip. The Presidential offer for renewed dialogue is one of those ways. At the end of the day, the ultimate interest of the Palestinian people should dictate the course of action for every Palestinian. Lifting the siege that Israel clamped on the Gaza Strip unquestionably tops the Palestinian immediate agenda. Therefore, every effort should be done in this direction, even if it comes at the expense of fundamental ideologies like the ones borne by Hamas. Otherwise, Hamas will continue to drive the Palestinian people into the abyss of illusion, and nothing but illusion.