[[Jerusalem Times: Opinion]]

October 3, 2006

This week in Palestine….. Behind the news with Hanna Siniora

Dr. Rice in the Region

The visit of Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, to the region comes at a moment were the Israeli Palestinian issue is ready for a break through and conditions are ripe to end the conflict and the suffering of the people of the region.

Dr. Rice must, like the local leaders of the region, develop a fresh approach as the Road Map process is full of contradictions and is inapplicable. For past few years neither Israel nor Palestine have the ability to fulfill in parallel the dismantling of illegal outposts or the disarming of militias. As a result, the settlements are being expanded; the separation wall is almost done, and the peace process is in shambles. War, violence, destruction and hatred have flourished instead.

Dr. Rice if as being announced has returned to the area to propose “creative means” to strengthen president Abbas and weaken Hamas, will instead fuel the internal differences within the Palestinian political arena, and lead the Palestinian people toward destruction and civil war.

Even President Mahmoud Abbas in reacting to recent internal violence in Gaza and the West Bank that resulted in death and destruction said: “Let us be frank here, the United States has imposed a political, economic and social siege on us after Hamas has won the recent legislative elections.”

Dr. Rice should drastically reevaluate US policies, while the United States publicly backs the democratization process in our corner of the world; its active policy undermines the democratic hands because America disapproves of the results of the democratically free transparent elections that brought Hamas to power. Dr. Rice can strengthen the presidential regime by backing Abbas efforts to form a national unity coalition representative of all the Palestinian forces on the ground. Dr.Rice can strengthen Abbas by asking Israel to unfreeze Palestinian revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the PA to the national unity government. Dr. Rice should insist that the Access and movement pact as well as General Dayton’s proposed plans for operation of the crossings should be implemented and respected.

Dr Rice visit comes at a time when the two governments, Israeli and Palestinian, are too weak to discuss core issues of a permanent settlement. Condi Rice first priority is to allow the internal conditions in both sides to be consolidated, in the PA by backing the national unity government, in Israel to consider seriously the importance of making peace with all 22 Arab countries that will surmount issues of Hamas and Fateh, and Sunni and Shia.

If the Secretary of state backs such creative means, in Palestine stability would lead to pragmatism, in Israel a positive bilateral agenda should replace unilateral disengagement and thus stabilize a coalition with no raison d’etre.

During this visit it is important that the issue of Palestinian security prisoners and the captive soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon be resolved, it would allow tensions to abate and pave the way to tackle core issues.

For Palestinians, Dr. Rice should discuss and resolve Israeli policies preventing US citizens of Palestinian origin from living and working in the PA, if this is not done, how can we in the future find ways to resolve the right of return, even to Palestine.

After the November elections in the USA, while the above mentioned issues are resolved adequately, a new mood could be created in the region that will pave the way for the Quartet to call for an International conference according to the calls coming from Chirac, Putin and Moratinos to discuss the inclusion of the Arab league peace initiative in a process that defines the two state solution and put a timetable for its implementation. Without the full backing of the quartet such an event cannot take shape. Dr. Rice should convince President Bush and the US administration that such an approach would lead the ME toward peace.

Tzippi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister, has taken a first step by calling on her government to start the process of dismantling illegal outposts. Condi Rice can make the difference between more radicalism and conflict, and a new chapter of relations by listening to creative ideas coming from the region.

Abbas and Haniyeh

In Palestine, recent developments including the deadly confrontation in Gaza that led to nine dead, and over a hundred wounded, indicates that the PA is sliding toward civil war.

Politicians have failed to prevent frictions and Palestinian blood is being shed by Palestinian hands.

The only two leaders that can prevent further deterioration, President Abbas and PM Haniyeh.

The two should immediately sit together; even lock themselves up, until they arrive to a formula that would lead to a national unity government and sharing of power by Hamas and Fateh. Anything less than that would allow chaos and anarchy to push the people into a civil war that would shelve the future for a state and independence for generations.

A coalition government can resolve immediate issues like the unpaid salaries of civil servants, or the unification of security forces that will control lawlessness, and open a new chapter of internal relations.

The government would have the ability to deal with health and education. It is a crime that all of us share that our children, for a whole month, since the start of the new school year are unable to attend classes as a result of the strike. Civil servants would be back at their desks, the post offices would reopen and the process of rebuilding would start.

The President’s and PM’s urgent priority is to form the national unity government, friendly countries should back this approach, otherwise, the alternative is too ugly to contemplate, it is against the interest of the Palestinian people, it is against the interest of peace regionally, against the American interests of moderate Arab countries in alliance with the USA.

Palestine cannot afford to slide toward civil war, Fateh and Hamas, should exert Herculean efforts toward cooperation and a close working relationship, otherwise all of us will pay a heavy price and regret our inability to coordinate. 

Mr. Hanna Siniora is the Co-CEO of IPCRI – the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information  www.ipcri.org