Tuesday June 19, 2007

Column:

When the Arab world blames Israel for the unrest and violence in the Palestinian Authority I understand what is happening. But when Western media blames Israel - there is no way to explain except to say that the West has no understanding of the situation.

It's scary. The fighting between Hamas and Fatah is certainly scary. And so is the media coverage.

Blazing headlines often exaggerate, and when they exaggerate they mislead, and that is what is now happening with Middle East coverage. The Middle East is not burning, as many headline writers would have us believe. Parts of the Middle East are on fire, more correctly, are being fired upon. Yes, there is fighting going on. Yes, Muslims are killing Muslims. Yes, there are conflicts in Gaza, in Lebanon and in Iraq. But these conflicts are not connected, not inter-connected, not intra-connected.

Each of the conflicts is local. One has nothing to do with the other. And none have been brought on by Israel. None.

Respected and dare I say nefarious commentators, correspondents, hosts and talking heads have perverted the reality that is the Middle East. Some have actually, publicly, using their forum as if it were a bullhorn, blamed Israel for the current conflict in Gaza. In words and through inference the hypothesis that if only Israel had stopped building settlements then this conflict between the Palestinians would never have happened is laid before their audiences. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, they are all guilty. One paper actually suggested that Israel get out of Gaza. Another ran a picture of Mahmoud Abbas and called him the Prime Minister of Israel. When media leaders are so misinformed, what hope can there be for the masses relying on them for their own information?

Anyone actually analyzing the situation, anyone thinking about what is going can come to only one conclusion. Arabs are killing Arabs and the conflict in Gaza - just like the conflicts in Lebanon and in Iraq - has absolutely nothing to do with Israel or with Israelis.

Analysis and thoughtful insight, however, is not what I expect from interested parties, i.e. the vast majority of the Arab world. That bias is obvious. That hatred flows as freely as mother's milk. That media manipulation is fodder for the Arab masses.

Al Khabar, the Algerian paper, just ran a cartoon depicting a Jew rubbing his hands together with glee as Palestinians fight. And the Jew declares: "May God give them health because this is real Palestinian diversity." How do I know that the Arab cartoonist has depicted a Jew? I know from the dress and the facial features.

Ar Raya, the Qatar paper, has a cartoon of a winners podium. An ultra-orthodox Jew stands in the center on the highest tier and on either side of him are knocked-out Hamas and Fatah characters in the number two and three places. In Qatar they actually believe in the Jewish Conspiracy Theory. In Qatar they still believe in the Protocols of Zion. But I expect more of Western media.

But why should I expect more from the Western media than I receive from Western policy makers. Sometimes, diplomatic absurdity rivals cartoon commentary.

Now that Hamas successfully launched the coup that ousted Fatah, now that Hamas has taken over Gaza, the United States has begun to change its foreign policy stance vis a vis the Palestinians. In a quirk of diplomatic relations, the defeated Fatah party is being rewarded for its inaction and for its glaring and blatant loss to Islamic radicals.

The United States is removing the embargo against aid to the Palestinian Authority. They are removing it because Abbas, the Palestinian president and the head of Fatah, has finally and officially withdrawn from the Palestinian Unity Government with Hamas. It was not a huge effort on the part of Abbas. Last week he actually held a meeting to discuss whether or not Fatah should remain in the government. Outside, guns were roaring and men were dying, inside there was a discussion around the table. The reality of the situation, the absurdity of the suggestion, was obvious to everyone -to everyone except Abbas.

Fatah was trounced by Hamas. Fatah lost control of an entire, crucially important, area. And now Fatah is to be rewarded. The United States is, in my opinion, making a premature decision here. Not that the Palestinian people do not desperately need aid - they do. But can Abbas deliver even aid to his people - that is the question.

Throwing support behind Fatah before Fatah decides to fight Hamas is throwing good money after bad. It is unwise, it is a foolish a waste. Not as much of a waste as the European Union's promise to continue to pay Hamas salaries or as much of a waste as the decision by Saudi Arabia to continue to support Hamas charities to the tune of a hundred million dollars, but never-the-less an unnecessary waste.

The truth is out. United States policy wonks do not adequately understand the conflict between Palestinians - and I understand that. The culture, the political climate, the hatred are all foreign, literally and figuratively, to the American mind. But US policy people should at least protect US interests.

The United States is also suggesting that Abbas and by extension his Fatah party partner with Israel in pursuit of peace. On paper, the decision sounds reasonable. But once again the same problem arises. Can Abbas deliver on anything, anything at all, to which he agrees?

It is abundantly clear that Abbas cannot deliver Gaza. Major sections of the West Bank are not under his control. Fatah will be an asset for the United States and an ally for Israel only - only, if Fatah takes decisive action and then, only if they are successful. Fatah must continue the fight against Hamas. Now. If not, the fate of Gaza will become the future of the West Bank.

Hamas is more motivated and better trained than Fatah. But for now Fatah has more weapons and better quality weapons than Hamas. Today Fatah has more manpower, more fighters, than Hamas. The Fatah advantage will only last for a short period.

Unrest and violence in the Palestinian Authority will continue. It will continue in order to ensure the Palestinian people a future. Not because Israel has caused it to continue. Not because war makes good headlines. It will continue because it must.

And this time, when we read all about it, when we see the pictures and look at the cartoon depictions, hopefully, we will understand - truly understand, the situation.

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