Yehuda Stern
8th January 2009, 20:49
The following is a translation of an article by comrade Yossi Schwartz of the ISL. For quite some time now, Hamas has been giving signs that it is ready to reach some sort of agreement with US-Israeli imperialism, which will have it replacing Fatah in policing the Palestinians, at least in Gaza.
A similar process took place with Fatah in the early 1990s. For years, Fatah signalled its willingness to compromise with Zionism - however, the Israeli ruling class stuck to its rhetoric accusing Fatah of being an anti-Semitic terrorist organization bent on throwing all the Jews into the sea, much like today with Hamas.
The Zionists did not change their position until the initfadah forced their hands. Faced with the anger of the Palestinian masses, it needed an inside man, a role which the old, conservative, Israeli-engineered leadership of the Mukhtars and the "village leagues" was no longer able to play.
The process eventually led to an attempt at a permanent deal between Zionism and Fatah - the Oslo Accord. Lauded by the Zionist left and even some of the supposedly anti-Zionist left (infamously, the Israeli CP), the accord's purpose was to create the illusion that a Palestinian mini-state could co-exist with Israel. Even if this was possible, revolutionaries would still oppose this betrayal of the Palestinian struggle - but the Zionists never had any intention of living up to their part of the bargain. Their refusal to allow any return of refugees and to divide Jerusalem exploded the deal.
Hamas will inevitably go down the road Fatah has traversed. The only reason it has not done so thus far is that the imperialists do not trust that it can contain the pressure of the masses currently supporting it. However, Hamas is not going anywhere anytime soon, and it certainly will not become a revolutionary organization. Its inevitable fate will serve as another proof of the impossibility of defeating Zionism without a workers revolution.
What Is the Meaning of the New Egyptian Initiative for an Immediate Ceasefire?
An article by Amos Harel in Haaretz today quotes a high ranking officer in the Zionist army, explaining the aims of the military in Gaza. When asked for an explanation for the terrible destruction of civilian infrastructure, the officer said: “it will take many years for Gaza to get back to form. When we suspect that a Hamas fighter is hiding in a house, we send a missile at him and then the tanks fire several shells, and then the bulldozer smashes the walls.” This statement illustrates perfectly the role of Israel as a force of modern barbarism, aiming to send Arab society back centuries. Rosa Luxemburg said that humanity faces a choice between socialism and barbarism. Israeli and American imperialism, in Afghanistan and Iraq, seem hell bent on proving her right.
While Zionist barbarism runs rampant, Egypt, France and the US try to subordinate Hamas to Israeli imperialism in the guise of a ceasefire. Last Tuesday, in a press conference held after his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak presented a new initiative for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel for a limited time. Mubarak’s offer is that Israel does not completely remove the siege on Gaza, but open the passages for humanitarian purposes. The offer includes setting up a meeting between Israelis and Palestinians (which Palestinians, he did not say), after which talks regarding a long-term arrangement will be held, which will include a complete removal of the siege at some point in the future.
According to Mubarak’s proposal, Egypt will invite Israel and the Palestinian to an urgent meeting in order to reach an understanding which will prevent further escalation in the region, including defending the border, reopening the passages and removing the siege on Gaza. After these terms are reached and proper actions are carried out, Egypt will invite Israel and the representatives of the Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian parties to a meeting in order to reach a long-term deal.
Simply put, the intention is to turn Hamas into an open collaborator of Israel, guarding the ghetto walls from a mass uprising for independence.
Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that Sarkozy has presented a proposal by Mubarak to Ehud Olmert, to set up a special apparatus of engineering experts which will operate on the Egyptian side of the border in order to prevent the digging of tunnels. This is further proof that the siege will not be lifted, only lightened, and that the intention is to turn Hamas into ghetto policemen at the service of the imperialists – known in other similar situations as Kapos.
This is not what the Palestinian people have been fighting for! Hamas’ betrayal will see it suffer the same fate as Fatah. No police force and no army can kill the Palestinian struggle, no matter how much Palestinians it kills.
The question we are facing is simple: will Hamas agree to serve as the Zionists’ new agent? Are we facing a new Oslo Accord?
A similar process took place with Fatah in the early 1990s. For years, Fatah signalled its willingness to compromise with Zionism - however, the Israeli ruling class stuck to its rhetoric accusing Fatah of being an anti-Semitic terrorist organization bent on throwing all the Jews into the sea, much like today with Hamas.
The Zionists did not change their position until the initfadah forced their hands. Faced with the anger of the Palestinian masses, it needed an inside man, a role which the old, conservative, Israeli-engineered leadership of the Mukhtars and the "village leagues" was no longer able to play.
The process eventually led to an attempt at a permanent deal between Zionism and Fatah - the Oslo Accord. Lauded by the Zionist left and even some of the supposedly anti-Zionist left (infamously, the Israeli CP), the accord's purpose was to create the illusion that a Palestinian mini-state could co-exist with Israel. Even if this was possible, revolutionaries would still oppose this betrayal of the Palestinian struggle - but the Zionists never had any intention of living up to their part of the bargain. Their refusal to allow any return of refugees and to divide Jerusalem exploded the deal.
Hamas will inevitably go down the road Fatah has traversed. The only reason it has not done so thus far is that the imperialists do not trust that it can contain the pressure of the masses currently supporting it. However, Hamas is not going anywhere anytime soon, and it certainly will not become a revolutionary organization. Its inevitable fate will serve as another proof of the impossibility of defeating Zionism without a workers revolution.
What Is the Meaning of the New Egyptian Initiative for an Immediate Ceasefire?
An article by Amos Harel in Haaretz today quotes a high ranking officer in the Zionist army, explaining the aims of the military in Gaza. When asked for an explanation for the terrible destruction of civilian infrastructure, the officer said: “it will take many years for Gaza to get back to form. When we suspect that a Hamas fighter is hiding in a house, we send a missile at him and then the tanks fire several shells, and then the bulldozer smashes the walls.” This statement illustrates perfectly the role of Israel as a force of modern barbarism, aiming to send Arab society back centuries. Rosa Luxemburg said that humanity faces a choice between socialism and barbarism. Israeli and American imperialism, in Afghanistan and Iraq, seem hell bent on proving her right.
While Zionist barbarism runs rampant, Egypt, France and the US try to subordinate Hamas to Israeli imperialism in the guise of a ceasefire. Last Tuesday, in a press conference held after his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak presented a new initiative for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel for a limited time. Mubarak’s offer is that Israel does not completely remove the siege on Gaza, but open the passages for humanitarian purposes. The offer includes setting up a meeting between Israelis and Palestinians (which Palestinians, he did not say), after which talks regarding a long-term arrangement will be held, which will include a complete removal of the siege at some point in the future.
According to Mubarak’s proposal, Egypt will invite Israel and the Palestinian to an urgent meeting in order to reach an understanding which will prevent further escalation in the region, including defending the border, reopening the passages and removing the siege on Gaza. After these terms are reached and proper actions are carried out, Egypt will invite Israel and the representatives of the Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian parties to a meeting in order to reach a long-term deal.
Simply put, the intention is to turn Hamas into an open collaborator of Israel, guarding the ghetto walls from a mass uprising for independence.
Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that Sarkozy has presented a proposal by Mubarak to Ehud Olmert, to set up a special apparatus of engineering experts which will operate on the Egyptian side of the border in order to prevent the digging of tunnels. This is further proof that the siege will not be lifted, only lightened, and that the intention is to turn Hamas into ghetto policemen at the service of the imperialists – known in other similar situations as Kapos.
This is not what the Palestinian people have been fighting for! Hamas’ betrayal will see it suffer the same fate as Fatah. No police force and no army can kill the Palestinian struggle, no matter how much Palestinians it kills.
The question we are facing is simple: will Hamas agree to serve as the Zionists’ new agent? Are we facing a new Oslo Accord?