"Demonstration"
Government
In Palestine
By Stephen Lendman
25 June, 2007
Countercurrents.org
In
1984 (a year of Orwellian significance), activist and media and social
critic Edward Herman wrote one of his many important books titled "Demonstration
Elections." In it, he analyzed the US-staged elections in the 1960s
in the Dominican Republic and Vietnam and the 1982 one in El Salvador.
In the book's Orwellian glossary of terms, he defined the process as
"A circus held in a client state to assure the population of the
home country that their intrusion is well received. The results are
guaranteed by an adequate supply of bullets provided in advance (and
freely used as necessary to achieve the desired outcome)."
This writer calls this ugly
business "democracy-engineering, American-style" backed by
force to win approval of a rigged process people would never accept
another way. Noam Chomsky refers to the notion of "Keeping the
Rabble in Line," the title of one of his many books. It can be
through soft or hard methods to assure the public goes along with what
governments want imposed.
Herman's main theme was that
"elections held under conditions of military occupation and extensive
pre-election 'pacification' " aren't free at all but aim to get
an occupying force's puppet choice accepted by the people it's installed
to rule with influence wielded more by bullets than ballots to create
"stability." Herman defines that term, too, as "a political
arrangement free of open warfare and satisfactory to our interests."
By that he means the "rabble" is cowed, induced or pummelled
into submission.
Enter the dominant media
stepping up to support the effort as lead cheerleader for a process
hard to sell without heavy lifting convincing that what government is
doing is for the common good. Never mind it isn't and that destroying
democracy and the will of the people to resist are the real aims. Herman's
theme works the same way today, and it's in play now in occupied Palestine.
The difference discussed below is that the US and Israel tried running
a "demonstration election" there in January, 2006, but it
failed. The people didn't cooperate and the "wrong" party
won.
Imperial powers never accept
defeat and attempted to subvert and crush the democratically elected
Hamas government ever since because it's too democratic and refuses
to be Israel's enforcer. So anti-Hamas efforts started off by labeling
it a "terrorist" organization. That was followed by political
and economic isolation, cutting off all essential aid, open conflict,
and on June 17 brazenly installing an illegitimate "demonstration
government" with Palestinian quisling President Mahmoud Abbas illegally
dismissing the elected government and appointing an "emergency"
one. All this is discussed in detail below.
Imposed Illegitimate
"Demonstration" Government in Palestine
The beleaguered Palestinians
are one of the world's most victimized peoples of justice delayed because
it's been so long denied them. Long under the Ottomans, they then had
to endure imperial British mandate rule after WW I until it ended in
May, 1948. Ever since, they've suffered intolerable hardships under
brutal Israeli oppression and illegal occupation with little outside
support to end it.
The Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 as a result and Yasser Arafat
became its leader in 1969 to try. At first, it was militantly, then
later through negotiation and international consensus. Nothing worked
because a hard line Israeli - US nexus with Western and Arab state complicity
prevented it. The predictable result was festering anger in the Palestinian
Territories. They've been occupied since June, 1967 after Israel seized
them in its long-planned six day war of aggression. The illegal occupation
continues and Palestinian anger boiled over in two Intifadas, first
in 1987, and ever since after Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to the
sacred Al Aqsa Mosque in September, 2000.
By January 25, 2006, Palestinians
had enough of Fatah's institutionalized corruption and willingness to
be Israel's enforcer under the quisling governments of Yasser Arafat
and his successor Mahmoud Abbas. They elected a dominant majority of
Hamas members to Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) seats because
they promised change and its candidates were untainted by corruption
or willingness to serve as puppets of Israeli interests at the expense
of their own people. They meant what they promised and proved it once
in office, even offering to partner with Fatah at the outset in a spirit
of unity. Under orders not to, Fatah refused. It guaranteed Israeli
and Washington antagonism that erupted immediately once Hamas assumed
office.
Palestinians endured a life
and death survival struggle before the election and especially ever
since, and they've been on their own doing it. After Hamas' election
victory, all desperately needed outside aid was cut off, and they've
been mercilessly persecuted under repressive Israeli rule. They've also
been attacked viciously and relentlessly by the world's fourth most
powerful military IDF forces and enlisted Fatah-led paramilitary death
squads with only light and crude weapons and their spirit to endure
and fight back.
Hamas - From Its
Charter and How It Governs
Hamas in Arabic means courage
and bravery. It's also an abbreviation of the Arabic words meaning Islamic
Resistance Movement. It was formed in 1987 during the first Intifada
and early on was supported by Israel to counter Arafat's PLO the Jewish
state opposed at the time. Ever since, it's been an effective resistance
movement against repression and occupation providing essential social
services like medical clinics; education, including centers for women;
free meals for children; financial and technical help to those whose
homes Israelis destroyed; aid to refugees in the camps; and setting
up youth and sports clubs.
It also has the Izz Al-Din
Al-Qassam Brigades, an elite military wing, headed by Abu Abieda and
other forces it needs for self-defense and law enforcement. Included
among them is the "special operational force" known as the
Executive Force (Tanfithya) used on the streets for policing and security.
Israel, Washington and the
West call Hamas' political and social activities and its legitimate
right to self-defense "terrorism" and tried to isolate and
destroy its democratically elected government from birth. So far, they
haven't succeeded, or are likely to, because Hamas' strongest assets
are its will, readiness, and majority support from its people.
Hamas is a heterogenous democratic
Islamic Resistance Movement allied with all resistance fighters for
the purpose of liberating Palestine from Israeli oppression and occupation.
Its method of choice is through negotiation and international consensus,
not war or terrorism as falsely portrayed through the dominant media.
But it states in its charter it will fight for its rights if they can't
be gotten peacefully and rightfully blames Zionist Israel for its plight.
They have plenty of evidence to prove it.
In its founding charter,
it states it "draws its guidelines from Islam; derives from it
its thinking, interpretations and views about existence, life and humanity;
refers back to it for its conduct....adopts Islam as its way of life....Its
ultimate goal is Islam, the Prophet its model, the Qur'an its Constitution....In
the absence of Islam, conflict arises, oppression reigns, corruption
is rampant and struggles and wars prevail....(The Movement) will do
its utmost to....support....the weak, (and defend) all the oppressed.
(It) regards Nationalism
(Wataniyya) as part....of the religious faith." Peace initiatives
and international conferences are rejected if their intention is renunciation
of Palestinian land. It rejects Zionist intentions to destroy Palestinian
society, its values and "wipe out Islam." It describes itself
as "a humane movement, which cares for human rights and is committed
to the tolerance inherent in Islam as regards attitudes towards other
religions. It is only hostile to those who are hostile towards it....(Under
Islam) it is possible for the members of the three religions: Islam,
Christianity and Judaism to coexist in safety and security" as
long as other religions "desist from struggling against Islam over
sovereignty in this region."
It believes "World Zionism
and Imperial forces have been attempting....to push the Arab countries"
to end conflict with Zionism "to isolate the Palestinian people."
It states its members don't seek "fame....nor material gains, or
social status....It will never set out against any Muslims....or non-Muslims
who make peace with it." Overall, Hamas has moderate political
and religious views in contrast to militant hard line ones by ruling
Israeli governments and the current one in Washington and other past
ones.
It wants peace, equity and
justice for all Palestinians while Israel and the Bush administration
pursue an agenda of conflict, imperial domination and firm intention
to deny Palestinians all rights they're entitled to and the UN General
Assembly adopted in December, 1948 in its Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. This historic (non-binding) document guarantees them to everyone
regardless of "race, colour, sex, language, religion, political
or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other
status (including) the right to life, liberty and security of person."
Hamas has always called for
peace with Israel and is willing to negotiate on the basis of "hudnah"
or temporary truce. It's founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, said Hamas was
willing to end its struggle for the legitimate rights of Palestinian
people "if the Zionists ended its occupation of Palestinian territories
and stopped killing Palestinian women, children and innocent civilians."
As the elected Palestinian government, it declared a unilateral cease-fire
with Israel, ended all suicide bombings, wants to negotiate, and is
willing to recognize the Jewish state if Israel accepts and recognizes
a Palestinian one. After being elected, it governed in good faith and
agreed to a national unity government with Fatah to share power it democratically
won to have alone. Israel, the US and West rejected all good faith efforts
opting instead for a divide and conquer strategy.
A New Stage of Occupation
for Palestinians
Israel, Washington and the
West, pursued an aggressive agenda for months through armed conflict
causing many deaths. From the start, Washington's point man has been
Iran-Contra criminal and now deputy national security adviser, Elliot
Abrams. Documents have surfaced in Middle East capitals with evidence
of Abrams' role in an anti-Hamas "hard coup" strategy of violence
and armed insurrection. They call for "maintain(ing) President
Abbas and Fatah as the centre of (Palestinian) gravity....avoid accommodating
(Hamas), undermine Hamas' political status (and) strengthen the Palestinian
president's authority to be able to call and conduct early elections
by autumn 2007."
The document also called
for Mahmoud Abbas to reject Saudi Arabia's Mecca agreement leaving Hamas
in charge. It further indicated $1.27 billion would be allocated to
Abbas to add seven special battalions of 4700 new security forces to
his 15,000 in place for "safeguard(ing) decisions such as dismissing
the cabinet and forming an emergency government."
This all played out violently
on Gaza streets leading up to Hamas' defeating opposition insurgent
forces and seizing control of the Territory to establish law and order.
As planned in Washington and Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority (PA) President
Abbas then conspiratorially declared a "state of emergency."
He dismissed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and his national unity
government replacing it with his own illegitimate "emergency"
one.
It's illegally headed by
newly appointed prime minister Salam Fayyad whose electoral list posted
a 2.4% showing in the January, 2006 PLC elections Hamas won overwhelmingly.
Fayyad's a pro-Western former IMF and World Bank official chosen by
Washington and Jerusalem. His job is to do their bidding the way he
served capital interests during his tenure at the international lending
agencies. There he did it by forcing borrowers into debt slavery and
their people into extreme poverty and deprivation for the sake of profit.
That made him a western darling now promoted to enforce imperial domination
on his people who want freedom and won't likely tolerate his portfolio
to deny it to them.
Abbas, Fayyad and others
in the "emergency" government are shamelessly partnered with
Israel and Washington as their coup d'etat-installed puppets working
against the interests of their own people. They control the West Bank
alone with Hamas firmly in charge of Gaza unless or until Israel intervenes
which now seems likely. It suggests a repeat of last summer's mass assault
on the Territory and its sure to follow dreadful consequences for its
near-defenseless people.
Plans to weaken and oust
Hamas have been in place for months with Washington supplying the Abbas
leadership tens of millions of dollars in aid and weapons. It's gone
to paramilitary militia death squad groups like Gaza-based Fatah warlord
and another Israeli-Western darling Mohammed Dahlan (Fatah's security
chief now in the West Bank) and his "Preventative Security Force."
It's part of a conspiratorial coup d'etat effort headed by traitorous
Palestinians on the take for their own gain. Abbas is their nominal
leader. Dahlan has the muscle and real power as it chief enforcer. All
newly appointed members of Abbas' sham "emergency government"
share equal guilt. They're junior quislings serving their puppet-masters
in Jerusalem and Washington, but events are just beginning, the struggle
is far from over, and its outcome very much uncertain.
Money and weapons will continue
flowing into the West Bank, and from what Hamas already seized in a
Gaza stash it found, it should be plenty. Unncovered were huge amounts
of mounted machine guns, assault rifles, ammunition, armored personnel
carriers, jeeps, armored cars and trucks, military-sized bulldozers,
water cannon-dispersing trucks, large quantities of munitions including
rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, explosives and various other
supplies and equipment.
In total, it appears enough
to equip a small army of fighters and may be worth as much as $400 million.
It's sure to be replaced so Fatah traitors are heavily armed to continue
fighting Israel's proxy war and acting as its West Bank enforcer against
their own people. They almost certainly will resist with Hamas leading
them courageously. It means Fatah's hold on power is tenuous at best
and Abbas' fate equally shaky. His shameless act may in the end cost
him all credibility, his job, and eventually make him liable to be held
to account for his open betrayal of his own people.
Hamas prime minister, Ismail
Haniyeh, has no intention stepping down and responded at length live
on Al-Jazeera rejecting Abbas' "hasty" moves saying 96% of
Palestinians support a unity government as the best chance for peace
and security. He affirmed his democratically elected government would
continue functioning and maintain law and order. He also called for
an end to conflict and a general amnesty. He stressed his fight is not
with Fatah, but only with rogue traitorous elements in it like the dominant
one headed by warlord Dahlan firmly doing Israel and Washington's bidding.
He explained Hamas' takeover
was no coup and only a last resort attempt to end lawlessness, conflict
and a Dahlan-led conspiracy against all Palestinians. He spoke of conciliation,
unity, and conflict resolution to heal divisions in contrast to Abbas'
traitorous behavior as Israel and Washington's pawn. He followed Israeli
and Washington-dictated orders responding by denouncing Hamas as terrorists,
refusing to negotiate, and saying he'll (illegally as explained below)
order new elections that will exclude Hamas.
At this stage, Hamas' task
is daunting as Haaretz reports Israeli Labor Party Chairman, former
prime minister, and new Olmert government defense minister Ehud Barak,
plans to launch a large-scale military operation on Gaza in weeks. It
will include 20,000 troops and an air assault aimed at destroying Hamas'
military capabilities quickly. Haaretz cited a close Barak aide saying
Israel won't allow a "Hamastan" in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT) and an attack on it is certain. Air attacks are now
ongoing daily, border crossings are closed, and Israel cancelled Gaza's
commercial customs code. That cuts off essential supplies like food
and medicines from entering the territory. Israel is now increasing
its collective punishment against 1.4 million Palestinians already enduring
unbearable hardships in what's considered the world's largest open-air
prison with a population density three times that of Manhattan.
Israeli-Washington-Directed
Fatah Declared Coup Illegal Under Palestinian Law
Virginia Tilley is a South
African-based political science professor. On June 18, her article appeared
on The Electronic Intifada titled "Whose Coup, Exactly?" It
documented in detail that according to the Basic Law of Palestine, serving
as the PA's constitution, "Abbas has violated a whole stream of
Articles as well as the spirit of its checks and balances" limiting
the power of the presidency. He "badly trashed numerous provisions"
in it "with full US and Israeli support." The Basic Law states:
-- Under Article 45, the
President can remove a Prime Minister but can only appoint a new one
from the majority party - Hamas.
-- Under Article 83, if the
Prime Minister is removed, the serving (Hamas-led) Cabinet is to govern
until the (Hamas-led) Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) appoints
a new one.
-- Only the PLC has authority
to confirm a new Prime Minister and Cabinet.
-- Under Article 43, in emergencies,
the President can rule by decree subject to all decrees approved by
the PLC.
-- Under Article 113, in
emergencies, the President cannot suspend the PLC.
-- The Basic Law gives the
President no power to call for early elections.
-- No provision in the Basic
Law authorizes an "emergency government."
Conclusion: Abbas' actions
constitute a lawless coup d'etat usurpation of power, or as Tilley puts
it: "The (Fatah) Fayyad government is the step-child of an extra-legal
process with no democratic mandate. The whole manoeuvre is not precisely
a palace coup," but enough like one, in fact, to be one. She also
notes "the diplomatic landscape is now in utter disarray"
with the extra-legal Fayyad government only a "facsimile"
of the real thing.
So far, its illegitimate
creation hardly seems to matter to Israel, the US and European Union
shamelessly flouting Palestinian and international law. They're ending
their political and economic PA West Bank (only) embargo to bolster
Fatah and Abbas while continuing to isolate Hamas in Gaza. It's an outrageous
effort rewarding lawlessness and continuing to crush democratic movements
when they become too democratic as Hamas did. Hamas spokesperson Sami
Abu Zuhri denounced it accusing the West of hypocrisy. He noted Hamas
was democratically elected and added "This confirms the falseness
of the international community's support for democracy."
From Dublin, Ireland at a
human rights conference, former President Jimmy Carter denounced it
as well. He accused the US, EU and Israel of harming and seeking to
divide the Palestinian people by aiding Abbas in the West Bank while
withholding similar help to Hamas in Gaza. Carter stressed Hamas is
entitled to be the ruling Palestinian government because it was democratically
elected. Representatives from his Carter Center observed the election
and judged it free, open and fair. He urged the international community
to work toward reconciliation of Hamas and Fatah but sees nothing being
done to do it.
He condemned US, EU and Israeli
efforts to undermine Hamas as "criminal." He continued saying
"The United States and Israel decided to punish all the people
of Palestine and did everything they could to deter a compromise between
Hamas and Fatah." He then added Washington and others supplied
Fatah security forces with superior weapons aimed at "conquer(ing)
Hamas in Gaza, but the plan failed because of Hamas' "superior
skills and discipline."
A Hopeful Look Ahead
Everything happening in the
Middle East in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan in Central Asia
is interconnected. In all of it, Washington is partnered with Israel
and the EU aiming to subdue the people in both regions, control their
resources, and rule over this vast area in colonial-occupier fashion
directly on the ground or ideally with puppet-installed governments.
Washington leads the effort and intends taking the lion share of what
it can plunder provided things go as planned. The EU is tagging along
led by Britain and Israel in key roles with the Jewish state getting
huge amounts of funding to do it. According to a James Tucker American
Free Press May, 2003 report it was at a level of $10 billion a year
then with Israel wanting it upped to $12 billion.
This figure came from a Library
of Congress "briefing paper" titled "Israel: US Foreign
Assistance." It listed categories including direct funding aid,
huge amounts in loans and loan guarantees, military aid, R & D help,
and considerably more that noted academic and author James Petras documented
in his important 2006 book "The Power of Israel in the United States."
In total, Israel, with 5.2 million people in 2005, about the size of
a large US or other city, receives more in total aid in all forms than
all other nations in the world combined. It uses it to seize Palestinian
lands for Jewish resettlement, build separation/apartheid walls, and
wage illegal wars of aggression in pursuit of its own imperial agenda
for regional dominance as an adjunct to its US partner and very generous
funder.
Despite considerable effort
and huge amounts of financial and other resources employed, US and Israeli
imperial adventurism hasn't fared too well giving reason to hope more
of it will turn out as badly for both nations. Palestinians have endured
everything Israel's thrown at it for six repressive decades. In spite
of it, they're still holding up maintaining their courageous struggle
for equity, justice and a free and independent state they intend one
day to have and likely will regardless of Israel's determination to
prevent it. History is on their side.
In just the last century,
nations around the world struggled for the same rights and prevailed,
though for many it took decades or longer and what was gained was far
from perfect or even unacceptable too often like in South Africa. The
end of apartheid there was replaced by neoliberal "Thatcherism"
resulting in greater poverty and hardship for the poor majority than
in the earlier era. However, progress usually comes slowly and rarely
without setbacks or disappointments. The point is it can come when people
seeking it never stop believing it will or working for it until it does.
Palestinians have been doing it since 1948, and one day they'll have
what they and all others deserve everywhere, their own state in which
to live free from foreign occupation secure at last on their own land.
An early hopeful sign was
reported in Haaretz by correspondent Shlomo Shamir June 22. He noted
in spite of US, British and French pressure (with new UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon's shameless backing) for a Security Council declaration
of confidence in the Abbas government, it was withdrawn before its drafting
stage because of strong protests against it by Russia, South Africa,
Indonesia and Qatar. These countries objected to anti-Hamas policies
and attempts to characterize it as a terror organization and isolate
it. In addition, Russia and South Africa questioned the emergency government's
legitimacy arguing instead for a unity government as the solution to
the conflict in occupied Palestine.
It's a small, maybe temporary
victory, but important one nonetheless. It shows mighty America, Israel
and the EU can be challenged and forced to back down giving Palestinian
people hope more victories will follow and in time the one they want
above all others. With faith, courage, patience and redoubtable will,
one day they'll prevail, their Nakba will have ended, and their right
to live freely on their own land will be affirmed and recognized.
Stephen Lendman
lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected].
Also visit his blog site
at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Steve Lendman News and Information
Hour on TheMicroEffect.com Saturdays at noon US central time.
Leave
A Comment
&
Share Your Insights
Comment
Policy
Digg
it! And spread the word!
Here is a unique chance to help this article to be read by thousands
of people more. You just Digg it, and it will appear in the home page
of Digg.com and thousands more will read it. Digg is nothing but an
vote, the article with most votes will go to the top of the page. So,
as you read just give a digg and help thousands more to read this article.