bitterlemons-international.org
Middle East Roundtable /
Edition 35
A Palestinian View:
Inclusion means progress
by Ghassan Khatib
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's repeated assertions
that he opposes Hamas' inclusion in parliamentary elections and will not
facilitate the holding of these elections should Hamas participate, have
only one practical effect. That is to play into the hands of Hamas, which
can present itself as the Palestinian faction facing the maximum amount of
hostility from the enemy.
But Sharon's position might have been more effective, and consequently more
detrimental to the Palestinian Authority, had it been echoed and supported
by the international community. The statement last week by US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice after a meeting of the Quartet members in New York
did not endorse this position, leaving the impression that Sharon's is an
isolated Israeli position that does not register internationally.
From a Palestinian perspective, one of the main objectives of holding these
elections is to include organized and influential opposition groups within
the political system. In addition to widening the representation of
Palestinian political and social trends in the body politic, this will also
automatically involve a commitment and adherence by these opposition groups
to democratic parameters; i.e., the abidance of the minority to the rule of
the majority, respect for law and order as embodied by the political system,
and the acceptance of the laws and international commitments of the PA.
For these opposition groups to enter the elections is to change their
political positions and behavior. It would constitute an implicit acceptance
of all the PA's international commitments including signed agreements such
as Oslo, which is the legal framework that created the authority for which
elections are held.
There have been several signs recently of a willingness by the opposition to
move toward political positions closer to the PA, including the creation of
an independent Palestinian state on the borders of 1967. The current
ceasefire, no matter how fragile, is another such sign, as are the recent
direct and indirect contacts opposition groups have held with some western
states.
The inclusion of the opposition groups within the PA will certainly
strengthen the Palestinian side and increase its international credibility.
This might be among the reasons why Sharon opposes such a development. The
continuity of what the international community considers terrorism, however,
will provide Sharon with the necessary arguments and excuses to carry on
with his strategy of unilateral actions. These include the consolidation of
the occupation in the West Bank, especially Jerusalem; the measures that are
distorting Palestinian society and hindering its development--such as the
extensive restrictions on the movement of people and goods and the
disintegration and cantonization of different parts of Palestinian
territory; the continued and illegal building of the wall; and the expansion
of settlements.
It is important that the international community prevent Sharon from
disturbing the democratization process, especially elections and the general
process of development within Palestinian society. The continued
democratization of Palestinian society--with democracy's necessary principle
of inclusion--as well as social and economic development, are necessary to
increase commitment to and faith in a negotiated solution.- Published
26/9/2005 (c) bitterlemons.org
Ghassan Khatib is coeditor of the bitterlemons family of internet
publications. He is the Palestinian Authority minister of planning and has
been a political analyst and media contact for many years.
Bitterlemons-international.org is an internet
forum for an array of world perspectives on the Middle East and its
specific concerns. It aspires to engender greater understanding about
the Middle East region and open a new common space for world thinkers
and political leaders to present their viewpoints and initiatives on the
region. Editors Ghassan Khatib and Yossi Alpher can be reached at
ghassan@bitterlemons-international.org
and
yossi@bitterlemons-international.org, respectively.
hagalil.com 28-09-2005 |