The international community has witnessed the
emergence of HAMAS (an Arabic acronym for
"Islamic Resistance Movement") as the winning
party in the Palestinian parliamentary
elections. A strong showing was expected, but
the surprising HAMAS victory now confronts the
US with the free election (in which 77% of
eligible Palestinians voted) of a movement the
US lists among terrorist organizations.
Official channels of engagement either with
HAMAS directly or in the peace process more
generally could appear to be a reward for
electing HAMAS. Nonetheless, constructive US
engagement would be consistent with US
intentions for democratization of the region,
and is perhaps more necessary now than ever.
The US is right to commend the democratic
process, even though the outcome is not to its
liking. The US should proceed to engage with
its Quartet partners (the EU, Russia, UN) to
ensure that any framework for renewing
negotiations is not abandoned. Greater
deliberate engagement in the
Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the US
over the past few years could perhaps have
meant a different result. The occupation has
strangled Palestinian commerce and industry,
ballooning unemployment. As it stands, the
continued deterioration of the Palestinian
condition, coupled with US-supported Israeli
unilateralism has reflected only negatively on
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'
government.
HAMAS is now expected to
govern responsibly and deliver results for the
Palestinian people. Its reputation as a strong
provider of social services will be severely
challenged if international aid packages to
the Palestinians slow or stop. HAMAS ran under
the banner of "Reform and Change," not on
terrorism or religious conservatism. HAMAS has
discussed removing language in its charter
condoning terrorism and denying Israel’s right
to exist--and it is imperative that it does
so. If it does, and if Israel were to affirm
the right of Palestinians to a state, both
sides could move beyond a terrible (and
potentially very violent) stalemate.
Despite HAMAS' win, further
marginalization of the Palestinians imperils
its people and abandons both Palestinians and
Israelis hoping for a just and secure
resolution to the conflict. Members of
Congress have introduced punitive legislation
to cut off direct US aid and funding of UN
programs for Palestinian refugees and human
rights monitoring, although these same members
have historically restricted such aid when the
Administration was attempting to encourage
more amenable Palestinian leadership. Most US
assistance is directed through the US Agency
for International Development to Palestinian
NGOs or through Israeli-controlled accounts.
The US should honor its financial commitments
made in recent years to alleviate Palestinian
suffering and back up US policy to seek a
two-state solution.
Palestinians have voted with hope to improve
their worsening condition, including progress
toward achieving a state. Contact the
President and State Department telling them to
do these things: first, to affirm their call
to HAMAS to renounce violence and recognize
Israel; second, to resist Congressional calls
to cut off assistance for the Palestinian
people; and third, to maintain US commitment
to pursue a viable Palestinian state by
encouraging moderation of the parties and
renewed negotiations.
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