Gideon Levy had a fascinating article in Haaretz yesterday, reporting this:
- The group of reservist paratroopers returned all astir: Hamas fought like an army. The comrades of Sergeant-Major (Res.) Ehud Efrati, who fell in a battle in Gaza about two weeks ago, told Amos Harel that “in all parameters, we are facing an army, not gangs.” The soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces were impressed by their enemy’s night vision equipment, the tactical space they kept between one another – and their pants even had elastic bands to make them fit snugly around their boots.
Levy’s very sensible reaction to this is unequivocally that this is good news for Israelis:
- the news the soldiers brought is … encouraging on several other levels. According to their descriptions, a Palestinian Defense Force has emerged. Instead of a rabble of armed gangs, an orderly army is coalescing that is prepared to defend its land. If it makes do with a defensive deployment against Israeli incursions, we will again have no moral claim against them: Hamas is entitled to defend Gaza, just as the IDF is entitled to defend Israel.
The coalescence of an army also ensures that if Israel tries to reach an accord with the Hamas government – the one and only way to stop the firing of Qassams – there will be someone in Gaza to prevent the firing. An armed and organized address in the chaos of Gaza also means good news for Israel. But the respect the reservists felt for the way Hamas fought is liable to trickle down deeper. “The Palestinians never looked like this,” the surprised soldiers told Haaretz. Perhaps we will finally stop calling them “terrorists” and refer to them as “fighters.” A bit of respect for the Palestinians and, in particular, an end to our dehumanization of them is liable to mark the beginning of a new chapter.
Well, I certainly hope he’s right that an increased “respect” for the Palestinian Hamas forces will trickle through to larger number of Israelis (though I would not as yet bet my farm on it.)
I do recall that back in 1982, an earlier generation of IDF reservists also discovered a “new” level of respect for the Palestinians fighters who were dug in around Beirut, during the punishing siege the IDF maintained around that city for ten long weeks. (Q.v., the Schiff and Yaari book, “Israel’s Lebanon War”, or any number of other contemporary sources.)
And then, during the first intifada, many Israelis expressed some grudging respect for the Palestinians who maintained a largely nonviolent, mass civilian uprising against the occupation for many years, despite Rabin’s “Iron Fist” and other brutal punishments.
Recently, however, it has been mainly the forces of Hizbullah who’ve won some “respect” from the Israelis, not particularly any Palestinians.
Levy makes an excellent point, though, about the need for a coherent force to be able to maintain order in Gaza– especially under today’s extremely stressed (and distressed) circumstances there.
I suspect, though, that very few of Levy’s countrymen will immediately agree with him that “Hamas is entitled to defend Gaza, just as the IDF is entitled to defend Israel,” though that is certainly a courageous, fairminded, and generally admirable sentiment. (Of course, “defending” both territories through nonviolent means on both sides of the line would be highly preferable to having them both use of military force.)
Levy writes:
- Perhaps the reservists’ reports will dissuade the defense minister from carrying out his plan to conquer Gaza and will motivate Israel to try, for the first time, a different approach with Hamas – negotiations. [One would certainly hope so, though I am less hopeful of this than Levy seems to be. ~HC] Only the recognition of Hamas’ strength is liable to persuade Israel to be cautious about another operation, and only its military buildup will make us understand the full stupidity of the boycott policy that was designed to weaken Hamas…
In his ending, he eerily echoes some of the arguments I made in this recent JWN post, about the problematic absence of any “mutually hurting stalemate” between the Israelis and Palestinians at the present time. He writes:
- Ours is a country that has been ready to make concessions only after blood is spilled. Since the interim accords following the Yom Kippur War and through the withdrawal from Lebanon and the disengagement, Israel has needed a relatively strong enemy to get its act together. If not for Hezbollah, we would still be in Lebanon; if not for Hamas, we would still be in Gaza.
Now the time has come for the next chapter: Did we think leaving Gaza and imprisoning it was enough for life in Israel to be hunky-dory? Hamas comes along and reminds us that this does not suffice. The West Bank is quiet in the meantime? Until an organized and strong resistance movement is revived there, we will not consider evacuating even one little outpost. We will conduct talks every two weeks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, we will go to Annapolis, but we will not discuss, heaven forbid, the “core” issues there. And our terrific lives will continue, while in the West Bank the masses will crowd together at the checkpoints for hours, be subject to humiliation and risk their lives every time they go outside.
These words are not meant to encourage another wave of Palestinian terror. They are intended to try to motivate us, for the first time, to move beyond our usual habits and reach the conclusion – this time without bloodshed – that the occupation cannot continue forever. Perhaps the news about the elastic bands on the Hamas men’s pants will do it for us, and the next cycle of violence will be averted.
Anyway, regardless of Levy’s possibly over-optimistic prognosticating, I think many of the analytical points he makes in the piece are valid… And the facts he reports– about the impressions those seasoned IDF soldiers had of Hamas’s upgraded organizational capabilities– are extremely important.
One depressing prospect is, of course, that instead of reacting to these reports the way Levy clearly hopes, the Israeli political leadership will react in exactly the opposite way: that, egged on by Elliott Abrams and the rest of the Bushites, they will argue instead that Hamas is engaged in a “dangerous, Iranian-backed military buildup in the heart of Gaza that needs to be snuffed out immediately.”
(In March 2006, when I talked with the hawkish Israeli figure Dore Gold in Jeruslaem, that was almost exactly the tenor of the argument he made to me about Hamas’s then-recent victory in the parliamentary elections… Except that in his extremely fevered and fearmongering version of the matter, the Hamas people– along with their alleged Iranian “backers– were also on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons… Are we scared enough yet?)
Helena, is this the same Hamas military which has just killed 7 palestinians and wounded 100 others by firing on a 200,000 crowd peacefully commemorating the death of Chairman Arafat? How does this compute in the Quaker worldview? Honestly!!!!
Of course what happened during the Gaza City demonstration was a massive tragedy. Seven people killed is a horrendous outcome, and the Hamas security people there were not nearly prepared enough to deal with the events of the day. But it was not simply cold-blooded massacre; there is a whole history of provocations and clashes therethere; and we do not yet know nearly enough about the events of the day itself.
But what Levy’s story was about was something significantly different: Hamas having apparently put serious effort into upgrading the training, quality, and command and control of their forces further north in the Strip, an area that has been virtually a free-fire zone until now, with gangs of Palestinian hardliners moving around and keeping the pressure on Israel by firing the Qassams. As Levy notes, if the Qassams are to be halted, some Palestinian force needs to be able to exercise effective control in that area. What he doesn’t recall in his piece is that for all the time that Fateh was in charge of the Strip, they never did that. Levy implies that Hamas is getting to a position where they will be able to. Let’s hope so.
So long as Israel wants to avoid making peace with the Palestinians, its government and its US friends will continue to exert a lot of effort to foment splits among the Palestinians whenever and however they can. (And then, use the shopworn argument that “There’s no-one to make peace with on the other side! They are so chaotic and primitive!” But once Israelis understand that having good, peaceful relations with their neighbors is really in their interest, they will need a coherent negotiating partner: the National Unity Government that came out of the Mecca Agreement earlier this year offered some chance of that. The present continued efforts to foment Palestinian division certainly do not.
Of course the Palestinians themselves also bear responsibility for the state of their internal politics. Mistakes there have been made by every party. But Israel and the US, with their partisan and cynically manipulative funding and arming of the Fateh “Contras” have certainly made things a lot, lot worse. That’s my tax dollars at work. I feel sick about it.
Well I am staggered. You don’t see the upgrading of the Hamas military as disturbing evidence that its extreme military wing now has complete ascendancy over its political wing?
Helena, Hamas is not ruling Gaza with the consent of the people. On the conrary, it has imposed the rule of force. It is also imposing creeping Islamisation on a traditionally secular-leaning polity without the people having had a say in it.
It has split the Gazans away from their compatriots in the West Bank – and all this by military action. If public opinion polls there mean anything Hamas popularity has absolutely plummeted in Gaza. Not surprisingly, since Hamas actions represent a total betrayal of the platform on which it won the elections?
With the Gazans helpless to do anything about it, Hamas “upgrades” and consolidates its military power to applause from you, the renowned anti-militarist? This is bizarre, to say the least.
BB, I do strongly believe– as I have written here numerous times before– that the best way for Palestinians to achieve their goals would be through disciplined, mass-based nonviolent action. Over the years, Hamas has considerably curbed the degree of violence it uses; it has shown some (though not total) impressive discipline in restraining the use of violence by its own members and by others, most notably during the 15-month Tahdi’a, but also more recently. And over the years it has built up impressive networks of civilian social activists.
But how can anyone justifiably call on only one side (and that, the most sorely oppressed and hurting side) to give up the use of violence completely, while allowing the much stronger party– the oppressing party– to continue using violence, deadly force, and illegal coercion to continue trying to impose its will on the situation and also to continue grabbing the vital resources of another nation?
That’s why I call strongly on all parties to set aside the use of violence and coercion as they try to resolve the outstanding issues in the Israeli-Arab conflict. Is that a campaign you can join with? I hope so.
BB There is no evidence to suggest that Hamas does not have the support of the electorate and credible election results to show that it does. As to Hamas using force, let’s be sensible, shall we? If Hamas did not employ force it would have been wiped out by the US/Israeli puppets long ago. Hamas is a resistance movement, Gaza is occupied (yes, occupied) and constantly under attack from Israel, it is morally bound to provide military protection both to the people of Gaza and to the remnants of its own leadership (most of whom have been assassinated in a series of criminal actions while the world watched with an idiotic grin on its collective face.)
These discussions would be so much more profitable if people resisted the temptation to make spurious debating points, BB.
Ha’aretz also has an interesting analysis by Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff that see things a bit differently:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/923553.html
I would point out that the original report upon which Levy based his “analysis” was a bit different than he portrayed. The bulk of the paratroopers’ comments had to do with how the militiamen were dressed and equipped (as witnessed on their dead bodies, I might add), with a bit about how they were organized.
Sure it is important to understand that Hamas is apparently receiving training and advanced equipment, and I don’t doubt that Levy is right that this indicates a change. However, the Harel-Issacharoff analysis is correct, then Hamas, itself, is fragmenting. No matter how many elastic bands and night vision goggles an army has, and no matter how “professional” they look, if they don’t have a unified command structure – and, worse, if they break down into independent, clan run militias – they aren’t going to be very effective.
Concerning the above exchange, I’m not really sure how firing into a crown do 200,000 unarmed civilians – even if provoked – can be justified. Further, I don’t see how this qualifies as “resistance”. But, perhaps these are just “spurious debating ponts” (i.e. inconvenient facts that contradict one’s own position), as Bevin says?
Defence of Children International/PS has issued the following: DCI/PS condemns the use of excessive force during commemoration of Arafat’s death in Gaza
Defence for Children International – Palestine Section holds grave concerns for the deterioration of the human rights situation in the Gaza Strip and for the absence of the rule of law in ensuring the protection of the lives of civilians, especially children.
According to initial field investigations by DCI/PS, assaults by the executive forces of the dismissed Hamas government in Gaza, on civilians who were commemorating the 3rd anniversary of the death of the Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, led to the killing of 6 persons, amongst them one child, 12 year old Ibrahim Mahmoud Jebril Ahmad, and injured about 140 others, amongst them 22 children. Most were injured by live bullets to different parts of the body.
These events come amidst the current chaos in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since the beginning of 2007, 24 children have been killed and in addition 50 have been injured, as a result of the infighting.
These attacks are regarded as a grave violation of the civil and political rights, such as the right of expression and to public assembly, enshrined in many international conventions and instruments. They are also a violation of the human right to life that is guaranteed in Palestinian domestic laws and in international conventions, which regards this right as non derogative even in times of emergencies that may threaten the security of a nation or State.
As such, DCI/PS calls on the Hamas movement in Gaza, as the ad hoc authority, to:
1. Fulfill and respect the inherent right of Palestinian children to the right to life in refraining from any activity that violates this right;
2. Take the necessary steps that guarantee the respect of international standards for human rights and protect the safety and security of civilians;
3. Take serious steps to put an end to human rights violation sin Gaza and investigate these violations and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
e following statement regarding the situation
How interesting that Defense of Children International has found it important to (rightfully) chide Hamas for its excessive violence, and for the death of children, but apparently mentions not a word about Israel, despite the fact that Israel kills many times more Palestinian children per year than Hamas has in its entire existence.
Bevin – I’d like Helena to address the crucial point I made on which she is very well qualified and contacted to comment, ie:
has the extreme Hamas military wing achieved total ascendancy over its political wing? She avoided answering this. I would add to it another question: if so, what are the implications for the future chances of reunification of Gaza with the PA?
I think when you talk about cheap debating points you actually mean “easy” debating points. If so I agree they are easy. It’s appalling what’s happened to Gaza imo, but apparently you don’t agree?
Regarding the DCI posting-in fact they issue statements regularly regarding Israeli violations of human/childrens rights. (I know, here I go again)…however, knowing so, so many of the families of the disappeared in Lebanon, and aware that it was in fact either Lebanese militias, Israeli forces, its allied militias, Palestinians or Syrian/Syrian allied militias, I cannot but support any and all civil society groups which work to keep armed groups accountable for their role in violence-Perhaps a moralistic position-however, have you sat with families who have had their loved ones missing for years, decades even, with no word?
Yes, states and armed groups are accountable, in my view…
but apparently mentions not a word about Israel…
Shirin, had you googled “Defense of children International” the very first thing you’d see listed is their page “reporting Israeli violations of Palestinian children’s rights, and campaigning to free Palestinian child political prisoners. ”
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Defense+of+Children+International%22&btnG=Google+Search
BB There is no evidence to suggest that Hamas does not have the support of the electorate
Many polls undertaken since their electoral victory have pointed toward this conclusion. Here’s the most recent:
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=36304
Even within Gaza , HAMAS military takeover is seen as wrong by a very wide margin:
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/residents_of_gaza_reject_hamas_takeover/
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/10/africa/ME-GEN-Palestinians-Abbas-Poll.php
President Mahmoud Abbas’ popularity has increased since his rivals from the Islamic militant group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip, and the moderate Palestinian leader would easily win re-election if a vote were held today, according to a poll released Monday.
kdj, I hope you do not think that I absolve any armed groups for what they do, particularly as it regards children.
No Shirin, I do not hold this view of you; rather it is a general statement-in terms of ending impunity, we have long worked to hold states accountable-and we know that non-state actors can exact enormous, futile, enduring harm-Perhaps I sound patronizing, however, I do not intend to be.
Hamas has plunged to less than 10% in voting preference for both general and presidential elections? 70% want an early election? Goes a long way to explaining why 200,000 turned out in Gaza for the Arafat commemoration. What would the public sentiment be now after the Hamas attack on the rally and the hospitals of Gaza being filled with the wounded?
I get the feeling this won’t be the last dramatic rally in Gaza and at last we might see the re-emergence of a genuine, mass movement using non violent means to overthrow the islamist oppressors – reminiscent of the first intifada.
Just how long does anyone think that anyone can maintain solidarity when they watch their children starve and suffer under the Israeli imposition of illegal (by any international standard) collective punishment? Of course, they want to feed their children and have access to basic medical care (even though Israel conditions this on “cooperation”). When one side has overwhelming military superiority ( buttressed by the only superpower in the world) they can eventually impose their will on an oppressed minority. But it is at best a Pyrrhic victory. Conditions imposed on an apparently totally vanquished foe are never long lasting. At best , Israel can expect a brief interlude after its planned bloody incursion into Gaza. Then it will be back to the usual bloody irritants that plague them. Only a realistic and generous offer on the part of Israel can assure them even a measure of security. But this is as unlikely as George Bush getting realistic.
Only a realistic and generous offer on the part of Israel can assure them even a measure of security.
“So, if you mention extortion again, I’ll have your legs broken. ”
impressive discipline in restraining the use of violence by its own members and by others,
A rally by the rival Fatah movement commemorating Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ended tragically when Hamas security forces opened fire on the crowd.
Its very very impressive discipline Helena.
I am not in support any side (Fatah or Hamas) here but surly Hamas showing their ugliness face