A recent surge of disputes between the ruling Hamas and
previously dominant Fatah movement were unlikely to end as either
of the two rivals is ready to alter politically, a Palestinian
analyst said.
Hamas, which is in power less than a month, is in big trouble
because it does not know exactly whether to insist on its current
political stance or yield to Israeli and international
pressure.
"In both cases I believe Hamas is a loser, because if it yields
to the pressure and recognizes Israel, it would lose its wide
popular support and become similar to Fatah," said Abdallah el-
Agha, a Palestinian academic and analyst from Gaza.
"If Hamas-led cabinet insists to keep its fanatic and hardline
ideologies and political stances, I do not believe that it would
keep for too long, and it would either collapse alone or be changed
by President Mahmoud Abbas," said Agha.
The roots of the two Palestinian rivals' disputes lie in
political and ideological differences, Palestinian observers
believed.
They see no changes in beliefs of both parties and don't rule
out an endless conflict between the two, unless one of them changes
its ideology or political stances.
Fatah had been the Palestinian ruling party since the Oslo peace
accords, which was signed between the Palestinian side and Israel
in 1993.
It only became the opposition after it lost power in Jan. 25
legislative elections, in which Hamas claimed an outright
majority.
When in power, Fatah recognized Israel, condemned violence,
accepted signed agreements with Israel, and most importantly,
enjoyed international community's financial supports.
Hamas, which is considered "a terrorist organization" by the
European Union, the United States and Israel, had dramatically
moved from a violent opposition party to a ruling party after it
won the January election and thus formed a new Palestinian
government.
However, due to its consistent refusal to recognizing Israel as
a state, renouncing violence and accepting previous agreements, the
new government is now facing a severe financial crisis caused by a
major aid cut-off and diplomatic isolation internationally.
"I do not believe it would be possible for Hamas to be in both a
ruling movement and at the same time in the opposition," Mahmed
Mqdad, a spokesman for Fatah, told Xinhua, referring to Hamas's
condition now.
He added that when Fatah was the ruling party of the PNA, it
understood immediately the rules of the game. It recognized Israel
and negotiated with it, and at the same time it managed to get the
world's support without facing difficulties.
Currently, with radical Hamas leading the cabinet and Mahmoud
Abbas, a Fatah, being the president, disputes on government
decisions and policies were inevitably reflected over the
weekend.
Hamas Interior Minister Saeed Seyam announced to form a new
security force last Thursday, a government decision that was termed
as "illegal and against constitutional rules" by Abbas who
immediately issued a decree and annulled it.
However, Seyam and his spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal insisted that
the decision had already been taken and the interior ministry was
not intending to change it.
This dispute between the cabinet and the presidency had enlarged
the divergence between Fatah and Hamas, which was worsened by a
statement made by Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal, accusing
Abbas and his Fatah movement in the previous cabinet of
corruption.
He went further and accused Abbas of trying to topple the Hamas-
led cabinet.
Mashaal's statements then led to a wave of protests and violent
clashes between supporters of Fatah and Hamas on Saturday and
Sunday.
Supporters of the two parties in Gaza clashed and attacked each
other, leaving 21 of them injured.
Analysts believe that the recent disputes and clashes between
the two were not the first and won't be the last.
As long as each side is keeping its beliefs, ideologies and
political stances, violence between them would be ready to ignite
at any time.
(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2006)
