eretz

Appearances Aside, Abbas Hasn’t
Given Up On Disarming Hamas

DOV LIEBER TIMES OF ISRAEL

I

n the heart of Cairo, rival Palestinian last week when a large P.A. delegation
factions Hamas and Fatah signed a
came to the Strip. What was new in last
deal last Thursday that supposedly
Thursday’s deal was the deadline given
ends 10 years of bitter conflict.
for the takeover to take place — Dec. 1.
The two estranged Palestinian fac-
The groups also agreed to meet again
tions agreed on the straightforward
in Cairo on Nov. 21 to discuss more
issues, but the celebrations will likely be issues.
brief.
One interesting note about the
Nearly all the terms agreed upon have Egyptian press statement is that it said
not been subjects of dispute for some
the reconciliation is being carried out
time. The hardest issues, most notably
in accordance with Egyptian President
whether Hamas will have to give
Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s hope
up its estimated 25,000-strong
“to achieve an independent
fighting force and its weaponry,
Palestinian state on the bor-
are still on the table, with no real
ders of June 4, 1967, with East
solution in sight.
Jerusalem as its capital and
All that the deal addressed
a return for Palestinian refu-
was the easy stuff, the civil issues
gees.”
— an excuse for both sides to
Hamas, while continuing
celebrate and thank Egypt for its
to call for Israel’s destruc-
Hamas’ delegation
help.
tion, suggested earlier this
head Azzam
year that it might consider a
WILL HAMAS RECOGNIZE ISRAEL? al-Ahmad
state in pre-1967 lines as an
interim option on the path
Why the skepticism? Well, let’s
to an Islamic state in historic
start with what we know.
Palestine, including what is
Keeping in mind that the full
now Israel.
agreement has yet to be pub-
If Egypt is in the driver’s
lished, here are the publicized
seat, it may force Hamas to
elements of the deal, either as
compromise and fully endorse
announced in an Egyptian press
a Palestinian state in the West
release, stated during a news con-
Bank and Gaza. That would
ference or reported by a source.
PA President
mean recognizing Israel’s right
First, both sides agreed to
Mahmoud Abbas
to exist, a key Israeli demand
enact the 2011 Cairo agreement,
for the unity agreement and something
which mostly deals with setting up
Hamas has always refused to do.
national elections.
A critical development is the agree-
Second, Hamas allowed the
ment for the P.A. to take control of
Palestinian Authority government to
Gaza’s border crossings with Egypt and
take over all ministries in Gaza. This
Israel. In a press conference, the leader
was already a part of previous agree-
of the Fatah delegation, Azzam al-
ments, and in fact, the P.A. ministers
Ahmad, said members of P.A. President
already took back their offices in Gaza

Mahmoud Abbas’ presidential guards
would be deployed along the Egyptian
border.
The Associated Press quoted officials
close to the talks as saying the sides
agreed to set up committees to work out
the outstanding details. One committee
would have four months to determine
who among thousands of Hamas civil
servants would be able to join the new
government. Another committee would
merge 3,000 P.A. loyalists into Gaza’s
Hamas-run police force.

ONE GUN, ONE LAW?

Notably, neither Hamas nor Fatah spoke
last Thursday about the issue of the
future of Hamas’ military wing. Before
the talks, it was on the tips of all the
Fatah and Hamas leaders’ tongues. Had
the issued been solved, someone would
have declared success.
Abbas was very clear before the talks
began that he would not allow the terror
group to keep its arms. “One gun, one
law,” he said, even threatening to arrest
anyone with guns outside the state sys-
tem.
In a statement last Thursday, Abbas
called what was agreed upon in Cairo
“steps to end the division.” That division,
he thereby casually acknowledged, hasn’t
yet ended.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem,
according to the Israeli daily Haaretz,
admitted that the future of the terror
group’s military had yet to be discussed.
“The next phase of reconciliation will
be a meeting of representatives of all the
Palestinian factions in Cairo to discuss
the major national issues — such as
Hamas’ military wing, the issue of weap-
ons and political positions,” he said.

Just before departing for Cairo, al-
Ahmad, the Fatah delegation head, told
the Palestinian news site Quds Press,
“We have crystal-clear agreements before
and after the division, and there is no
need to talk about unnecessary things
such as the weapons of resistance and
the employees. These are obstacles that
aim to spread frustration and despair.”
Understandably, Hamas and Fatah,
if they are serious about reconciliation,
don’t want to start by immediately dis-
cussing the most difficult issue. And from
an outsider’s point of view, the current
reconciliation deal seems more serious
than past attempts.
Ironically, Abbas is no stranger to this
method of conducting negotiations,
having been a party to various “historic
agreements” with Israel that deferred
to a later date thorny issues such as
Jerusalem, borders and refugees. Yet,
more than two decades since the sign-
ing of the Oslo accords, Israel and the
Palestinians are no closer to solving
those issues.
The same is now true of Hamas’ mili-
tary — there is no clear path to compro-
mise.
Should Hamas refuse to give up its
guns, it’s unclear how Abbas could walk
back the emplacement of his government
and thousands of policemen in the Strip.
But the aging Palestinian leader sur-
prised many this year by slashing funding
for power, medical aid and government
salaries in Gaza, bringing Hamas to its
knees (and to the negotiating table) and
proving that he can play hardball when
he wants to — even if 2 million Gazans
have to suffer for it. •

Glassman Genesis

Valet Service

Jeff Stewart

MID CENTURY MODERN-RETRO FURNITURE

Serving the Community Since 1969

31505 GRAND RIVER AVE.

Assistant New Car Sales Manager

248-636-2736

AT CORNER OF ORCHARD LAKE

FARMINGTON 48336

In the Historical Winery Building
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Complimentary
Maintenance

We Carry

)&3."/.*--&3t"%3*"/1&"34"--t,/0--t8*%%*$0.#t%6/#"3
+&3&t%"/*4)U.0%&3/t1"6-&7"/4t.*-0#"6()."/
mad4mod.space
vette028@aol.com

Serving Our Community For Over 45 Years!

248-514-5858

5FMFHSBQI3Et4PVUIýFMEt  

XXXHMBTTNBOHFOFTJTDPN

32

October 19 • 2017

jn

2168010

8F#VZ4FMM5SBEF‰$BMMGPS"QQPJOUNFOU