MIFTAH
Friday, 29 March. 2024
 
Your Key to Palestine
The Palestinian Initiatives for The Promotoion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
 
 
 

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the Kadima primaries on September 17, thus taking the position over from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Livni, who was expected to win the elections over her closest rival, Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, will now have to either form a coalition for her new government or, if she is unable, go to early elections. Olmert is officially to announce his resignation on September 21.

Palestinian reactions to Livni's victory ranged from cautiously optimistic to indifferent. President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Livni on her electoral win a day later, adding that the leadership would "negotiate with whoever Israel chooses." Livni is already the head of Israel's negotiating team, which means she is well versed in the obstacles that face any real progress to a peace agreement between the two sides.

The de facto government in Gaza, however, did not mince its words. Following the announcement of Livni's win, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said the election were "nothing but a competition between extremists in the Israeli political institution", adding that Palestinians could look forward to more Israeli aggression under Livni.

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Olmert held one last meeting as Kadima leader with Abbas on September 16 in which the latter reiterated the need to reach a comprehensive and not partial agreement. In an editorial Abbas published in the Wall Street Journal on September 18, he warned that should the parties fail to reach a peace agreement, "the parameters of the debate are apt to shift dramatically."

Abbas continued to say that both sides were responsible for making this happen, especially since Annapolis offered a starting point for the process to be relaunched. "History will judge none of us kindly if we squander this opportunity," wrote Abbas.

Olmert also had a similar message to his people. On September 15, speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Olmert said Israel would regret not signing a peace agreement with the Palestinians in the future. Olmert said waiting any longer to decide on the borders between the two states would be result in an "intolerable" situation because of the high price in land Israel would have to pay, even saying the alternative would be a binational state for both peoples. The outgoing premier also addressed one of the Palestinians' most pressing issues, which are the refugees. He said Israel would never allow the right of return for Palestinian refugees but would be willing to be part of an international mechanism for solving the problem within the framework of a future Palestinian state.

Abbas is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting and will also meet with US President George Bush on September 25. The Quartet Committee is also scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the UN conference to assess the Middle East peace process and Moscow's proposal to hold an international peace conference on its soil.

Abbas has his own internal battles to face, namely with Hamas. The Islamic movement claims Abbas will have no legal bearing following January 9, which they say marks the end of his term in office. On September 14, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal said new elections would have to be held after January because there would be no legitimate Palestinian Authority president.

President Abbas responded on the same day, saying Palestinian law is the only reference for all Palestinian issues, maintaining that Hamas' claim has no legal grounds.

Fawzi Barhoum also responded to claims that Hamas had rejected a call to form a technocratic government that would restore Gaza to its pre-June 2007 status, during Egyptian mediated talks with Palestinian factions. On September 19, Barhoum said Hamas wanted a national coalition government that would take care of all Palestinian concerns and defend their rights.

This seems to be a much needed change, especially in light of the recent eruption of violence in the Strip on September 16 in which 11 people were killed. Clashes broke out between the Hamas police force and members of the Dughmush clan in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. According to official Hamas statements, the police were looking for three men from the clan who were wanted for the earlier deaths of a policeman. An armed confrontation ensued between the two sides in which several Dughmush family members including one-year old Ahmad Dughmush and two Hamas policemen were killed.

A day later, on September 17, the radical Islamic group, the Army of Islam announced that one of their commanders Ibrahim Dughmush had succumbed to his injuries sustained in the battle. According to a statement issued by the group, seven of its members were killed in the exchange of fire. The Army of Islam was responsible for the kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston last year.

In the meanwhile, negotiations over a prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel are still at an impasse. On September 18, Israel handed Hamas via Egypt a list of 450 prisoners it agreed to release in exchange for their captured soldier Gilad Shalit. A day later, Hamas hardliner Mahmoud Zahhar accused Israel of reneging on its past consent to release an initial 450 prisoners and then an additional 550 two months after Shalit was returned. Now, Israel says it will only release the first 450. Zahhar fired back that if Israel continues to stall negotiations, the swap would be scrapped altogether. He also said no swap would take place until Hamas' conditions are met, including prisoner releases and the opening of Gaza borders.

In the West Bank, settler violence has wreaked havoc in the northern areas. On September 14, settlers from the Itimar settlement set fire to 70 dunams of agricultural land and dozens of olive trees. On September 13, an estimated 300 settlers attacked villagers from Aseera Qabaliya with guns and sticks for four hours. According to eyewitnesses, settlers broke house windows and beat people before Israeli army forces imposed a curfew on the village.

On September 18, Israeli authorities announced the confiscation of 140 dunams of land in Bardala, a village near the Jordan Valley that runs along the 1948 borders. Furthermore, Israeli authorities levelled land and uprooted several olive trees belonging to Fawzi Issa just west of the Shufat Refugee Camp for the sake of an iron gate in the separation wall there.

One Palestinian was also killed this week by Israeli forces in the eastern Bethlehem village of TAqou on September 13. Sixteen year old Hasam Hamid was shot when soldiers entered the village and clashed with youths in the street.

 
 
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