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

As Egyptian protests rage on into their second week, Palestinians are regrouping on social network sites to organize their own protests, in spite of government prohibitions. Last week, Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank and Hamas police in the Gaza Strip quelled Palestinian protests in support of the Egyptian people. This week, as the protests in Egypt grow louder and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's departure grows more imminent, Palestinian authorities are reportedly easing their restrictions on protesters.

On February 3, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza in solidarity with the revolution in Egypt carrying banners such as "The people want the regime out". This time, Hamas security forces did not intervene.

This was not the case on January 30 when Hamas authorities prevented demonstrations in the Strip. According to Human Rights Watch, police forces arrested six women and threatened to arrest scores of others if they did not disperse. The group had come together after an invitation of Facebook.

In Ramallah last week, PA police blocked protesters from demonstrating in front of the Egyptian embassy on one occasion and from holding a rally in the city center in support of the Egyptian people on another.

On February 3, Human Rights Watch called on the Palestinian Authority to end violence against demonstrators after police cracked down during a rally the night before in Ramallah.

"The Palestinian Authority should immediately make clear that its ‘state-building’ training of security forces does not include beating peaceful demonstrators," said HRW's Mideast chief Sarah Leah Whitson.

Facebook has also been the modus operandi for disgruntled Palestinians to call for revolutions against their own authorities. On January 28, a group of Fateh supporters called for a day of protest on February 11 in the Gaza Strip against the Hamas government. Also on Facebook, another group was rallying supporters to overthrow President Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinians inside Israel have also taken to the streets in support of the Egyptians' right to democracy. On January 30, protesters rallied in Haifa in support of the Egyptian people while chanting anti-Mubarak and Netanyahu slogans.

Meanwhile, Palestinians are continuing to keep a close eye on developments in Egypt. On the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Gazans were reported on February 5 to be supplying hungry Egyptian soldiers with bread, canned foods and some fruits and vegetables. According to sources inside Rafah, this has been going on for the past three days as Egyptian soldiers controlling the border have run out of food supplies.

The turmoil in Egypt has shown no sign of letting up, with Mubarak holding on to his seat of power irrespective of the wishes of the people. The unrest has caused reverberations both regionally and internationally.

On February 4 White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said during a press conference that the United States expects the Egyptian government to honor previous peace agreements with Israel regardless of who is in power. Gibbs was obviously addressing pressure from Israel over the past week and a half to ensure any Egyptian government honors the peace treaty with it.

"Our expectation would be that whatever the next government of Egypt is, that they would adhere to a treaty signed by the government of Egypt," he said. "The treaty is not with a particular president. It is with the government, the country and the people of Egypt."

US President Barack Obama hinted at Washington's acceptance to the inevitable ousting of Mubarak without explicitly calling for it. During a meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister, Obama said, "The future of Egypt will be determined by its people. The transition process must begin now."

In Palestinian news, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay is expected to visit Palestine and Israel according to a statement released on February 4. According to the statement, "Pillay will look closely at the situation in the Palestinian territories, and will be looking at ways to promote human rights."

On February 4, Quartet envoy Tony Blair announced a "series of gestures" Israel said it would make to the Palestinians including a promise to support "Arab" construction in east Jerusalem.

Blair's announcement came one day before the Quartet committee is scheduled to meet in Munich. "In respect of East Jerusalem, the Government of Israel has agreed to encourage the implementation of all projects that abide by municipal regulations that will improve infrastructure there for Palestinians, including in particular housing," Blair announced.

"On the West Bank, there will be an extension of Palestinian Authority security presence in Area B – with seven towns approved in principle," he continued.

Also part of the so-called package, Netanyahu is said to have agreed to ease the blockade on Gaza by allowing more exports to enter including a limited amount of construction material. Still, Blair warned of agreements that stay on paper. "Obviously, agreement to all this is not the same as implementation."

Anyway, the Palestinians are not impressed. Saeb Erekat, the PLO's main negotiator said they would not accept the offer, calling it a "game and more stalling." On January 31, the cornerstone for 24 new settlement units as laid on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. According to Israeli sources, the new settlement units, near the Beit Orot yeshiva, will house 100 families and would be built over a five year period.

Palestinians also announced they were planning to hold local elections. On February 1, Fateh Central Committee member Mohammed Madani said the leadership is considering holding local elections either in the spring or summer of this year with general elections to be held in September. A day later, Hamas announced it would not participate in any new elections, saying [Prime Minister Salam] Fayyad's government is "illegitimate."

A statement released by the de facto government said, "The movement will not recognize the [elections] because they come on the ruins of national conciliation and political pluralism."

Speaking of recognition, two more countries announced their recognition of the State of Palestine this week. On February 1, Suriname's president, Dizari Putriz sent a letter to President Abbas saying his country recognized the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. On January 31, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Cyprus had also sent a letter to the President recognizing the state of Palestine along the 1967 borders.

Finally, an Egyptian gas pipeline was targeted in an explosion on February 5 in the northern Sinai. The pipeline supplies gas to both Israel and Jordan. Egypt supplies about 40 percent of Israel's natural gas.

 
 
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