You also raised the point of we, Palestinians, being regarded in the United States as "terrorists." I think that any sensible person can see that, during the past months, the only side that abided by the truce, reached by the Palestinians and the Israelis, was the Palestinian side, including Hamas, while Israel appeared to be the terrorist by continuing with its assassinations and attacks almost every day. So Hamas doesn’t go around killing any Israeli it finds, but at the same time it has the right to defend every Palestinian when attacked for no reason other than being a Palestinian hated by Israel.

Moving to the US role in promoting democracy in the region, I think that, by not negotiating with Hamas, the United States is being far from promoting what it calls democracy. If it is always talking about democracy, then why won't it negotiate with the people who came to power through democratic elections?

Palestinians now see Hamas as the new ruler of Palestine and, if any country wants to negotiate with Palestine, then it should negotiate with whom the Palestinians chose to represent them. But I believe that the position America chose to take when Russia invited the representatives of Hamas to hold talks with the Russian goverment was a kind of a new beginning. I mean that we are used to hearing the White House reject what it doesn’t approve of, but it just kept silent when asked about its opinion on the Russian invitation to Hamas. So I believe that America will eventually negotiate with Hamas's leaders.

Hamas's leaders have made it clear that they are willing to make strong relationships with the international community and that their aim is to help the Palestinians stand on their feet and move towards establishing a developed country that has health care, education, trade, and a strong economy; none of them said that they are willing to cut ties with the world and only care about fighting Israel. So they are ready to meet all the leaders of the world if the latters are willing to.

If America doesn’t want to negotiate with or support Hamas, be it; we can see that everyday a new leader comes out on television and says he welcomes Hamas's leaders to his country.

So, to me, I don’t feel that America is being a real supporter of democracy in Palestine. Nor is it helping the Palestinians build an independent state that is free from conflict with Israel.

I am ready to hear more from you on this issue.

Tasneem

*****

February 14, 2006

Dear Tasneem,

I agree with basically everything you said in your last e-mail. If anyone reading this is expecting to hear another American defend his country’s actions in the Middle East as holy and solely for the good of peace and democracy, allow me to say that I cannot provide that. I wrote another response but concluded that it would be better not to send it because it would not create dialogue. Those who were anti-US would probably feel self-satisfaction in their views, which would lead to pride and would never allow them to see the other view, and those who were pro-US would just get enraged, call me a naïve liberal, and shut their minds even tighter. Neither of those results promotes understanding.

I don’t think that just because other countries start to talk with Hamas the United States will automatically jump in. As foolish as such action often is, my country does not seem to have a problem standing alone. And even though Russia has invited Hamas to Moscow , this does not necessarily mean that US silence should be interpreted as a new view of Hamas. You may be right, of course, and I do hope this is the case; however, I urge caution on this point since other forces are currently at work. I think the United States is worried about Putin’s tightening grasp around his political power and, with the recent British spy scandal, relations are delicate to the point that raising the issue of the Hamas's invitation could be seen as unhelpful to the situation. Or for another take, it has been argued that Russia's invitation of Hamas for talks is good for the United States, since another fear is that of Hamas going to Iran for support; so Russia ’s invitation can be seen as a counter-option to that of Iran if Hamas needs to look elsewhere for support. And what comes next suggests that Hamas might have to do just that.

The near future for Hamas is not bright at all. I was reflecting on this upcoming struggle when The New York Times refreshed their home page and the first article on the page was titled “U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster.” I stared at the title and felt sadness because it so far appears that the United States is not going to even give Hamas a chance. The paranoia out of which US decisions are made is in control. The sources of the information were Israeli and Western diplomats who said that the plan was to starve the Palestinian Authority of money so that new elections would have to be called. The choice for the Palestinians would be either to fully enter the Third World or redo the elections in a way more pleasing to the United States.

Around $50 million that should be given back to the Palestinians will be withheld by Israel, as will some or all of the economic aid given by the United States and the European Union once Hamas takes power — to name but a few planned tactics to undermine the election. This would come to a deficit of about $100 million a month and, as the article explains, “the potential for an economic crisis is real.”

To all those who believe that black and white no longer exists, allow me to say that this vile action on the part of the United States proves that there is evil in the world — dark, greedy evil with a foul stench that is wholly wrong and contains no good. For at the same time the United States claims to be fighting to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East, particularly Iraq, my government is working to force out of power a democratically elected government in Palestine. It is ultimate hypocrisy although it changes nothing — I am truly sorry, Tasneem.

I think that while the future is not bright, enough hope remains to keep working. The three demands placed on Hamas are to recognize Israel, forswear violence, and accept previous UN and Western agreements. Now, I think the most important demand here, the one closest to the heart of the United States, is that Hamas recognize Israel. Treaties can be hammered out later, I believe it can be accepted that all sides have the right to defend themselves, but what the United States will never accept is Hamas’s official goal of destroying Israel.

What the United States will never accept is Hamas’s official goal of destroying Israel.

Hamas needs to abandon its desire to get rid of Israel. I understand that recently, to their credit, Hamas officials have laid off such rhetoric, but as long as Hamas's officials do not come out and say “We recognize Israel,” I honestly do not think Hamas has much of a chance of ever gaining support from the West. I think that if the group does fully accept Israel, the United States will be more lenient than it is now concerning Hamas’s weapons and armed wing, and much less heavy-handed in negotiations.

One thing The New York Times article also said was that the United States wanted to bring back a Palestinian authority dominated by the Fatah Movement. Yet, doesn’t Fatah have an armed wing as well, and haven’t some members of its armed wing performed suicide operations just as Hamas has? I don’t know if the reason behind that is that Fatah has a different view of Israel than Hamas's, but I do believe this provides more of a reason for Hamas to work on accepting Israel rather than fight to keep its weapons and right to defense. The weapons are negotiable, the existence of Israel is not.

I have some questions. Do the Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim world understand this paranoia that grips the United States? Do they recognize that it is there and do they understand that most US foreign policy is influenced by its existence? What is your stance on Hamas accepting Israel as a state? Could you tell me about Fatah’s view concerning the existence of Israel ?

I look forward to your response,

David

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