Palestine – A House Divided Within

There seems to be no end to Palestinians woes. Two million Palestinians in the West Bank and 1.5 million in Gaza, and further two million scattered all over neighbouring Arab countries, see no end in sight to their ever increasing troubles. The turn of recent events has made them a house divided within. It is really very distressing to watch the brave Palestinians fighting and killing each other instead of moving closer to their dream of an independent Palestine. Ever since Hamas won 43 per cent votes and formed its government there has been resentment in Fatah camp. Fatah has, unfortunately, a large segment of corrupt officers and a group of gangsters who had been active under Mohammed Dehlan, who was responsible for creating trouble in Gaza. It is his group which has been terrorising Gaza people during the last one year.
As soon as Hamas assumed power the eternal enemy Israel stopped payment to Palestine its share in taxes and duties it collects on behalf of Palestine Authority. Now it has reached a staggering $800 million. On the other hand the godfather of Israel the US stopped the annual aid of $246 million it was giving to Palestine. The European Union meekly followed the coercive policy and stopped its aid of about $670 million. This made the life of 3.5 million Palestinians living in the occupied territories extremely miserable. This was the tribute imperialist powers were paying to a democratically elected government.
It goes to the credit of Hamas that it sustained so long in the face of extremely trying circumstances. Let us not forget that Israel has never been in a mood to concede real power to Palestine Authority. It wanted to keep it under its thumb with no more power than that of a municipality. That’s why when Yasser Arafat refused to act as Israel’s policeman and suppress ever growing popularity of Hamas, Israel resorted to targeted killing of Hamas leaders. And finally Israel invaded the West Bank cities and laid siege of Arafat’s Compound for two long years. Arafat was a virtual prisoner and his imprisonment ended only with his death.
In February last, Arab countries intervened to end Hamas-Fatah conflict. Under the aegis of king Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Makkah accord was signed which heralded the national unity government of Hamas and Fatah.  Naturally, this was not liked either by the illegal occupier Israel nor its godfather and promoter America.
In recent months the US propped up Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas and indirectly armed him. He dutifully dismissed Hamas government and now more dutifully has been doing the bidding of US administration. Will he attack and eliminate Hamas in Gaza is a mute question. If he is not willing to go so far, Israel is there to do the needful. And US is ever ready to support another massacre. US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who had given the good tiding of birth of a new Middle East when Israel was pounding Lebanon’s civil areas, has already said that she would not leave 1.5million Palestinians in the hands of terrorist organisations.
US has welcomed the formation of a pro-US government under the prime ministership of Salam Fayyad. It has lifted economic embargo imposed on Hamas government. It has restored its withheld financial support to Mahmoud Abbas. The European Union, on expected lines, faithfully followed the American example and announced its wholehearted support to the new dispensation. The Arabs are watching the show, without any say, as they are accustomed to.
It appears that the unfortunate Palestinians have to forget about independence. They should be now happy with not one but two Palestinian municipalities, under the same occupying powers of Israel and the US. American hegemony will not allow emergence of independent Palestine as it would not be in its interest of completely subjugating the entire Middle East.