Thank you Mr. Carter, but no thank you…

Former President of the United States, Mr. Jimmy Carter has made a bold step in beating the treacherous path to establishing the illusive peace in the Middle East. He may not have achieved anything significant, but by meeting up with the leadership of Hamas in Gaza, he has proven to the world that talking to Hamas is what the Western powers should do, since they are the government of the day and the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas considers Mr. Carter as a sincere person who objectively comprehends and deeply emphatizes with the Palestinian plight. He’s book ‘Palestine:Peace not Aparthied’ is a testimony to his commitment to see that peace be given a chance in Palestine, but which also have lead Israelis to view him as an enemy of the Zionist state.

Mr. Carter came with a plea for Hamas to abide to all the three conditions set by the United States for ending the siege on Gaza. These conditions are; to recognize Israel, to renounce resistance and to honor pass agreements made with Israel. Those conditions are not acceptable to Hamas for the following reasons.

Firstly, recognition of Israel is out of the question, because it touches on the national constant that is non-negotiable. It only implies one thing, i.e. it legitimizes the forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes and their homeland, and a Zionist state established it its place. Instead of talking Hamas into recognizing Israel, Mr. Carter should have insisted on Israel to conform to the UN resolutions in particular 242 and 338, by giving up the unlawful occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In fact Hamas have reiterated on many occasions that it views favourably the establishment of a Palestinian State on territories annexed by Israel in the 1967 war. This implies that Hamas is willing to live in peace with Israel through a long term ceasefire agreement. Recognition of Israel is against the principle of justice and just not possible on moral grounds.

Secondly, asking Hamas to renounce resistance (or what the western term as ‘violence’) is against the United Nation charter that recognizes the struggle of every nation under occupation as a legitimate cause. Every nation has the right to resist all forms of foreign subjugation and rules and the right for self determination. Instead of asking the Palestinian to cease fighting for freedom, Mr. Carter should have insisted the United Nation to rein in Israel for its indiscriminate use of military arsenal on a practically defenseless Palestinian population. The image of the carnage from the last attack on Gaza in December last year and January this year is still vivid in our minds. This clearly constitutes a war crime, and many countries are putting together the legal papers to prosecute Israel for the wanton killings of Palestinian civilians. Asking Palestinian resistance group equipped only with firearms and crude homemade rocket firing facilities in facing their nemesis with the most sophisticated weapon system is against every sense of proportionality.

Thirdly, asking Hamas to accept all past agreements made with Israel is just plain absurd. These agreements signed without the consent of the Palestinian people have no substance, no stipulations on borders, nothing that will give a character to the Palestinian state. Every single peace agreement made by the PLO and the subsequent Palestinian Authority is but a sell-out of the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian did not make any substantial territorial gain out of these agreements and yet Israel continue to expropriate more land, build more jewish settlements and carved up large swath of land for Israeli security purposes by building the separation wall. No person of the right mind would agree to such lopsided agreements that only serve to strengthen Israeli grip on the occupied territories.

In conclusion, Mr. Carter, your unfailing commitment to find a peaceful solution to the Palestinian problem is looked upon in high regard. However you have fallen short of what it takes to bring a just and viable peace in Palestine. Peace comes at a price, and that is justice and fairness.

In Islam we are guided by the principle espoused by the Quran – ‘Be just for it is closer to Godliness’


Dr Hafidzi Mohd Noor
Director
PACE
(Palestine Centre of Excellence)