Sharon's democratic nightmare

Seeking to appease his far-right constituency ahead of crucial internal Likud Party elections slated for next week, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been escalating his rhetoric against the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. Sharon had always demanded that the Palestinian Authority (PA) eradicate the "terror infrastructure" of Hamas. However, as the movement has grown stronger, becoming an essential political player in the Palestinian arena, Sharon has now threatened to disrupt the Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for January 2006.

From New York, where he spoke before the UN General Assembly this week, Sharon warned that Israel would prevent the organisation of the elections if the PA failed to meet two conditions: disarming Hamas and getting it to abandon its anti-Zionist ideology. "We will make every effort not to help the Palestinians. I don't think they can have elections without our help," Sharon was quoted as telling reporters.

The Israeli premier said Israel might maintain roadblocks throughout the West Bank, making it difficult for Palestinians, voters and candidates alike, to move around. It is not clear to what extent Sharon will be insisting on the conditions he has spelled out. However, some analysts assess that the ultimate say in this regard belongs not to Sharon, but rather to the US.

"I don't think the Americans will back Sharon on this" said Yossi Alpher, a noted Israeli current affairs commentator, adding that "The Americans have already allowed armed Islamic militias, such as Al-Badr in Iraq and Hizbullah in Lebanon, to take part in elections, and some argue that Hamas will be no exception." Alpher told Al-Ahram Weekly that the inclusion of Hamas into the Palestinian political discourse concerned not Israel, but the entire American policy of democratic reform in the Arab-Muslim world.

Alpher's predictions might well be correct. On Saturday, a State Department official tacitly rebuked Sharon for threatening to thwart the Palestinian polls, saying the upcoming elections ought to be free from external interference. Confronted with the America rebuff, Sharon argued that as the Americans barred Al-Qaeda's Abu Musa'ab Al-Zarqawi from the Iraqi elections, Israel was trying to do the same with Hamas.

The parallel here, however, might appear to overlook the fundamental fact that Hamas, a popular political and social movement, has accepted the democratic process and declared its willingness to respect the choices of the people. Moreover, contrary to Al-Zarqawi's pariah status (Al-Zarqawi, among other things, is not an Iraqi citizen), all Palestinian political groups and institutions, including the PA and its de facto ruling party Fatah, welcome Hamas's participation. Finally, given Hamas's popularity, observers predict that a successful and legitimate election poll in the occupied Palestinian territories cannot be realised without Hamas's participation.

The PA subsequently has condemned Sharon's threats as "preposterous and unacceptable". "The Palestinian elections will be Palestinian and only Palestinian, not Israeli," insisted PA President Mahmoud Abbas while touring the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Sunday. He reminded Sharon that every Palestinian meeting conditions spelled out in the Palestinian election law would be able to take part in the elections irrespective of his or her political or ideological views.

PA Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat warned that any Israeli interference in the Palestinian elections would only hurt PA leader Abbas, and strengthen Hamas. "I urge the Israelis to stay out of our elections and our internal affairs; not to put their noses in this. Our elections will be a turning point toward political pluralism and maintaining law and order," he said.

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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/761/re2.htm