What do you make of this story in the Jerusalem Post? While you are there also read this very interesting article about the contestation of Jewish identity.
Arab-Israeli Politics POSC 377
This course explores the politics of the Middle East with particular focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Identity and Politics in the region, the role of Islam and the U.S. in the region's politics. Fall 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
About Me
- Name: Muqtedar Khan
- Location: United States
Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. He is also the Director of the Islamic Studies Program. He is a Non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom (Amana, 2002), Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and Strategy in International Relations (Praeger, 2004).
23 Comments:
I believe the story in the Jerusalem Post exemplifies one of the major weaknesses of the Palestinian cause. Simply put, since the beginning of Arab / Israeli conflict until present day, the Palestinians have been divided in their cause. While both parties are against Jewish occupation in Palestine, they are divided on too many other leadership strategies and politcal matters.
Rashid Khalidi points out that one of the major tools used by the British to control the Arabs during the mandate was creating disunity and division.
The article reports that this video is a hoax. With that said, it still could be a product of Fatah. On the other hand, it is also very possible that the video came from a third party who has an agenda of creating more division between the Palestinians.
I think this article highlights a problem that is indicative of Palestinian control, namely that there are questions of legitimacy. Just the fact that journalists are prevented from entering the area gives the impresssion that Fatah is rogue group operation without concern for the people that it supposed to serve.
Greg makes a good point that we don't know who submitted the video, but I believe that this case is secondary to the larger issue of legitimacy.
I think that this article demonstrates how information can be misused to affirm Western thinking that Hamas is a terrorist group. Since Hamas is the party in power committing the alleged atrocities, it makes Fatah more appealing to other outside influences such as the U.S. and other European powers.
I agree with Greg's point that the Palestinian leadership is a split group, which also limits their credibility. If they were able to assimilate into one faction, there message and focus could possibly be more of an impact on the world stage.
Lastly, it is not a question of who submitted the video or if it is a hoax, but what response it receives, whether postive or negative. To me it is the same as a petty rumor, now the accused is left with damage control.
The continuing struggle for power amongst Palestinian groups is the greatest internal barrier they must confront. With a fractured leadership, the cause cannot legitmately go forward.
Fateh is on the brink of being discrediting for their string of failures, especially those in the last decade or so. Hamas, with its more grass-roots and social-mindedness (and its ability to satisfy the Palestinian desire for immediate action) is becoming a stronger and stronger player in this conflict.
Fateh should not be pandering to the IDF and Israel. It should be trying to unite with the Hamas movement. Satisfying the social concerns of the Palestinian people while having a united and legitimate political front with which to face the international scene is absolutely essential to furthering the Palestinian cause. As long as there is infighting to the point of completely discrediting, or even violently attacking, the other party is the norm, the Palestinians have no hope to accomplish anything.
None of the infighting is slowing the building of settlements and the pandering to the Israeli government discredits Fateh amongst its people while the consistent calls for violence discredits Hamas amongst international players, and the infighting threatens to destroy both parties.
To address the video directly, it is next to impossible to verify where it was filmed and who perpetrated the act. Without going off on a tangent about how ridiculous the practice of "honor killings" actually is (not to mention a complete violation of human rights in one of the most extreme senses), there are plenty of fundamentalist sects in the Islamic World that could have perpetrated such an act. We read about such killings all the time. In this particular case we have heard of at least three different areas (Syria, Palestine, and Iraq) who have taken it up and tailored it to its own use. There is simply no proof that it was Hamas (especially in light of the peculiar circumstances surrounding the airing of the video).
I have something to say about the laws against Holocaust denial. As much as they might seem to infringe on personal liberties from an American stand-point, for most of the Europeans, however, they serve the purpose of redemption. Just look at the countries that have these laws in place: Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania: all countries with large Jewish population who feel that the daunting memory and collective guilt for the Holocaust in some way has to be put to an end. And while for Germany the question really is “How do we remember it, without thinking about it”, and for France the problem is “how to give the appearance of being less anti-semitic” for the rest of Europe the problem lays in history. Has there been a country in Europe that was not in some ways hostile to Jews…few and maybe not all the time. But when we look at it in broad terms, Europeans are guilty of being anti-semitic. The Holocaust embodies centuries of hatred, hatred that exists even today. So, my point is: the moment we (kids in Europe) start learning about modern European history, WWII is kind of hard to teach. Teachers seem to spend great deal of time on causes and major battles and almost as an after-thought they mention what happened in the concentration camps. Why is that? Well, we all had it. We know it, we understand it, we are all BLAMED…even those of us who had nothing to do with it. However, since anti-Semitism hasn’t really disappeared, but no one really wants to come out as defender of the Holocaust, European states have come up with an ingenious redemption technique: let’s not ever talk about it …again…at least not in negative terms. Yes, it happened and it was horrible, but further discussion on the subject is criminalized. This is how most of Europe does things: it happened, we accept, we move on. And it really works for Europeans.
When it comes to the Muslim-question, I don’t have an answer. My only guess is that Europe awaits for the Muslim version of the Holocaust to take place in Europe and maybe then we will defend their rights as well.
It was only after I had read the book on Hamas that I had realized the extent oh which Hamas and Fatah are in opposition of each other. Granted there were times where some sorts of connections were made, such as between Arafat and Yassin, however for the most part, Fatah saw Hamas as a roadblock in their relations with Israel. This is primarily due to the fact that Hamas does not want any relations established with Israel, since they want nothing short of its destruction.
This article regarding the video portrays this rivalry between the two groups. Fatah wants the world to see Hamas as a military faction who only seeks to accomplish its goals through violence and brutality. In the video however, Fatah not only tries to portray them as a militaristic organization formed for the destruction of Israel, but rather that they are brutal within their own society, and against their own people as well, to further discredit Hamas as an organization.
I think its been apparent that their opposition of each other is only setting both back in terms of protecting the Palestinian people. Granted their goals are different, but they should be able to reach a compromise. If the Palestinian people can’t agree among themselves, how can they come to an agreement with their enemy? From my understanding of the book, Fatah officials have killed several Hamas leaders, stating that they were involved or were planning attacks against Israel that jeopardized their attempts for peace.
Hamas on the other hand opposes Fatah because of their willingness to make peace with Israel. While Fatah is more willing to make peace with Israel, in no way has this always been their position. Throughout their history, they have been the masterminds behind many attacks against Israel. Nonetheless, it had not been with the same determination for destruction as it is with Hamas. Yasser Arafat even won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his negotiations with Israel in Oslo.
Steven Gold:
I have to agree with practically everyone here on the fact that Fatah and Hamas need peace. Before talking to Israel these groups, need to come together and talk. This way, they will have a united front during the peace talks with Israel. Until this happens, I believe Israel will never take the Palestinian cause seriously. Many people feel sympathetic to the Palestinians, but to what extent? I have mainly heard about a two-state solution. Nevertheless, according to this article and what we have gone over in class, a three-state solution might be the only way to resolve this issue.
If there is a West Bank and Gaza Strip territories, to make one nation, it will cause many problems. There will need to be two of everything. Two capitals, two armies, two navies, etc to keep the safety of its people. Contrastingly, if there were a state for each territory, one ruler would be in charge of each, instead of one in charge of both. Israel will be in the middle of these territories no matter what it seems. Thus, should a ruler govern each territory, or should one travel between the two areas? Yes, America has Canada between itself and Alaska, but with the volatility in the Middle East, a dual army needs to be made someway. How will Israel play a role between the two? Would Israel make peace with one group, to get rid of another (in a three-state solution)? On the other hand, will Israel hinder the development of one territory, and thus the whole state of Palestine (this being West Bank and Gaza Strip as one State, in a two-state solution)?
How will the world recognize these state(s), including the Arab world? Especially with American democracy diplomacy, what will the US' rule be? I think the US should recognize both areas (and all that comes with it, aid for instance), as long as they have rulers bent on promoting peace. Israel should play an active rule in this, in some way. While many Palestinians will not want Israeli presence in the areas, Israel as part of its concessions to the Palestinians should help start up the government of Palestine, including building a police force and army.
To not make this too long, Hamas and Fatah (since these two are the biggest Palestinian groups now) need to come together and talk about what they want in a new state. If they agree to disagree, they should talk about how to make peace with each other, if they want a three-state solution. Then, and only then should they approach Israel on talks, because Israel will only listen to a people united, not divided.
--Steven Gold
What I find very interesting about these two articles is the common problem of unity. The Palestinians have a very definite and outwardly obvious inability to resolve the differences between the Fatah and Hamas parties. The Israelis on the other hand have similar internal dialogue and conflict; though their conflict concerns the inability of some Jews to practice their religion, or lack thereof, as they see fit.
I find it interesting that the Israeli democratic state is the only democratic state that does not allow some Jews to follow their religious traditions. This secular state, something that is often forgotten, seems to be trying to protect the Jewish religion by not allowing certain reformed sects of Judaism to practice.
The really interesting thing here is that despite these divisions within the country, the Israelis somehow manage to present themselves to the world as a unified Jewish group. Their inner divisions do not become news headliners in Europe and the US. Yet the whole world views the Palestinians as a disorganized and divided people.
If the Palestinians are going to get somewhere fast in peace negotiations with Israel I think they need to present a unified image of themselves to the world. Preconceptions are everything when you are sitting down at a conference with heads of state from around the globe. And I wouldn't be surprised if there were third parties that were trying to sabotage unity between Fatah and Hamas in order to disadvantage them at the negotiating table.
Although there are numerous views on the legitimacy of Fateh, this article only discredits the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause. The main problem is that the Palestinian cause has been divided between to factions. The struggle for power has hurt them in the long run. Unfortuntely the extreme problems that have harbored these people have led to the division in their leadership. Also the article shows Hamas in negative light. Although they do have numerous problems they are a freely elected party. This article only continues to show how media can minipulate any aspect of a story that it wants. Also in regard to the video it is no important to where it came from of if it is a hoax. What is importatnt is that it was created and numerous people viewed it. As long as some one creates something you must respect it because it is gonna have an effect on how people think and respond to other issues that are like it.
The story in the Jerusalem Post serves to remind people just how divided the Palestinians really are in terms of what they want from their governing body. Both Hamas and Fatah want the Jewish occupation of Palestine to end but on almost every other issue the two groups have totally differnet opinions on what should be done.
As far as the video is concerned, hoax or not the video is out there for people to see and very few people who see it are going to research where it came from let alone it's legitimacy.
The first article would almost be amusing if the subject matter wasn’t absolutely so terrible and tragic. I would launch in a diatribe how women in the Middle East deserve so much more than they are given – it is so hard to not judge a culture and their practices, but yet my heart breaks when I read about a young woman being killed in the name of honor for nothing more than a romance with another young man. Beyond breaking my heart, it boils my blood – nothing is mentioned about the young boy with whom she was having this romance – was he, like so young boys in the United States patted on the back by their fathers, told the Arabic equivalent of “Atta boy. Go get ‘em Tiger.”? (Probably not anything remotely close, but I’m being overly cynical. And looks like you got a diatribe anyway.)
This game of Fatah trying to paint a picture of Hamas as a “ruthless murderers” is much like the mudslinging that goes on between Democrats and Republicans in the US. However, this mudslinging is far more serious and indeed, will and can have serious consequences. Fatah “leaking” information of bombs and honor killings is of course trying to discredit Hamas – yet what is going on within their own borders? What if that same young woman had had a romance with a young man within the West Bank? My guess is that there would have been quite similar results. I do not think that Fatah, although renouncing terrorism nearly 20 years ago, should be holding itself up as a moral beacon in the Middle East – if and when it gives women equal rights to men, has a free press and media and an independent judiciary, then we can truly say that Fatah has legitimate claims in pointing fingers at Hamas. If anything, I would say Fatah need not point any fingers at Hamas – let Hamas be Hamas, and they’ll dig their own graves.
Turning to the article on Jewish identity, it is interesting to see this battle of secularism and orthodoxy. This issue is complicated in that Israel was founded for the Jewish people who so wanted a homeland, and now Reform Jews and Conservative Jews are coming in, sort of bring an idea of a land that disaffiliates itself with its own Jewishness. (I believe that this is sort of the general proposition, a "liberal Judiasm." I could be completely wrong, if so, disregard this entire paragraph as its then based on faulty understanding). This does seem like an inherent contradiction, one that fails an easy answer. Does this mean that the Jewish state is merely a secular country that planted itself into the Middle East at the expense of thousands of Arabs? One would almost have to give Israel a certain level of Jewishness in order to justify its existence –because once again, the land is for the Jews. But can you have a secular state for the Jews that doesn’t actually label itself Jewish? Sort of a non-denominational housing area strongly associated with, but not completely linked with a Jewish identity?
This is an interesting story to say the least. Fatah is risking losing whatever legitimacy it has with Israel and the world by engaging in actions such as these. This shows the main problem the Palestinians are having. They can’t afford to waste valuable time and effort on endeavors such as these, instead both Fatah and Hamas should be working to establish a coalition of Palestinians that will work together to attain their common goals. All this infighting is a waste of time for everyone involved in the conflict. If the two groups can work together and show that they can effectively govern the areas they currently control it will be a lot easier for Israel and the world community to more fully trust them with governing and policing their own state. If Fatah really wants to make Hamas look bad and they should elevate their own practices instead of fabricating crimes that Hamas may or may not commit. They should really start applying the effort that goes into all this propaganda to reuniting with Hamas and leading their people forward to peace.
In regards to the video hoax, I would just regard the actions of Fatah as an irresponsible act of political propaganda. I find the act of honor killings to be far more egregious than what Fatah has done. Though, the distribution of fictious material only separates the Palestinian people further. If the Palestinians are ever going to have a legitimate chance at having their own state, it is essential that there is cooperation, or at least civility between the factions. That is what Fatah and Hamas are seen as, rival factions, both of which want sole control over a occupied territory in which they have only limited control. I commend the readers of the Post for pointing out the fallacy of the story as it may have had much more devastating effects if it had been published. Finally, if all traces of the video's origins have disappeared and the two witnesses are unable to be reached, how does one know whether Hamas did this to stir up controversy. I am not saying that Hamas did such a thing, I am merely stating that the validity of journalism that relies on inexperienced and most likely politcally partisan individuals is suspect in itself. If the Palestinian people are ever to succeed both sides must put down the gun, and the video, and unite. Cynically, though quite possible at this time, there is plenty of time for civil war once the Palestinian state is created.
In regards to the fundamentalist's in Israel, I find it ironic that the claims to Israel are made due to what God said in the Bible, and is defended vigorously. But the heter mechira which was mandated in the Bible can freely be tossed aside by a proclamation of the Chief Rabbi. The article brings up an interesting point, as Israel was and is a secular state with no state religion. Herzl notoriously was secular and still strove for a homeland for the Jewish people. I also find it disturbing that Mordechai Eliahu seems to blame the Holocaust on the Reform Judaism movement. It appears that secular states have in recent years have, however, become far more religious. Turkey has recently taken a more Islamist turn, and the United States with the presidency of George W. Bush has also shown the rise of fundamentalism. While nations should protect the rights of the minority, religion should never be impressed upon the populace. In a secular state, be it America or Israel, people should be permitted to marry as a secular commitment to eachother, though the article shows the Orthodox religious monopoly on marriage. A secular state must practice what it advertises and should not enforce certain religious values, even if the majority of citizens practice the faith
I’m not quite sure why Fatah felt the need to circulate a fabricated video to show the evils of Hamas. Hasn’t Hamas committed enough legitimate atrocities that Fatah could have correctly reported on? While the article says the goal was to show that Fatah is combating terrorism and that the Hamas followers are ruthless murderers who don't hesitate to brutally kill a 16-year-old girl, this entire story just makes Fatah look stupid. If Fatah wants to try and unite the Palestinian people and stop the division between different factions, this is certainly not the way to do it. I understand that using propaganda of this nature is aimed to help make Fatah look like the good guy, but when it comes out that video was actually filmed in Iraq their credibility becomes extremely questionable. Their intentions completely backfired. I think Fatah needs to focus on things that Hamas has not done, such as improve the quality of life for their own people in the Gaza strip, rather than rely useless propaganda like this video. I know that honor killings are not the point of the article, but I just wanted to comment that I find the entire idea of honor killings completely disturbing, and I cannot understand why anyone in any culture would think that it should be an accepted practice.
As a number of bloggers have pointed out, the two articles seem to illustrate some of the similarities and differences between politics in Israel, Palestine, and even the United States. As in any society that allows a measure of free speech, lies and distortions are expected—this is part of the cost we pay for freedom. Though clearly not yet a vibrant democracy, Palestine is struggling to establish its democratic identity. As the Palestinian people grapple with incidents such as the video fabricated by Fatah, they must learn the proper way to respond, that is, with more speech rather than violence.
Furthermore, Fatah should spend less time trying to smear Hamas, and more time trying to govern and produce results for the Palestinian people. In a democracy, the best defense against your political opponents is results. As Hamas is now in control of Gaza, they have yet to demonstrate either a willingness or ability to govern effectively and provide even basic services to their people. They continue to launch rockets into Israel. Fatah lost to Hamas for similar corrupt behavior that lost sight of who they were responsible too—the Palestinian people. As far as I know, Hamas was not elected based on its ideology, but out of general frustration with Fatah. If Fatah can reclaim some of its lost legitimacy by actually providing basic services and perhaps negotiating a peace accord, then they might succeed in marginalizing Hamas. My message to both Fatah and Hamas is—less talk, more action.
The thing that most confuses me about the Jerusalem Post Article is that I don't see why Fatah has to create fake stories of atrocities committed by Hamas. Doesn't Hamas commit enough murder and impose enough barbaric laws on its own, without the need for Fatah to fabricate lies?
I understand that Hamas usually limits its attacks to Israelis, thus not raising the same ire amongst Palestinians that in-group honor killings might. But what with Farfur the martyr mouse, and more recently the massacre of mourners at Arafat's memorial ceremony, hasn't Hamas legitimately done enough truthful damage?
The goal: to show that Fatah is combating terrorism and that the Hamas followers are ruthless murderers who don't hesitate to brutally kill a 16-year-old girl.
This is the supposed aim of Fatah according to the story in the Jerusalem Post. I find it somewhat comical the way in which Fatah is acting. Fatah must feel that they can claim any news story they want due to the fact that the IDF does not let Israeli newscasters into the Gaza Strip anymore. This video is a perfect example. I enjoyed how it was discovered that the video was from Iraq as opposed to Israel. I do not agree at all with what happened in the video but find it interesting to see how different groups will use their tools at hand to sway the media.
I would like to see how successful the video was when it went around Syria. It went around the country for about a month the article said until it was discovered to be a hoax. How did the people react? Who sent the video around?
I think that this whole article is perfectly summarized when it says that both Fatah and Hamas are in a battle of disinformation and aim at discrediting eachother. The media is a very powerful tool that can sway entire populations regardless of the fact that the material may be incorrect.
I think also that these two groups are in a childish battle against the other to gain the power within the area. Pointing fingers and almost tattle telling on people is not the best way to gain respect but is a good way to gain support if even for a little bit.
This is a clear indication of the division within the Palestinian people that has proved a major road block in peace. I'm not surprised at the tactics used by Fatah, as their goal to get peace can only be achieved by 1)Having support from within the Palestinian community and 2)more importantly the support of Israel and the United States in as much as those two parties believe that Fatah's goal is peace and are willing to help take down Hamas.
I don't by that head security officials in Fatah were misled. They fully knew what they were doing but when caught they were forced to cover their collective asses so as to still appear loyal to the cause.
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I'm going to comment on the first article. This story is incredibly disheartening and is an example of the setbacks that Israelis and Palestinians face in their peace process. Furthermore, this is a perfect example of miscommunication and deception. Fatah, as a major Palestinian political party, should not be spreading horrible rumors such as the one mentioned in the article. Fatah claimed that the video of the execution of a 16-year old girl occurred in the Gaza Strip and aimed to discredit Hamas, who had taken over Gaza. Fatah made further claims that there were eyewitnesses to this event. However, this event did not occur in Gaza, but rather in Iraq, showing members of the Yazidis sect murdering one of their own for continuing a romance with a Sunni Muslim. Members of Fatah took this story and reported it to The Jerusalem Post, and it turned out to be a hoax. Even though members of Fatah claimed they were misled by this information, one must wonder if this hoax aiming at discrediting Hamas was actually intentional. Think about it: the goal of the video was really not to show how severe and violent Hamas can be, it was to make Hamas look bad, no matter what the situation. Basically, both sides, Hamas and Fatah are playing childish, schoolyard games. They're spreading rumors about each other in order to make themselves look like the better party. However, the truth is that both Hamas and Fatah play a major role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and stories like this one only push back a possible peace solution. In order for talks between all parties to be taken seriously, these sides need to stop playing these foolish games and get to the real issue at stake: peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
- Andrew Shine
That second article really blew me away, much more so than the first. To begin with I forgot that there was no state religion in Israel because I just believed that it would naturally be Judaism. The conditions for the Jews in Israel who do not practice the Orthodox sect of the religion surprise me as well. Those rabbis run the show and make it very difficult for other Jews to practice their religion as they see fit. On a side note I finally realized when I was halfway done with the article that Jew also applies to an ethnicity, not just the religion. It is one of the only democratic states in the world where some cannot practice their religion. An example is some reform or conservative Jewish followers cannot marry, divorce or have their funerals officiated over by a rabbi from their own community. I think that this is ridiculous. One should be able to practice their religion or no religion any way that they shall please. It is not up to the state to decide this. Also those Jews who are atheist have to have religious funerals when they die. There is one crematorium in the state and the government wants it closed and it was even attacked recently. Maybe this is similar to abortion clinics in America and the present regime? Possibly. I never knew about this situation in Israel but the most striking information came from a rabbi who stated that the Holocaust happened because of reform Jews in Germany. He did not seem to show much sympathy at all. Hopefully there will be some kind of change in the practices of the state.
Once again there are many barriers in life that distinguish one from many, and some from others. Religion, skin color, ethnicity, language are all examples. No matter which type of person you identify yourself as everyone and certain inalienable rights especially the right to life itself. Therefore, no matter what religion you identify yourself as you dont lose that right to life because its different from what someone else identifies themselves as. Furthermore, it is necessary to look beyond these barriers and accept that people will be different because its inevitable and everyone has a right to life and freedom and their pursuit of happiness. Living in a world of peace with someone who is slightly different is better than living in a world of war and hatred.
Ultimately, the goal is the well being and security of all people not just yourself and those who you identify yourself with. It is time to be unselfish and unbias and be more objective and realize the importance of peace and prosperity at a global perspective instead of simply at the perspective of a single state or nation or religion. The world has the potential to be a great place but the stubbornness and greed of man has been proven capable and willing to destroy that potential.
This article demonstrates how the struggle for power between factions can completely destroy the ultimate goal. Instead of uniting under a common cause, they propagate the differences between the groups and forget that they are fighting for the same people and the same ends. While I understand the differences between Hamas and Fatah, Fatah has tries exceedingly hard to try and denounce them a military minded, terrorist group. They succeed however, in making themselves look petty and even glad this Hamas committed this act so they could use it against them. The second article describes the problem facing religious identity in Israel.
The article accuses certain orthodox sects of Judaism as being anti-Semitic in their policies and views concerning the many Jewish identities. The thought of a democratic, ‘secular’ state such as Israel being influenced by forceful Jewish sects, parallels the experiences in American politics with the Jewish lobby and the rising influence of Christian sects.
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