What Hamas must do

Rashid Khalidi on the Palestinian Prisoners’ Document

In early June, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip (and the Golan Heights) entered its 40th year.[*] The Palestinians who inhabit these territories have lived under Israeli military occupation for two full generations; before that, between 1948 and 1967, they lived under Jordanian and Egyptian regimes. The overwhelming majority of this population of more than 3.5 million knows only Israeli military rule. Most Israelis do not remember a time when they did not dominate another people, and when their children did not have to serve in an army of occupation. This occupation differs in several respects from the colonisation that has been going on inside Israel since at least 1948. In every successful nation-state with colonial settler origins – the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – the indigenous minority that remained after surviving various forms of ethnic cleansing has been deprived of most of its land, but has been incorporated into the polity, although often as second-class citizens subject to discrimination.

You are not Logged In

  • If you have already registered login here
  • If you are a print subscriber using the site for the first time please register here
  • If you are not yet a subscriber you can subscribe here
  • If you are a member of a subscribing institution or University library please login here
  • If you have an Institutional print subscription and online access is not included, find out about our Institutional online subscriptions

[*] Although Israel removed its settlements and troops from the Gaza Strip in August 2005, it continues to control the area, determining all entry and egress of goods, air-space and access by sea, and launching incursions and air and artillery attacks against it at will, with the result that many legal experts believe that Israel remains the occupying power.

[†] These were the results of a Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre poll in February 2006 that found 38 per cent expressing ‘trust’ in Hamas, and 30 per cent in Fatah, while 41 per cent would vote for Hamas in another election and 31 per cent for Fatah: www.jmcc.org/publicpoll/results/2006/no57.pdf. In another poll, 47 per cent said they would vote for Hamas and 39 per cent for Fatah if an election was called, while 75 per cent wanted Hamas to negotiate with Israel: www.pcpsr.org/survey/polls/2006/p19e.html.