Israeli streets are heaving a sigh of relief after eight days of rocket attacks,
air strikes and the first bomb attack on board a bus in Tel Aviv since 2006,
which came as a sharp and deadly reminder of the early 2000s when the country
was the scene of multiple attacks, which set the peace process on a treacherous
footing.
On November 21, a cease-fire was brokered after marathon
negotiations between US President Barack Obama and Egyptian President Mohamed
Morsi. Some have credited the Muslim Brotherhood’s historical link with Hamas,
as giving Morsi the necessary weight to secure an agreement. He has become the
surprise peace maker, since the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party even
released a statement calling Israel a “Zionist occupier” and a “racist
state.”
The negotiations taking place between Israeli and Egyptian
officials in Cairo focus on easing the blockade of the Gaza Strip and opening
border crossings with Israel. There is also a need for reconstruction materials
to be allowed to enter and reducing the number of banned luxury goods into
Gaza.
On the other hand, Israel needs assurances regarding its security
and more importantly, an end to rocket bombardments. In Israel, citizens are
left pinning their hopes that the cease-fire will hold. Operation Pillar of
Defense wreaked havoc on both the Palestinian and Israeli side. This culminated
in the deaths of 168 Palestinians, 6 Israelis and extensive damage inflicted on
Hamas targets.
Further killings were avoided by Israel’s decision not to
launch a ground offensive and the efficiency of the Iron Dome anti-missile
defense system.
Meanwhile in Gaza, fear and suspicions abound and
numerous Palestinian civilians have been arrested and shot on suspicion of being
collaborators with Israel. One was even dragged through the streets of Gaza City
attached to a motorcycle for CNN to broadcast around the globe. Hamas-controlled
media has worked to incite violence and celebrate the targeting of
civilians.
Outside the remit of Hamas’s control are numerous other
militant groups who have cells operating in both the Gaza Strip and the Sinai
Peninsula. These include Majlis Shura Fi Aknaf Bayt al-Maqdis (MSM), Jaysh
al-Ummah (JU) and Jaysh al-Islam (JI). Throughout November, they were
responsible for launching dozens of rockets at Israel. It is clear that a
sustainable cease-fire will require Hamas to reign in such
groups.
Further away, Hamas is supported by Iran, which will not heed the
calls for restraint by Western powers.
It is with the advanced Fajr-3 and
Fajr-5 rockets that allowed Hamas to penetrate deep into Israeli territory.
While relations between Hamas and Iran have been strained due to events in
Syria, in this latest escalation of violence, Tehran’s support proved
invaluable.
The Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that: “The
Zionist regime needs to realize that Palestinian military power comes from
Iranian military power.” Reports have alleged that Iran gives $20 to $30 million
each year to Hamas. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh thanked Iran especially
in supporting the group in its battle with Israel.
If a long-term peace
is to be secured between Hamas and Israel, it will take significant arm wringing
from the United States, the European Union and more importantly, other Arab
states. Egypt must adopt a firmer line in preventing Iranian arms from entering
the Gaza Strip.
Moreover, Hamas has to make overtures to renounce
elements of its founding charter which are committed to the destruction of
Israel and its call to raise “the banner of Allah over every inch of
Palestine.”
It must take responsibility, as a governing authority, to
rule in the best interests of Palestinian civilians and Egypt, as a neighbor
needs to understand it will only achieve lasting solutions to this intractable
conflict if it adopts a mature and honest approach.
For the EU, it is
imperative that member states appreciate that Israel has the right to defend
itself and send a clear message to Hamas that it cannot act as a facilitator for
militant groups, which aim to attack Israel, no matter the cost. This includes
having the backing of Iran, which is a chief exporter of terror in the Middle
East.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has been unequivocal in
condemning Hamas and other factions who launch attacks against Israel. It is
thus important for all member states to lend their voices in calling for the
group to renounce its mandate which condones the use of violence, and embrace a
peace process, which will hopefully bear fruit after the end of the negotiations
in Cairo.
The writer is the vice chair of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the European Parliament.
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