HAMAS’ HOLLOW VICTORY

It may be more than a year too late, but U.S. and international leaders are rallying around Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The support comes after the military forces of Mr. Abbas’ party, Fatah, had been routed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas, which won control of the government in the Palestinian territories last year. There is no choice but to back Fatah, but efforts to isolate and weaken Hamas have clearly failed. Expect more violence before any talk of peace.

When Hamas, an Islamic group that denies Israel’s right to exist, won control of the Palestinian government in the January 2006 election, the United States and the European Union quickly withheld aid. The message, as columnist Gwynne Dyer wrote yesterday, was that “the Palestinians had made the wrong choice, and they would have to be bludgeoned into changing their minds.”

Supporters of Hamas, of course, did not change their minds. Angered by the depravity of life in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is not at a loss for young fighters, and it overwhelmed Fatah forces in two days of fighting to gain control of the land between Israel and Egypt.

According to a letter obtained by Reuters on Monday, Israel planned to block shipments to the Gaza Strip, although an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said ways would be found to allow food and medicine into the region so as not to worsen already bad conditions.

At the same time, the European Union was looking for ways to make payments to the new Palestinian government, which President Abbas put in place after dismissing the Hamas-controlled government, to help people in the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Helping the Palestinian people, whether they be supporters of Fatah or Hamas, is critical.

Hamas knows this. It gained popularity by offering social programs such as day care, medical clinics and payments to families that have lost fathers. Then, it took over the Palestinian parliament.

To help President Abbas and to counter Hamas, the United States and others need to improve the lives of ordinary Palestinians. Israel’s easing of travel restrictions in the Palestinian territories, which prevent many Palestinian from working, and releasing of Palestinian tax revenue would help. Taking further steps to ensure the economic and political viability of the territories would help more.

Relying heavily on President Abbas’ government as “partner” for peace negotiations, as Israeli President Ehud Olmert called it, while ignoring Hamas, perpetuates the mistakes of the past year and a half.

Splitting the Palestinians may look like a short-term victory, but it cannot lead to long-term peace.