ANALYSIS:The Independent member of legislative council tells Michael Jansen that Israel's lies are being exposed
PALESTINIANS IN East Jerusalem and the West Bank cling to the hope that the Israeli military offensive in Gaza will end soon. They feel frustrated and powerless because they can do little to help family and fellow citizens trapped in Gaza but let off steam by demonstrating. Then they find themselves confronted by Israeli and Palestinians police.
One of the few Palestinians who is making a difference is Mustafa Barghouti, an independent member of the legislative council and head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees. In his view, "the security council resolution is the most important development so far. Israel had intended to reoccupy Gaza and carry out regime change by toppling the Hamas government . . . Israel can claim victory only if it defeats and ousts Hamas".
However, he said, there are several factors preventing Israel from achieving this goal.
"The resolution puts limits on the amount of time Israel has to accomplish its objectives. This is getting shorter and shorter. Every action Israel takes is in violation of the security council resolution. Israel's lies are being exposed. People no longer believe that Hamas broke the truce, Israel is under attack and Israel's claims that it is not targeting civilians. Israel is paying a political price. Arab and other countries are demanding punishment . . . The Bush administration's cover is vanishing."
Barghouti sees the war as a "pre-emptive strike on [US president-elect] Obama. Israel seeks to obstruct Obama's plans to get out of Iraq and conduct dialogue with Syria and Iran." On Saturday, Barghouti, who was a candidate in the 2005 presidential election, participated in a meeting of all blocs in the legislature. They issued a statement castigating the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas and premier Salam Fayyad for using Palestinian police to crack down on popular demonstrations against Israel's campaign.
He said the blocs called for national unity and respect for the people's democratic right to protest. All factions signed the statement including Abbas's Fatah and the Third Way group headed by Fayyad.
Barghouti's relief committees managed to get "one convoy of aid to Gaza after waiting 12 days for Israeli permission". In Gaza, 70 members of the relief committee are helping to train volunteers in first aid and operating two ambulances and two mobile clinics.
Mahdi Abdel Hadi, head of an East Jerusalem think tank, said that a ceasefire and an end to the continuing conflict has been held up by differences in the political agendas of the various players involved. Israel, he said, is the driving force behind the conflict and retains the initiative.
The others, including Hamas, can only respond. Hamas is determined to halt the war and lift the siege and blockade but rejects the deployment of foreign forces along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Fractured, weak and corrupt,Fatah wants to survive as Palestinian interlocutor and beneficiary of the largesse of the international community.
The US, which identifies totally with Israel and has helped stall the ceasefire, has ceded the position of mediator to Egypt. Cairo seeks to weaken Hamas, re-establish itself as the leading Arab power, continue to receive US aid and ensure the succession of President Hosni Mubarak to his son Gamal. Its agenda makes even-handedness impossible.
Iran, Syria, Qatar and other Gulf states want to see Hamas survive. Distressed over the high price being paid by Gaza, Europe seeks an early ceasefire, delivery of humanitarian aid and, eventually, the rebuilding of Gaza without, said an EU diplomat, reducing funding for the West Bank.