Palestinians need unified strategy of resistance

Escalating violence in the Gaza Strip, especially the massive air strikes by Israel on the inhabitants there, is becoming the fulfillment of Israel’s strategy to derail the Palestinian unity government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. President Mahmoud Abbas, in a speech delivered July 9 in Ramallah, stated, “This war is not against Hamas or any faction, but it is against the Palestinian people.” It is also against the Palestinian government. This government, thus far, has failed to develop the unified strategy for Palestinian resistance needed at this juncture, but Abbas’ statement expresses the Palestinians’ continued commitment to Hamdallah’s government.

The Palestinians should make clear that the unified leadership is the manifestation of a united leadership of resistance. The violence in Gaza should expedite a strategic guide to serve as an anchor and pivotal policy for legitimate resistance, about which the leadership has so far not been clear or even coherent.

Egypt's limitations in helping the Palestinians to negotiate an enforceable cease-fire with Israel should have been in the strategic calculation. Cairo’s input, however, is restricted at the moment by the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Yet, Egypt’s intermittent interventions have in the past eased a number of tensions that could have led to more frequent explosions.

Since the reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel has been conducting an ongoing campaign against it. The reason is that Palestinian national unity will make resistance to Israel consequential. Thus Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has decided to strike a blow against any prospect of Palestinian unity. In this context, Abbas’ statement was, indeed, correct.

It is now the moment to go back to 2012's UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19 to define the State of Palestine under occupation to be the legal and legitimate authority with which the international community must deal. In this case, there would not be the possibility, as Reuters reported on July 9 that “Washington backed Israel’s actions in Gaza while the European Union and the United Nations urged restraint on both sides.” At the same time, US President Barack Obama, in a July 10 German newspaper article is quoted as saying, “At this time of danger, everyone involved must protect the innocent and act in a sensible and measured way, not with revenge and retaliation.” This does not imply that “Washington backs Israel’s actions in Gaza.”

The political leadership of the Palestinian people must now realize this is the time to make Hamdallah’s cabinet the government of the State of Palestine to render national unity effective, responsible and credible.