Ghazi Hamad
I am writing to you as someone who was thought in the past to be the moderate and rational voice in Hamas. I listened to Osama Hamdan talk at the Aljazeera Forum. I have learned in this war that when Osama Hamdan speaks it is the official position of Hamas, unlike make other leaders in Hamas who voice their own opinion.
Is what he said the new official position of Hamas???? He said that Hamas won the war. Really????
More than 50,000 people killed, thousands underneath the rubble of buildings bombed by Israel. Tens of thousands of orphans. Two million people homeless with nowhere to go. No public buildings, no schools, no universities, no infrastructure, no electricity, no water, no sanitation. Is that what victory looks like?????
He said that Hamas had unprecedented achievements – yes, the total destruction of Gaza is unprecedented. Yes, I know that Israel did all of the bombing. Yes, Israel is guilty, but Hamas brought this disaster on the Palestinian people. Hamas is responsible for this disaster, just as Netanyahu is responsible for the disaster that he brought on Israel.
In September, you told me that Hamas was ready to give up governing Gaza. That was a reasonable decision, but it now seems that you exiled leaders, living in style outside of Gaza have little authority over the young and irresponsible Hamas military commanders left in Gaza. These irresponsible decisions will bring more disasters on Gaza and on the people living there who are struggling everyday just to survive.
There will be no reconstruction of Gaza as long as Hamas is controlling Gaza. No country, not even Qatar will spend money on rebuilding Gaza if Hamas continues to control Gaza because continued control by Hamas of Gaza will guarantee that the war will continue.
You are playing according to Netanyahu’s playbook – he wants Hamas to continue to be in control so that he can continue the war. You are responsible for enabling him to do this.
Hamas needs to stand down and agree to the appointment of an independent Palestinian leader who must be appointed by Abbas but independent from him. Someone like Nasser Elkidwa is the best man for the job, but Elkidwa will not agree to govern with a Hamas militia holding its weapons and threatening stability and security for Gaza.
The armed struggle is over and now is the time to force Israel politically to end the occupation.
Palestine can be free, but not from the River to the Sea. There are seven million Palestinian Arabs and seven million Israeli Jews between the River and the Sea and the two states solution is back on the table. Now is the time for Hamas to become smart – become a political party which is not a militia and does not support the armed struggle. I know that there are talks in Hamas outside about taking a new direction. It is time to apply political pressure on Israel because Palestinian will not be free and secure if Israel does not have security. You are smart enough to understand all of this.
There is no winner in this war – we all lost. Palestine lost. Hamas lost. Israel lost. The only victory will be ending the occupation of two states living in peace.
Sincerely,
Gershon Baskin
