It's Overtime for Hamas' Leaders and Time for Them to Go

The Gaza Strip is truly a forbidding place for the uninitiated.

I first visited Gaza City in 1971 when I was a young staffer on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees undertaking one of Congress' first assessments of the plight of Palestinian refugees, and then several times in the past few decades.

It does not take a sophisticated observer to understand the repressive squalor that qualifies as subsistence living inside Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are crammed into a sandbox slum no bigger than the District of Columbia, cut off from their brethren in the West Bank -- yes, suffering under a Hamas rule that by any standard has actually made Gaza as close to a hell on earth as one can imagine. Instead of preserving the last vestiges of operable civilian infrastructure that the Israelis had left behind following their withdrawal a few years ago, Hamas methodically bulldozed the "Zionist contaminants" (translated from Hamas' own Arabic website). So much for giving its own people a better life even if it meant benefiting from Israeli "leftovers."

My last visit a few years ago was the most revealing (before Hamas seized Gaza). I was on a fact-finding mission and requested to meet with one of Hamas' leaders, who were surprisingly open to the request. Always important to hear extremists in their own tongue. I was put into the trunk of a car once across the Nesher Israeli crossing, and taken on a bone-breaking ride through Gaza's potholed streets to a back alley. The car stopped, the trunk popped open, and I soon found myself face to face with one of Hamas' leaders (name withheld).

For over two hours, I was subjected to the expected Hamas rantings about Israel's illegitimacy and Hamas' determination to transform Palestine into a fundamentalist Islamic state where only those Jews who had lived in pre-British Mandate Palestine would be "accepted."

And what would become of all of the other millions of Jews who had come to settle in Israel since then I asked? Hamas conveniently would force them out of Israel, and what became of them was of no consequence to Hamas. It was the UN's problem, the Americans' problem, the Germans' problem, but no longer the Palestinians' problem. Driving them into the sea would have been too impolitic for the Hamas spokesman to utter, but the intent was just the same.

Therefore, in order order to understand what this struggle is all about, one must understand Hamas' goals, largely derived from its ideological paternity to the Egyptian Muslim Brothehood. As a Sunni extremist offshoot of the Brotherhood, Hamas' raison d'etre is Israel's destruction -- nothing less will do.

Hamas' leaders, both in Gaza and in Damascus, have every intent to transform Hamas' control of Gaza into "Hezbollah South." Hamas, with Iran's backing, is slowly preparing Gaza to serve as a staging ground for an eventual all-out assault on Israel, joined at the hip with its Shiite extremist terrorist brethren of the Hezbollah who are also busily rearming themselves in Lebanon and itching for the next round of war with Israel -- hopefully with a nuclear-armed Iran to egg them on.

Since Hamas illegitimately seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in its own fratricidal terror campaign, Hamas has imposed a Taliban-style subsistence on the Gaza Strip, made all the harsher by Hamas' stubborn refusal to soften its hatred of Israel so as to permit more aid to enter Gaza.

The rockets being fired arbitrarily, and may I intentionally add, without Israeli provocation, after the expiration on December 18 of the latest intermittent "Tahdiyeh" or self-declared Hamas "lull" is designed to turn southern Israel into a virtual no-man's land. Hamas wants to begin "liberating" Palestine from its side of the border.

When Hamas' leaders decided to resume their indiscriminate rocket fire into Israel, they did so knowing full well that Israel would be forced to react no matter what the inevitable civilian suffering. Having smuggled into Gaza longer-range Grad missiles from Iran through the 800 some odd tunnels that Hamas has dug under the Egyptian-Gaza border, Hamas is betting on the hope that the Israel's countermeasures would drive more and more Palestinians into the lap of Hamas, both in Gaza and the West Bank. There is a real danger that this could occur.

Despite my instinctive belief that one should try to negotiate a way out of this dilemma no matter the odds, I have concluded that the only way out of this mess is to separate Hamas' entire military and political leadership from the oppressed citizenry of Gaza (and yes, it is absolutely a mischaracterization of fact to assert that Hamas is the legitimate ruler of Gaza). Easier said than done you say. But as long as Hamas rules Gaza, no amount of cajoling is going to end the vicious cycle of terror that Hamas is inflicting first and foremost on its own beaten-down Palestinian victims as well as on Israel.

Just as Yassir Arafat was forced into Tunisian exile in 1982 after he transformed Lebanon into a mess, so, too, must Hamas' leadership share a similar fate until such time as they either die clinging to their nightmarish vision for the future of Palestine, or end their campaign of terror once and for all.

Ultimately, the Palestinian people deserve better than what Hamas offers them. Hamas has rejected every opportunity to be more accommodating not only with Israel, but also with every Arab mediator that has tried to mend Hamas' fences with the Palestinian Authority. That speaks volumes about Hamas' true intentions. As long as Hamas rules its Gaza roost with its iron fist, any hope for a two state solution is just not in the cards. Hamas plays with a crooked deck.

If not merely for the sake of Israel's right to live in peace and security, but also for the right of Palestinians to have a brighter tomorrow, its time to force Hamas' leadership out of Gaza. Preferably, this will be done not as a result of further destruction to Gaza or to Israeli southern cities, but due to unyielding international pressure that forces Hamas to relinquish its stranglehold on Gaza. Better for Hamas leaders to live in forced exile rather than enable them to block any hope for ending Gaza's misery and establishing a Palestinian homeland existing side-by-side with a safe and secure Israel.

For those shedding crocodile tears for Hamas, its time to take a good hard look at what it has wrought on the Palestinians of Gaza.

Comments

[Mildmannered]

01:19 AM on 01/05/2009

Young palestinian men who are raised in that toxic environment -- it is a surprise that more are not terrorists

[triplbee]

11:22 PM on 01/04/2009

While the Palestinian people could definitely benefit from a change of leadership, the same could be said for the people of Israel.

[Mildmannered]

08:55 PM on 01/04/2009

the poor palestinian people have been used and abused by everyone the past fifty or so years

[paixa3]

09:57 PM on 01/04/2009

You are correct in your statement. Your staement also reminds me of the Kurds as well.

[maddogbitesback]

01:22 PM on 01/04/2009

I am at a loss when I read the posts of those who are pro Israeli. Somehow they sound a lot like aman saying "Well she Wanted it". The Palestinians have title to the land and that is it. Israel has an ancient book which says God gave the land to them and centuries of grievances with Christians who did in fact persecute, expell and rob them.

[JonG345]

02:44 PM on 01/04/2009

But they're there now. People born there now. What should happen to them?

[darthmaul]

03:53 PM on 01/04/2009

I remember seeing a Palestinian Comedian do a bit, where someone knocks on the door of his house and says, "Hey you have to move out." The house owner, of course being puzzled asks, "Why?" The guy at the door says, "Well you see, about 2000 years ago my relatives lived where your house is today, so you see your on my property."

I wish I knew the guy who did it, he was hilarious.

[Jackieis60]

09:38 AM on 01/04/2009

When someone says, "Anyone not of my religion or background cannot live in my area of the world," THERE IS GOING TO BE TROUBLE. Helloooo. I don't like any of these groups. They're all troublemakers and have been fighting one another since ancient times. The civilized world needs to pull out and let them destroy one another. That being said, I do favor the Israelis, because wherever they are in charge, the people seem to do better. They have better infrastructure and live where trees line the streets. Wherever the Palestinians are in charge, its concrete and dirt for a view. It's like they have no appreciation of nice homes, trees, and flowers. I could just cry for ugly, little Bethlehem. So they claim the Jews are keeping them in poverty? What about that EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS Arafat made off with, and his widow now has it? I"ll bet that could have built hospitals and schools, shopping malls and nice streets with improvements. Who in charge over there ever thinks to do that for the Palestinians? Nobody, because you see, they have this agenda to shove a whole nation out of the Middle East and that money needs to go to war purposes. You bet the Palestinians are some of the worst victims of some of the worst governments that ever were. I can think of some African nations that outdo it. Bad government is what we have on this planet, it will always be with us until Kingdom come.

[darthmaul]

08:57 AM on 01/04/2009

Ambassador, you complain about the squalor and terrible living conditions that the Palestinians face in Gaza, and put the blame on Hamas. Gaza once had a harbor until it was bombed into oblivion by Israel. International trade and commerce have to go thru Israel, who is essentially strangling the area with border closures and restrictions.

Also, I'm curious. Why has essentially the whole world via the UN called for a ceasefire, except for the UN. Is the whole world wrong, and just the US and Israel "right." Your a diplomat. Explain this to me.

[GardenerNorCal]

08:25 AM on 01/04/2009

If Israel wants to be the bully on the block how would they like to do it without US aid and armaments. You can't put a dog in a cage so small it can't turn around then poke sticks at it and expect it to not become vicious.

[bronceye]

04:45 PM on 01/02/2009

Everything would be soved if the Palestinians would just vote in Hamid Karzai. It worked in Afghanistan, why not in Palestine?

[Abdullahiedward]

12:02 PM on 01/02/2009

To Chaos4700
Sorry it took so long. The link for the trancript is
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/29/le.01.html
I might add that after the interview was finished, CNN never aired one second of any portion of the entire interview again, ever!

[gakabani]

11:57 AM on 01/02/2009

Please read

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_4186.shtml

[Palspal2]

11:24 AM on 01/02/2009

Let's get the facts straight. In 1967, Israel attacked its neighbors and has since illegally occupied the remaining 22% of Palestine (and a portion of Syria - and a piece of Lebanon). IN 2005 Israel pulled its 6000 settlers from Gaza - a failed colonization attempt - and redoubled its efforts to annex the West Bank where it has installed a half-million Jews. Pulling settlers out of Gaza has enabled Israel to shoot up Gaza like ducks in a barrel - Gaza is a land and people under permanent Israeli siege.

Because the PLO is basically a failed entity - that is, it has not secured one acre of land for the Palestinian people in its fourty some-odd years - many Palestinians have turned to (and elected) Hamas, which not only vows to regain all of the West Bank and Gaza, but also provides significant social services - and without charges of corruption.

The rockets originating in Gaza are only pinpricks and are not the reason Israel is attacking Gaza. The actual reason for the Israeli attack is that its genocidal siege of Gaza over the last several years has failed to produced the desired result - the demise of Hamas. Israel's expectation was that its siege would encourage a desperate population to turn to the Abbas's PLO/PA - and that Israel would then have a willing quisling to turn over the bulk of the West Bank to Israel. It's not happening. Gazans have rallied behind Hamas, even as they

[JonG345]

02:46 PM on 01/04/2009

Does this poster have any clue as to why Israel attacked its neighbors in 1967? Does he think it was for fun? Do some research, buddy.

[Rebe]

09:05 AM on 01/02/2009

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Hamas the political party that was voted into power by the majority of the Palestinian people at their last election? I seem to recall that George Bush et al were extremely excited to push the Palestinians to have an election in spite of more experienced and cooler heads pointing out that it might not be the best time to have that happen. Then when Hamas won Bush & Co. appeared as stunned as deer caught in the headlights and suddenly seemed less enthusiastic about the outcome and have since done everything possible to undermine and delegitimize Hamas and the mandate of the voters. Also, isn't Ambassador Ginsberg appointed to his current position of US Ambassador to Israel by the Bush administration and therefore his opinion about not only what are the underlying causes of the current problem but even what is actually occurring should be scrutinized VERY carefully considering who he's working for? I'm not a big fan of Hamas but I think the facts of the matter have been obscured and once again the Palestinians and their defenders (and they definitely do need defenders) are being demonized. Classic case of "Blaming the Victim."

[Amb. Marc Ginsberg]

10:59 PM on 01/03/2009

First, I was appointed by President Clinton and lived in the Arab world for almost seven years, and as a proud Obama- voting Democrat who commenced his career working on Palestinian refugee issues for Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1971 hopefully, you will stand corrected on the facts and not engage in fictitious innuendo. I have been a vocal critique of Bush policies from the get go in the Middle East. So scrutinize all you wish.

Regarding Hamas

1. Hamas undertook a military coup d'etat in Gaza against the duly elected president of Palestine and seized Gaza by force in complete violation of the laws of Palestine. If you choose to ignore how Hamas gained power in Gaza, that is your right, but you are wrong in hiding behind the fig leaf that since Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 it could take Gaza by force and assert it was duly elected to do so. Hamas has no more right to rule Gaza under the circumstances by which it took power than do the Israelis...check your facts.
2. Hamas has repeatedly rejected Egyptian-brokered efforts to reconcile with the duly elected Palestinian presidential leadership based in the West Bank. If it were amenable to accepting what had been legally negotiated by the Palestinian Authority, including acceptance of a two state solution, Gazans would not be under bombardment tonight.

[RealityCheque]

12:09 AM on 01/04/2009

No matter what you state about Hamas, collective punishment is illegal under international law, for good reason.

From the comments of most huff post readers I can see few are fooled. I hope they also see the dangers we face in an Obama Administration peopled with Clintonites like yourself. This was not the change we need!

[JoeDoorman]

07:11 PM on 01/04/2009

Hamas removed Fatah from Gaza after the election, because Israel brought Abbas out the closet, and were using him to split the Palestinians people in two. Israel was successful in this division and violence flared up between the Palestinians. Hamas won in Gaza, lost in the West Bank.

[nimblehuman]

08:49 AM on 01/02/2009

Israel is trying to influence the opinion of the civilian population of Gaza into shunning Hamas by inflicting indiscriminate damage against Gaza's infrastructure, after starving the territory of all vital supplies for over a year and a half. Using force to influence public opinion is, by definition, terrorism. If the Israelis really wanted peace they would have stopped building settlements in Palestinian territory long ago, and would not have killed Palestinians every single day whether or not they were attacked. Now, the excuse they are using for this bloodshed is that some militants fired some rockets into Israel, even though one Israeli assault helicopter or F-16 carries much more payload than ALL of the Qassams fired mostly ineffectively into Israel.

Even though the powerful of the world inexplicably support this thuggish entity, in the end truth will prevail. Those who claim there is no such thing as a "Palestinian" are engaging in more Orwellian double-speak designed to make the victim appear as the aggressor, and vice versa.

[jakil]

02:40 AM on 01/02/2009

CLARIFICATION: I left out the words 50 miles between the Jordan "river and theMeditaranean Sea." I did not clarify, The limitations on refugees were from the Arabs administrating those areas pertaining to the Gaza strip and the west bank. This is also true in practically every Moslem country from Morroco to the Persian gulf. Palestinian Refugees working in Israel were given more rights than their brothers gave them in Gaza. I personally employed workers from Gaza in modern agricultural work using modern machinery and advanced apparatus that they would never have been permitted to touch in Gaza. Most Refugees were taught the various trades dealing with building house and factories. When I wrote "along Jordan" I meant "besides the kingdom of Jordan" that has 73% Palestinians (most not refugees) until recently the refugees did not recieve Jordanian citizenship.

[jakil]

01:02 AM on 01/02/2009

My message did not get thru. Or somebody does not want to haer what I have to say. It is better that Israel rule the 50 miles between the Jordan river than adding another Palestinian state along Jordan which is already a Palestinian country with its 73% palestian as opposed to its 25% bedouins. Israel tried to improve the situation of the Refugees in 1984 in Gaza but the other Gazans started an uprising (intifada)with the pressing of the Moslem contries in the region. To remind you, in Palestine refugees are not permitted afull education, own land, live only in refugee camps, only menial labor. This is to perpetuate the refugee situation to make Israel look bad in western eyes. The real reason is it is unacceptable that a nonmoslem country exist in Allahs territory Daralislam (middle east). This is the reason that there will never be peace with Israel especially with the creation of a state that its goal is the erasing of Israel. Before the Intifada, under Israel, the standard of living of the poorest arabs in the world changed to among the best until Arafat set them backwards.