T
Tim Bruening
Guest
On June 17 in the Sacramento Bee, I read a story analyzing the Hamas
takeover of the Gaza Strip. According to the story, for nearly two
years, Palestinian President Abbas has been appealing to the U.S. and
Israel to provide the political, military, and economic support needed
to deliver tangible progress to the Palestinians. However, the U.S. and
Israel didn't provide much help. Why didn't the U.S. and Israel set up
a Palestinian development bank to bolster the Palestinian economy by
providing loans (including the type of micro loans that have helped
millions in the Third World) to Palestinian businesses? Why haven't
there been joint Israeli-Palestinian ventures?
In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza
Strip. It did not coordinate the withdrawal with Abbas or plan for the
aftermath. This allowed Hamas to claim credit for the withdrawal. Why
didn't Israel coordinate the withdrawal with Abbas so that HE could
claim the credit?
Abbas asked Israel for permission to reopen an airport near the Egyptian
border, begin building a port, and establish a healthy import-export
system for the Gaza Strip. None of that came to pass. Why didn't
Israel grant the necessary permission?
In early 2006, Hamas won control of the Palestinian parliament in an
election. Why didn't we congratulate Hamas and offer to help it carry
out its social programs in return for Hamas making peace with Israel?
Iran provided military aid to Hamas. The U.S. and Israel waited until
the end of 2006 to let Egypt send Abbas several thousand rifles. Israel
turned down several other Abbas requests for military support, fearing
that any weapons given to Abbas might leak to the wrong people. Also,
Israel fear that if it offered support to Abbas, his political support
would collapse.
The Bush administration did announce plans in late 2006 to provide $100
million to train Abbas' fighters, but many Congress people expressed
fears that the plan would fuel the nascent Fatah-Hamas civil war. After
Bush's security coordinator with the Palestinians told Congress that
there were hopeful signs that Abbas' forces could defeat Hamas, Congress
cut the plan in half. Why did Congress cut the training plan in half?
Three weeks later, before the aid could arrive, Hamas took over the Gaza
Strip.
I call for the creation of a bipartisan Israel-Palestine Study Group to
explore the above questions and figure out what to do now to bring about
peace between Israel and Palestine and undermine Hamas.
takeover of the Gaza Strip. According to the story, for nearly two
years, Palestinian President Abbas has been appealing to the U.S. and
Israel to provide the political, military, and economic support needed
to deliver tangible progress to the Palestinians. However, the U.S. and
Israel didn't provide much help. Why didn't the U.S. and Israel set up
a Palestinian development bank to bolster the Palestinian economy by
providing loans (including the type of micro loans that have helped
millions in the Third World) to Palestinian businesses? Why haven't
there been joint Israeli-Palestinian ventures?
In the summer of 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza
Strip. It did not coordinate the withdrawal with Abbas or plan for the
aftermath. This allowed Hamas to claim credit for the withdrawal. Why
didn't Israel coordinate the withdrawal with Abbas so that HE could
claim the credit?
Abbas asked Israel for permission to reopen an airport near the Egyptian
border, begin building a port, and establish a healthy import-export
system for the Gaza Strip. None of that came to pass. Why didn't
Israel grant the necessary permission?
In early 2006, Hamas won control of the Palestinian parliament in an
election. Why didn't we congratulate Hamas and offer to help it carry
out its social programs in return for Hamas making peace with Israel?
Iran provided military aid to Hamas. The U.S. and Israel waited until
the end of 2006 to let Egypt send Abbas several thousand rifles. Israel
turned down several other Abbas requests for military support, fearing
that any weapons given to Abbas might leak to the wrong people. Also,
Israel fear that if it offered support to Abbas, his political support
would collapse.
The Bush administration did announce plans in late 2006 to provide $100
million to train Abbas' fighters, but many Congress people expressed
fears that the plan would fuel the nascent Fatah-Hamas civil war. After
Bush's security coordinator with the Palestinians told Congress that
there were hopeful signs that Abbas' forces could defeat Hamas, Congress
cut the plan in half. Why did Congress cut the training plan in half?
Three weeks later, before the aid could arrive, Hamas took over the Gaza
Strip.
I call for the creation of a bipartisan Israel-Palestine Study Group to
explore the above questions and figure out what to do now to bring about
peace between Israel and Palestine and undermine Hamas.
