Fatah simply doesn’t have the presence in Gaza it once did. Hamas has threatened, imprisoned, expelled, or killed, many Fatah members in Gaza over the last dozen years. Until these latest protests began, it appeared to have an iron grip over the territory.
In the dozen years since Hamas seized control of Gaza, it has become increasingly dictatorial, and its members ever more greedy for power and money. In the past, when there were attempts at small-sale protests over economic issues, Hamas simply smashed the protests, beat and detained protesters with sufficient brutality to persuade others not to join in. But in 2019, the economic misery of the Gaza Arabs has become so overwhelming that, driven by desperation, they no longer feared being beaten; people came out to denounce Hamas, knowing full well that they would be put down by brute force. They had a simple slogan: “We want to live.” They were prepared to be beaten and arrested, and more than a thousand of them were.
Seventeen journalists covering Gaza were also arrested since the protests began, and their equipment seized. Of the ten who were released as of this writing, four required hospitalization because of the severity of the beatings they had received. The U.N. envoy, Nickolay E. Mladenov, denounced Hamas for its use of violence against both protesters and journalists.
Hamas may now try to start a real war with Israel, in order to distract the Gazan Arabs from protesting their economic lot under Hamas rule. That might have worked in the past, but after Hamas suffered five defeats in five wars, some quite brief, fought between Gaza and Israel, in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014, a populace now enraged over a catastrophic economic situation might not be as willing as it once was to be distracted by a war with Israel. In fact, such a war would inevitably lead to a crushing defeat of Hamas, and provide more evidence of the terrorist group’s incompetence in every respect, except that of terrorizing and subjugating its own people, the “Palestinians” in Gaza. Worse still, another conflict with Israel would make the economic situation even more dire for the Gazans in two ways. First, the Gazan Arabs would have to pay for much of the expensive war materiel used up by Hamas in this new conflict; rockets and missiles are not cheap. Second, punishing attacks on Gaza by Israel would destroy infrastructure that the Gazans would have to expensively replace.
Hamas may with its wonted brutality break the back of this protest, but as long as the economic situation remains dismal, there will be other attacks. There are two ways to improve economic conditions in Gaza. One is to convince the rulers of Gaza that putting money into futile war-making against Israel needs to end: no more rockets and missiles to be stockpiled, which are then shot out of the sky by Israel’s defenses, no more expensive tunnels need be dug, only to be found and destroyed by Israeli sappers. Were the rulers of Gaza convinced of the pointlessness of their endless wars with the Jews, they could put the aid money given by donors, that is now being spent on preparing for war, instead on investing in small-scale manufacturing and farming in Gaza. Provided Gaza disarms, the Israelis would no doubt be willing to help with both undertakings.
The second way to improve the economy in Gaza is to stop the fantastic drain of corruption. The Gazans do not know the true magnitude of the problem. Mousa Abu Marzouk and Khaled Meshaal, two Hamas leaders, have each managed to make off with more than $2.5 billion. That’s at least $5 billion that has been stolen from the Gazan Arabs by just two men. There ought to be some way to claw back those billions, either by actions of the donor countries who first provided the money, or by the “Palestinians” in Gaza, bringing suit in their own courts to recover the funds stolen from them. Neither Marzouk nor Meshaal will voluntarily comply with any finding against them, but they can be threatened by those fellow members of Hamas who are not corrupt, resent terribly those who are, and are prepared to use Hamas methods on corrupt Hamas leaders, by making them offers they can’t refuse.
mortimer says
Under Sharia, there are no dissidents allowed. Under Globalism, there are no dissidents allowed. A natural partnership of censorship.
Even secular Jews are now realizing that if they allow growth of this INTOLERANT CULTURE OF CENSORSHIP, eventually Jews will not have a right to defend themselves and all their libertarian allies will have been silenced as well.
When only GLOBALISM is TOLERATED SPEECH, Jews, Christians, atheists, Hindus, Zoroastrians and others who do not wish to live under Sharia law will be silenced. They will not be hired or allowed to join social clubs or participate in any function in society because all DISSENTERS will be labeled ‘heretics’.
THIS IS THE END OF ALL DISSENT … unless we join together and stop the censorship now.
Wellington says
Fine article by Hugh Fitzgerald. Of course to leftists in America (and elsewhere), like AOC and a bevy of academics, the real problem is that the Gazans (and those in the West Bank) are oppressed by the Israelis and this is why the boycott, divest, sanctions (bds) movement still has so much attention directed to it.
Very difficult to fix stupid and deuce difficult too to fix a broken moral compass. Leftists “excel” in both.
CRUSADER says
As with perpetrators of narcotics and sex slavery trafficking…..
To convince them to switch to conduct that is benign,
there has to be a CHANGE OF HEART within them.
Mindfulness of economic efficiency only takes us so far….
How does that happen, without themselves changing to a Faith
worthy of following….a true Religion of Peace?
Only CHRIST centeredness could bring about such a change!
What other Faith FULLY transforms us into spiritual abundance and healing?!!!
++++++++++
Buraq says
I must admit, this one baffles me. Israel has the 8th most powerful military force in the world. Hamas are just a bunch of gangsters. Why doesn’t Israel assassinate a Hamas leader a week until Hamas agrees to stand down and desist all violent activity against Israel?
Hugh Fitzgerald says
I find more puzzling that Israel is not pounding the clavichord about Hamas corruption. The fantastic sums stolen by Khaled Meshaal and Mousa Abu Marzouk — at least $2.5 billion each– should be written about, spoken about, raised endlessly. Ideally, the Israels could track down records of their real estate, stocks, bank accounts, the sums they give their relatives, even taking pictures of their villas and cars, and sending these into Gaza, as well as placing the information and photographs on-line. This is the way to make the Gazan Arabs boil over with rage at their grasping leaders.
The PA may hate Hamas, but this is one issue that Mahmoud Abbas will not raise. Why? Because he and two of his three sons have amassed a fortune of $400 million. They are corrupt as all getout. But Israel can make it an issue, and should. It needs investigators and accountants, to track down to their expensive lairs Meshaal and Abu Marzouk.
gravenimage says
Hugh Fitzgerald: In Gaza, Hamas Beats and Tortures Those Who Protest Its Misrule (Part Two)
……………………
Hamas mass slaughtered their Fatah rivals when they seized Gaza–so none of this should surprise.
Fatah members fled to Israel–then complained when border guards made sure there were no suicide bombers among them before they let them escape their savage coreligionists.
don vito says
Here the issue of leadership arises to become The Issue. IMO, what the gazans need in leadership is a good christian leader, for example Vlad Putin. Yeah, a Vlad gazan would quickly end graft, restore justice, and bring liberty. Yeah……lol…….Vlad gazan……hero…of the……..of the……..the……….Bwhahaha……people.
Del says
Justin Trudeau has given Hamas almost $150 million that we know of, laundered through the UNRWA, pretending it is for aid. Justin Trudeau supports Islamic terrorism.