Long-term Gaza solution lies in Fatah pushing Hamas out of strip

PLEAS from world leaders for a lasting ceasefire in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip are growing as the latest figures show more than 1,400 Palestinians and 59 Israelis have been killed since Operation Protective Edge began on 8 July.

But in an interview with Lapido Media, former spokesperson for the Rabin and Peres Israeli governments (1992-6) Uri Dromi said a long-term solution beyond a temporary ceasefire must be agreed.

Speaking at the Jerusalem Press Club where he is Director General, Mr Dromi suggested Fatah – the former Palestinian National Liberation Movement, and now ruling party in the West Bank’s Palestinian Authority – must be allowed to take control in Gaza.

‘We need to push Hamas into the hands of Fatah,’ he said.

Despair

‘A few months ago Hamas in Gaza was willing to give up its own government and just give the reigns to Abu Mazen (also known as Mahmoud Abbas). You don’t do that out of strength. You do that out of weakness. I think it was an act of despair.

‘I think we [Israel] should have supported Abu Mazen more. I think pulling out of Gaza was the right thing to do but it should have been done in coordination with the PLO.

Mr Dromi, who served in the Israeli Air Force during 1967’s Six Day War, said he is ‘not the number one fan’ of current Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – revealing he quit the government the same day the leader was elected in 1996. But he complimented the leader’s ‘restraint up to the ground operation’.

‘Even now Netanyahu’s [answer to] “what do you want to achieve?” was plain - to restore the peace. Not giving in to the pressures of the right saying: “let’s go in and topple Hamas”. I don’t think you can topple Hamas. It’s a genuine authentic movement which has a lot of social aspects to it…Hamas is there to stay. I don’t think one of the goals of the operation is to topple Hamas, but to create a new situation in which Hamas is limited in its capabilities to harm Israel.’

Jihad

Mr Dromi warned that Israel must fight a war of ‘points’ rather than expecting to deliver a single ‘knockout’ blow to Hamas. 

As a ‘true believer in the written word’, Mr Dromi said he cannot ignore the ‘religiously motivated’ Hamas charter of 1988 which states: ‘Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it…There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad… The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’

Speaking of Hamas, Mr Dromi said: ‘They really believe all of Palestine is Waqf [holy possession] and we [Jews] should be removed. It will take generations but they have the patience and they really believe it. Unlike Fatah which is more politically motivated.

‘For radical Islam, Israel is the little Satan. One should take their words, preachings and actions seriously. It’s not just a bunch of crazy people who don’t like Americans, British and Israelis to roam around in their region. It comes from a strong religious conviction.

‘We need to push Hamas into the hands of Fatah. Hamas will be co-opted by Fatah.

'I’m a sworn optimist,' he added. 'Maybe you need to be one if you want to live and raise children here?

Concessions

‘I would urge my government to go out of its way without sacrificing the security issues, and to be more forthcoming toward Abu Mazen. If you look around he’s the only one you can talk to.

‘I’m telling you, knowing the Israelis, you give us something concrete that we can trust and believe and we will be the most pragmatic people.

‘Most Israelis will even be willing to make concessions. We can live with radicals around us, with extremists, with people who are not Zionists but [they must] appreciate that it’s not a good idea to mess with us.

'For us there’s nothing like peace. Peace is the best condition for prosperity, for advancement and progress. I don’t need to preach to you about peace.'

Mr Dromi has been campaigning for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank for 15 years. ‘Better to have a smaller Israel and stronger in solidarity,’ he argues, before adding ‘but if we have to fight them, we’ll fight them.’