In Gaza, a Blurry Line Between Enemies and Friends

[Vegasaurus]

JERUSALEM — The events of the past few days in and around Gaza — mortar and grenade battles, negotiations drawing in Israel and Egypt, and the bizarre denouement in which Israel both saved and interrogated scores of Palestinian fighters — offer a glimpse of the byzantine nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While broadly presented to the world as a fight between the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, the developments in fact mirror a more complex set of relationships and shifting alliances that help explain why this conflict remains so difficult to resolve.
-snip-
Fighting raged all Saturday, and 11 people were killed: two Hamas fighters, eight members of the clan and a passer-by. By dusk, scores of clan members were running to the Israeli border fence demanding to be let in to avoid death.
-snip-
So for now, the Hilles clan has been neutralized, Hamas has increased its power, Fatah leaders are seen as two-timing and indecisive, and Israel helped save the lives of some of its enemies. The streets of Gaza were deserted Monday night as Hamas police officers raided apartment buildings where Fatah loyalists lived.

Still, each side had its own interpretation of the meaning of it all. Israel felt it was not getting the credit it deserved. As Avi Benayahu, an army spokesman, said on Army Radio, “There is no other army in the world that would take such a humanitarian approach to help Palestinians, some armed, being chased and fired at by Hamas.” He added that “Israel has not received any praises for its actions. Yet this is the kind of army we have.”

Sufian Abu Zaida, a Fatah lawmaker, told Army Radio he had a slightly different interpretation of what the Hilles drama meant from a Palestinian perspective.

“When a person is faced with the choice of being killed by his own people or arrested by his enemy, he will prefer to be arrested by his enemy,” he said. “And this gives you a pretty good picture of how bad and cruel the situation is in Gaza.”


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/world/middleeast/05mideast.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Ian David]

1. "Enemies with Benefits"? n/t

[shira]

2. what does a human rights advocate do with this information?

We see that when the chips are down that Palestinians prefer their Israeli enemies than their own "elected" leadership. They know Israel shows more respect for their lives and rights. It's no wonder Gazans felt much freer under Israeli occupation than under their own leadership.

Looks like Palestinians have bigger problems with their own leadership than with Israel. I suggest the pro-Palestinian crowd pay more attention to the real plight of Palestinians who need protection from their own leadership. Anyone who believes Palestinian leadership and self-determination is all that's really required may as well be consigning Palestinian civilians on a one-way ticket to hell.