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Time to stop the Palestinian suicide
bombings
Israeli missile strikes in Gaza, an ugly Palestinian
civil war looming and a moribund peace process. These
ingredients add up to a bleak future for the Palestinian
people as the cycle of violence and retribution in the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict becomes increasingly difficult
to break.
The intransigence of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
unconditional American support for him and the pathetic
hopelessness of the Arab world make me wonder if there
is any hope for the Palestinians, no matter what they
do. I find myself reluctant at this stage to criticize
any of the factions that form the Palestinian resistance,
but when the future is so grim, one must look at things
as they really are.
According to international law the West Bank and Gaza
are occupied land, and people living under occupation
have the right to use any means available, including armed
struggle, to fight such a circumstance. Hamas and Islamic
Jihad are part of the Palestinian national liberation
movement. The form of resistance that has become their
signature is suicide bombings carried against “soft
targets.” However, attacking innocent civilians is
not part of legitimate armed struggle and, in my code
of ethics, is unjustifiable. Let us also try to evaluate,
without prejudice, its value as a war tactic.
Tactics are “the art or skill of employing available
forces with an end in view.” When successful, tactics
win battles. To win wars, however, they must be part of
an overall strategy. A common definition of strategy is
“the science and art of employing the political,
economic, psychological and military forces of a nation,
or group of nations, to afford the maximum support to
adopted policies in peace or war.”
If we judge Hamas’ and Islamic Jihad’s strategy
by its end results, we can see that both their strategy
and tactics are not yielding progress in terms of Palestinian
liberation or self-determination. Suicide bombings merely
reinforce extremism in Israeli society, weaken the peace
camp and achieve no real military gain. If the aim of
these attacks is psychological and is destined to separate
the Israeli public from its leadership through fear, the
results are exactly the contrary. What has been achieved
is more polarization, giving the Israeli government a
free hand to engage in severe retaliatory measures that
would have been unacceptable were it not for the suicide
attacks. And on the international level, the attacks against
civilians are undermining the efforts of countries and
movements that support the Palestinian cause.
The often-used argument that suicide bombings are the
only choice available to the Palestinians, given the tremendous
discrepancy in military capabilities between they and
the Israelis, does not stand up. If suicide bombings are
the only military option available, then why not use them
against Israeli military targets inside the Occupied Territories?
A strategy built on killing civilians should not be the
only option, and does not serve the purpose of liberation.
The rippling effect of such actions is playing into Sharon’s
hands and advancing his agenda.
It is only logical to conclude that Hamas and Islamic
Jihad are failing the Palestinian cause, though they may
be winning the hearts of the Palestinians.
Indeed, the efforts of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have served
them well on the internal front. Their public proclamations
of the names of suicide bombers, despite the dire reprisals
their families suffer at the hands of the Israelis, serves
no strategy except to build up popularity. The desperation
prevailing in Palestinian ranks has given Hamas and Islamic
Jihad a leg up as the only factions able to harm a cruel
enemy. Revenge is a natural human reaction to being hurt
and humiliated. Promising paradise and the certainty of
a righteous final victory is also a good recruiting slogan.
Slowly but surely Hamas and Islamic Jihad are becoming,
by default, the representatives of many Palestinians who
might not otherwise fully agree with their ideology. Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat, particularly what he represents,
is losing ground because he is seen as willing to make
concessions without any clear gains.
Palestinians are facing a struggle for their existence,
and it is high time for all their factions to adopt a
clear-cut strategy of national unity that sidelines internal
power struggles. The Palestinian people have proven time
and again that they are ready for sacrifices as well as
compromises on the road to a fair peace, and that they
aspire to a dignified life in an independent, viable Palestinian
state within the present-day Occupied Territories. It
is pointless and illogical to ask them to give up their
right to resist occupation before being shown some light
at the end of the tunnel.
However, irrespective of Israeli behavior, the Palestinian
resistance strategy, while focused and uncompromising
on the issue of Palestinian rights, must also fully position
itself within the boundaries of international law.
Khatoun Haidar is a Lebanese journalist. She wrote
this commentary for THE DAILY STAR
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