Gideon Levy: Palestinian Economic Boycott Failed, Diplomatic Isolation Will Fail–Recognize Hamas

Haaretz columnist, Gideon Levy has a provocative essay in Counterpunch arguing that Israel’s policy of isolating Hamas and strangling Palestine economically and financially after its election victory is an abject failure. What’s more the U.S. and international community which danced to Israel’s tune in implementing this iron fist policy, have proven themselves to be willing co-conspirators in Israeli folly:

Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy says: “Stop the charade–recognize Hamas”

This was an especially short masked ball: Two or three months and the “boycott” party of the Palestinian Authority ended. It was also an especially stupid masked ball: Hamas can now brandish a real achievement. Israel and the world have surrendered unconditionally, and the flow of money to the territories is being renewed.

The problem is that some of the masks have remained, and the foolishness continues: Israel and the world will not transfer monies “directly” to the Hamas government, but rather by means of a special “Hamas bypass” mechanism. This unnecessary mask will also be removed quickly.

What has Israel gained from this game? Nothing. It has only lost…

Nothing has come of this cat-and-mouse game that the world played, under Israel’s coaching, with the elected Palestinian government…The world needs to pause for a moment and ask itself, how come one small country can make a mockery of it in this way and cause great powers to act in such an unintelligent way? Anyone who examines the decision by the Quartet to boycott the Hamas government cannot but wonder where Israel gets the power to squeeze out more and more decisions that are contrary to the international interest and, in fact, to its own interests.

Levy warns that Israel cannot long expect for the world to dance to its tune regarding its approach to the Palestinians:

Will Israel’s imagined diplomatic strength serve it in the long term? Certainly not. The day will come when the world will tire of the unnecessary games Israel and the United States force upon it.

Levy calls on Israel and the world to recognize the “first principles” of this conflict:

It is necessary to go back to the two eternal verities: First of all, the Palestinian people elected Hamas in democratic elections, which were held at the initiative of the United States and with Israel’s agreement; secondly, the state of Israel bears the responsibility for the fate of the population in the occupied territories. You wanted elections? Hamas was elected. You wanted to topple the Palestinian Authority under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization? Here are the results. You want occupation? You have to pay the price. There is no way of escaping this.

Levy warns that just as the economic boycott failed, diplomatic isolation is also certain to fail. He predicts world recognition, including by Israel, of Hamas. Instead of wasting precious time, we should face the music and dance–Hamas is the partner; Hamas is key, all roads to peace lead through Hamas (and Abbas):

The world has chosen to take indirect responsibility for what is happening: Instead of bringing about an end to the occupation, it prefers to grant aid. For the fans of the occupation in Israel this is a very convenient solution, so it is impossible to understand why Israel has tried to sabotage this, too. Why is transferring money through the incorrupt Hamas unacceptable and transferring money through the corrupt Fatah acceptable? The assumption that economic pressure on the PA will lead to the fall of the elected government was a crazy idea. Pressure of this kind only reinforces Hamas and hostility toward Israel. There is no “Hamas bypass” road. Israel and the world must recognize this.

Any diplomatic or economic progress will henceforth go through the headquarters of the movement that was elected to govern. Just as the economic boycott held up for only a few weeks, the diplomatic boycott will also not last long. Sweden has already welcomed in its territory two representatives of Hamas, the other European countries will follow suit, the United States will have to join in, and Israel’s turn will also come, hideously late, of course, and it will recognize the Hamas government.

Therefore, it is necessary to ask: Why wait? The lesson from the short-lived economic boycott must be learned now. Israel has already missed the Abu Mazen train and he is now the Palestinian Shimon Peres: It’s pleasant to talk to him but what he says no longer has much influence or significance. Yet, nevertheless, having allotted half a year to diplomatic negotiations, Israel must immediately initiate a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, if it really wants to negotiate. Instead of traveling to Washington and Cairo, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should have gone to Ramallah first.