Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem

The Political Comment

The Arab League’s Secretary General arrived in the blockaded Gaza Strip on Sunday.  His widely-welcomed visit was aimed at lifting the blockade and healing the rift between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. He also stated that the Arab peace initiative would be relinquished in September if “Israel” failed to respond. The visit of Amr Moussa has come amid a flurry of international and regional reactions to the “Israeli” navy’s attack on the Freedom Flotilla. “Israel” has clearly become implicated in a fresh crisis similar to the Goldstone report; the scale of the crisis became manifest when the Americans refused to use their veto against the condemnation of “Israel” at the Security Council, though the condemnation was toned down. The “Israeli” naval operation came after the rightwing-dominated government had attempted to smooth the tension between “Israel” and the United States, following the statements on Jewish settlements made by “Israeli” officials during the visit of the US Vice-President Joe Biden. Gilbert N. Kahn, a professor of political science at Kean University in New Jersey commented that “The fallout from the maritime operation has derailed the recent improvement in ties between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.” He added: “Netanyahu had hoped to meet Obama this week but called off his visit to the White House in order to douse the flames back at home.”
 
Amr Moussa’s visit to the Gaza Strip is part of the American pressure exerted on “Israel” through various styles and means. As Mr Moussa talked about an imminent decision to end the blockade, the European foreign ministers decided to open Europe’s markets to the products of Gaza and to back the complete lifting of the blockade imposed on Gaza except for the weapons embargo. They also expressed their willingness to undertake the task of inspection. “Israel” continues to resist the forming of an international commission to probe the attack on the Freedom Flotilla, fearing the backlash of a report similar to the “Goldstone Report”, which America continues to brandish in “Israel’s” face. Two days ago, the arrest of a Mossad agent in Poland was announced; he was one of the agents who used a fake passport to carry out the assassination of al-Mabhouh. The operation reflects “Israel’s” scandalous disregard for the sovereignty of other states and international law.

It has become clear that a string of political actions has been undertaken with the aim of weakening the sympathy towards “Israel” in the United States and Europe. Hence, it came as no surprise when the US-based “Israeli” journalist Jerrold Kessel wrote: “It’s Israel that is at fault, not Obama Netanyahu needs to propose and support an equitable solution of the Palestinian issue, absent ‘right of return’ for the Palestinian diaspora. At the same time, Obama must convince Israel and the Jews that America will work to neutralize the Iranian threat.” “Israel” has also been deliberately portrayed as an obstacle to the stability of the region and a political irritant that disregards international laws and conventions. This has been outlined through numerous statements especially those made by the Turkish prime minister and the Secretary General of the Arab League in the wake of the Marmara ship incident. Mr Moussa was quoted as saying that “Israel” deemed itself above international law and Erdogan reiterated words to that effect.

In addition to the widespread international support for the forming of an international enquiry commission, which the United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had called for, this indicates that America is either pushing the Middle East issue to the top of the UN agenda and twisting “Israel’s” arm into complying with the international resolutions, or leave the Jewish entity standing alone in the face of the threat of a war in the region that would have a telling impact on its position and its future.

The “Israeli” rightwing that dominates the decision-making process in “Israel” is the main target of this pressure. Its role will either fade, thus the cabinet it has formed, and which has caused this huge scale of problems – especially the successive international crises -, and this is what the recent “Israeli”  opinion polls indicate, would collapse, or “Israel”  would face a devastating war as we stated previously.

It is worth mentioning that before assuming power, the “Israeli” rightwing used to brag about a host of resonant slogans and feigned heroisms, such as the necessity to liberate the captive soldier Gilad Shalit without allegedly paying a heavy price; they also used to call for the destruction of the Hamas government in Gaza. The rightwing “Israeli” government was also elected because it had pledged to destroy the Iranian nuclear programme and end the threat of Hezbollah in Lebanon. It was such slogans that prompted the “Israeli” electorate to vote for the rightwing parties; however, the rightwing cabinet failed to fulfil any of its pledges. It aggravated its international isolation, became a rogue state and lost its allies. Steinberg, Political Studies Professor at Bar Ilan University said: "There are no real allies right now. The U.S. to some degree. I suspect the U.S. won't do much more for Israel so this is going to be a disaster on many fronts." Hence, several voices within “Israeli” mainstream public opinion have called for the dismissal of the Shas and “Israel Baytuna” parties from the coalition government and the forming of a cabinet led by the Kadima party, which advocates the two-state solution.
 
It seems that America is preparing the grounds inside “Israel” for an effective return of the Kadima party in order to forge ahead with the peace process, as it would be hard for the rightwing government to swallow the bitter pill of negotiations and offer the required concessions in a comprehensive manner. Hence, it is clear that the indirect talks are but an American manoeuvre aimed at embarrassing the rightwing government before the popular base once the four-month period is over. America has stated clearly through her Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that there would be no end to “Israel’s” crises except through an agreement based on the two-state solution; she said: "Ultimately, the solution to this conflict must be found through an agreement based on a two-state solution negotiated between the parties. This incident underscores the urgency of reaching this goal and we remain committed to working with both sides to move forward these negotiations."

As for the Turkish role, it seems that America has adopted the recommendations of the working paper entitled “The Myth of Excluding Moderate Islamists in the Arab World” submitted by the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. To quote from point 5 under the heading of “Open Channels for Direct Dialogue with Moderate Islamists:  “If Islamist groups see that the Obama administration is serious and wants to engage with them, they will think hard about building a good relationship with United States. Because engagement is fraught with challenges, the dialogue, at the outset, could take place through a third party, and then proceed to direct dialogue. The first track of engagement could entail increasing areas of cooperation between American non-governmental organisations and research centres and reformist leaders from moderate Islamist movements. Then, the possibility of using an intermediary to reach Islamists in the Arab world could be tested by establishing contact with Islamist leaders or some of the moderate Islamist parties which have good relations with the United States, such as the Turkish Justice and Development Party.”

Hence, some political sources mentioned that the Hamas movement had made a proposal to the American administration and is currently awaiting the green light to debate it. The proposal includes the explicit readiness of Hamas to implement what it refers to as the American variety of political Islam and to publicly commit itself to any international agreement.
 
Furthermore, the special relationship that the Turkish regime and the Jewish entity had enjoyed was strained by the recent events. The Turkish government threatened two days ago to sever diplomatic ties with “Israel” if it failed to agree to the forming of an international enquiry commission to probe the incident of the attack on the Freedom flotilla and the killing of nine Turkish nationals.
 
The calls for the lifting of the blockade imposed on Gaza will lead to broadening the scope of international dealings with Hamas and will smooth the progress of its willingness to forfeit the remainder of its concessions. Turkey will play an effective role in the relationship with Hamas, especially in terms of supporting the role of Egypt and the Arab League to achieve the reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is expected to join the PLO, integrate within the apparatuses of the Authority and accept the international resolutions. However, this will be subject to the developments of the situation in the Jewish entity.
 
Dear Muslims

How long will our fate be subjected to what the decision-makers at the US Department of State devise for us? And when will our Ummah seize the initiative and impose the solution that will achieve her might and restore her dignity? Has Allah not imposed on us the fighting that if relinquished, humiliation - which we have all been witnessing since the collapse of the Khilafah - would befall us?  Could any Muslim with a shred of reason ever imagine that America and the Western Kufr states would take into consideration our interests when devising the plans and styles to solve any issue related to Islam and the Muslims?

Dear Muslims

It would be injudicious to imagine that pressing “Israel” into making concessions is in the interests of the Ummah, or that referring the issue to the United Nations and the Security Council is beneficial to us. It would be also foolish to think that promoting a new Abdul Nasser, around whom the Ummah would rally, so that he may execute on her behalf the schemes and conspiracies of the Kuffar, would be in the interests of the Muslims. It would be naïve to think that the Palestinian state, which America and the Kafir West portrayed to us as the desired objective, represents a fine victory for the Muslims. The Palestinian state will be another number added to the entities of humiliation, lowliness and shame; as if this Ummah, who has been afflicted by the lookouts of colonialism, needs a new lookout to guard yet another chunk the Kafir colonialist sliced off her body.
 
Dear Noble Ummah

It is high time the sleeping giant awoke and roared to topple the colonialist Kafir and kicked its cronies out of the Muslims’ lands.
 
It is high time the Ummah perceived a new concept teeming with pride and dignity under the shade of the Khilafah banner no matter how towering the sacrifices were. Our Ummah is paying the highest of prices every day with the blood, pride and dignity of her children, and from the riches of her lands to the infidel America and her lowly tools. Our rulers should be awash with shame, when the lookout of Palestine, who belongs to their group, says that he recognises “Israel’s” right to its land.
 
The duty of every Muslim, especially the Muslims in Palestine, is to reject any solution, save for the liberation of the land of Isra’a from the squalor of the Jews. The duty of all the Muslims is to draw attention to the necessity of the Ummah’s armies to undertake their duty: armies are but trained and equipped to fight the enemies, not to guard the thrones of the Kuffar’s lookouts in the Muslims’ lands.
 
Let us work together dear Muslims, towards resuming the Islamic way of life, uniting our lands and dispatching the armies to uproot the Jewish state.
 
“So when the second of the warnings came to pass, to disfigure your faces, and to enter the Mosque as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.”  T.M.Q. [7-17]
 
Hizb ut-Tahrir 
                                                    
2 Rajab 1431 

15 June 2010

www.hizbuttahrir.org