A New York Times column today confirmed rumors sweeping the West Bank since the prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel was reached last week. The column revolved around Israel bargaining with Hamas over the prisoner exchange, and mainly dealt with by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. It stated that the relative ease of which the deal was reached is a clear sign that Netanyahu takes priority of dealing with Hamas authorities rather than the Palestinian Authority. As Hamas is considered radical and ruled out of negotiations because it is listed a terror organization in the European Union and the United States, this is an unusual step. PA President Mahmoud Abbas is currently gaining popularity and assembling support globally for his statehood bid at the United Nations. In that context, the column claims, the sudden common understanding between Hamas and Israel has obvious sense. By choosing to negotiate with Hamas over PA's Abbas, Israel is choosing the “easy way out.” Instead of engaging in peace negotiations of a more equalized power structure with Abbas, Netanyahu chooses to weaken the PA in cooperation with Hamas. “The problem with the premier (Israeli PM Netanyahu, red.) wasn't that he can't compromise and make tough choices,” the column concluded.” It's that he won't. That won't make Israel safer. “This notion is backed by citizens of Ramallah, commenting to Bikyamasr.com last week on the events: “The prisoner swap deal was a tactical step from Hamas to tone down the UN bid,” a Ramallah source said, adding that “Israel helped in this as well.” In recent days, several political bodies and organizations have been calling for Israel to rethink its siege on Gaza as a consequence of the deal. Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said in a statement yesterday that “Gaza's civilians should no longer suffer under Israel's punitive blockade, and Hamas should end abuses of detainees, whether Israeli or Palestinian.” Hamas' Ismael Haniyeh additionally stated that an end to the blockade might not be too far away, eyeing another achievement in the line of Hamas' political successes. The United Nations has recently voiced several concerns of Israel's inability to proceed with sustainable peace negotiations with the PA, especially in the context of the new settlements being constructed on occupied land in East Jerusalem. The UN, the European Union, the US and Russia, known as the Quartet, has continuously proposed Israel and the PA revive peace negotiations. However, none of their proposals have been met. The Quartet earlier voiced fears that Abbas' steadfastness on the statehood bid might prompt unrest and stagnation in the peace negotiations. On October 26, the Quartet will meet Palestinian and Israeli authorities separately in Jerusalem, as they seek a way forward on peace talks, the State Department said Monday. BM
