AFTER the bloody Israeli attack on a Gazabound aid flotilla, in which nine Turks were killed, the pressure has mounted on Israel to lift the siege on Gaza. There is now more global sympathy for the Palestinians than ever before. But it is the leaders of the Hamas movement that hold the key to dismantling the tortuous siege imposed by Israel on Gaza. Israel should not be asked to be kinder than Hamas to Palestinians besieged in Gaza. Nor should Cairo let itself be bullied by radical and treacherous voices in the Arab world and beyond into ignoring the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) in Rafah and opening the crossing permanently. Hamas alone can easily achieve this (the opening of the Rafah crossing) by ending its disgusting rivalry with Fatah and signing the Cairo-brokered reconciliation. Likewise, the signing of the Palestinian reconciliation paper would definitely compel the Israelis to open the five crossings they're manning on the Israeli side. It is strange that Hamas' refusal to make peace with the Palestinian Authority is being championed by the movement's leaders, who, together with their wives and children, are basking in luxury, thanks to the generosity of rulers in Damascus, southern Lebanon, the Gulf area and Tehran. It is all the more strange that the US, the EU and other big countries concerned with the Middle East peace crisis appear to be content with the tragic status quo in Gaza, only to allow Israel more space to manoeuvre, so it can take an even tougher stance on the peace process, while building yet more Jewish settlements on Palestinian land. It also seems to me that Hamas leaders in Gaza and their high-rankers abroad have been given a conspiratorial wink from certain circles to refuse to change their mind about the reconciliation in Cairo ��" until Israel accomplishes its task (the construction of the Jewish State and the seizure of more Palestinian land, ahead of the vague promises about an independent state). I would not be surprised if many radical Palestinian cadres were discovered to have strong connection with the Israelis. Hamas leaders should not follow the example of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, defending their people from air-conditioned rooms in foreign and Arab countries. Unlike leaders of liberation movements anywhere else in the world, Arafat spent his life touring the globe, claiming that he was garnering global support for his nation. Unfortunately, he died without having helped the oppressed Palestinians under Israeli occupation to fulfil any of their dreams. Arafat must have set some sort of record with the number of world capitals he toured and heads of state and kings he met throughout his decades-long championing of the Palestinian struggle. (I doubt that his successor, Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen], has a burning desire to spend his life aboard a plane). Arafat's poor harvest should convince Hamas leaders to act differently and show a deep sense of belonging to their nation. Hamas leaders and decision-makers led by Khaled Meshaal should appreciate what the Palestinians besieged in Gaza have been suffering since they (the Hamas leaders) rebelled against the Palestinian Authority of President Abbas, kicking out his men and hijacking Gaza. Hours after they occupied Gaza, the Hamas leaders foolishly tested Israel's patience by resuming the hurling of home-made rockets at Israeli citizens, giving the Israeli Army the excuse to launch a savage war on Palestinian civilians. While they happily relaxed in their plush homes with their children, Hamas leaders outside Gaza disregarded the grief of families in Gaza who boastfully claimed that they'd won a victory over the Israeli Army. Thousands of Palestinians were killed or injured, and tens of thousands of homes were demolished when Israeli tanks and fighter planes bombarded Gaza for more than three weeks. As I mentioned above, Hamas holds the key to ending the siege of its Palestinian people in Gaza: Hamas should sign the reconciliation paper; disassociate itself from terrorist activities in Israel or against neighbours; and invite the Palestinian Authority to resume its mandate in Gaza, in order to consolidate Palestinian unity. Without this, the Hamas agenda will remain suspicious, as if they're serving the interests of some other people, not Palestinians.
