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| A parliamentary session at the Palestinian Legislative Council in the West Bank town of Ramallah. (Charlotte de Bellabre, Maan Images) |
| by Stephen
Lendman
( October 19,
2012, Chicago, Sri Lanka Guardian) Longtime Israeli collaborators Mahmoud
Abbas and Salam Fayyad scheduled West Bank municipal elections on October 20,
2012. Democracy isn’t on the ballot. Palestinians are skeptical for good
reason.
For the first
time since January 25, 2006, they’ll vote in an election much different from
then. Fed up with institutionalized Fatah corruption and subservience to
Israel, Hamas candidates swept to victory.
They won 74 of
the Palestinian Legislative Council’s (PLC) 132 seats. Hamas became Palestine’s
legitimate government. It remains so despite Fatah’s complicity with Israel.
Doing so separated West Bank authority from Gaza.
Ismail Haniyeh
is Palestine’s prime minister. Fayyad’s PM appointment lacks legitimacy. He
represents lawless coup d’etat authority. Abbas’ term as president expired in
January 2009. He remains in office illegally.
Palestinians
suffer because of their allegiance to Israel and Washington, not them.
Elections this month assure continuity, not democratic change.
On October 10,
the Los Angeles Times headlined “Palestinian voters skeptical about value of
elections.”
Hebron City
Council aspirant Maysoun Qawasmi expressed popular frustration, saying:
“We are seeing
the same people running, and they aren’t offering anything new. Voters are
looking for independent voices.”
In fact, they
want officials representing them, not Israel. Abbas and Fayyad won’t tolerate
them. Everything is arranged for Fatah candidates to win. “They always win,”
said Qawasmi. “And nothing ever changes.”
One Palestinian
perhaps spoke for others, saying:
“I don’t
understand how we can have elections in just half the territory. I don’t even
know who’s running.”
Given a rigged
process, Hamas opted out. Doing so got Abbas/Fayyad to hold elections they
might have cancelled otherwise, knowing they might lose. They tolerate no
opposition.
They crack down
hard against challengers. They mock democratic freedoms. They represent despot
authority. They’re complicit Israeli puppet stooges.
They dismissed
about 50 Fatah members wanting to run as independents. Prominent former Nablus
Mayor Ghassan Shaka’a was bumped illegitimately.
Other PLO
candidates running independently were denied funding. They include candidates
representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP),
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and People’s
(Communist) Party.
Al Haq human
rights group legal consultant, Issam Abdeen, said:
“The sound basis
for any election to take place is a healthy, political atmosphere. (It’s)
clearly lacking here.”
According to
Palestinian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) chairperson Hanna Nasser, the
West Bank has over 350 districts. However, 181 won’t participate because only
Fatah candidates are running.
In addition,
another 78 postponed voting until November. At issue is getting enough
candidates to stand in a fraudulent process.
On October 18,
the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) expressed great concern about
upcoming elections. At issue is limited public freedoms and “continuing
widespread” PA human rights violations.
On July 10,
Palestine’s CEC was “instructed to make the necessary arrangements in order to
organize the elections in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by the Council
of Ministers in Ramallah.”
After Hamas CEC
participation was terminated, “the Council of Ministers annulled their previous
decision.” They decided on only West Bank elections.
The most recent
local council ones were held in stages from December 2004 to December 2005. In
December 2009, the mandate for these elections expired.
Since then,
separate West Bank/Gaza authorities appointed local council members directly.
Favoritism substituted for democracy.
“As the mandate
granted by the Palestinian people in local, legislative and presidential
elections has expired, these institutions have lost their authorization to
represent the will of the Palestinian voters.”
“Therefore, the
holding of renewed elections is the democratic entitlement of the Palestinian
people.”
Fatah denies
them that right. Abbas and Fayyad take orders from Israel. They salute and
obey. Palestinians lose out altogether.
Legitimate
general or local elections require certain conditions in place. Transparency is
fundamental. So is a free, fair, and open process. The popular will of the
electorate must be prioritized.
Public freedoms
must be protected. They include “the right to freedom of opinion and
expression, the right to peaceful assembly, the right to form associations,
freedom of the press, the release of political detainees, and an end to
restrictions placed on political activities.”
Nothing
resembling electoral freedom is in place. How could it be with democracy
excluded from the ballot. Palestine is fractured in two pieces. Abbas
repeatedly delayed elections. After promising Fatah/Hamas unity, he backed off
and did nothing.
Security forces
he controls also compromise human and civil rights. Israeli diktats are
prioritized over democratic freedoms and legitimate governance. Palestinians
deserve better. They’re denied it under Israeli-enforced occupation rules.
Abbas/Fayyad
began corrupting the process months ago. Fatah outliers, other challengers, and
Hamas members were targeted. Arrests were made. Palestinians wanting legitimate
government were imprisoned.
What’s upcoming
this weekend assures continuity of lawless government and Fatah-enforced
occupation harshness. Palestinians should opt out and stay home. With choice
off the ballot, nothing they do electorally will change things.
Separately,
Haaretz headlined “Netanyahu cabinet to adopt part of Levy report on legal
status of West Bank outposts.”
All settlements and
outposts violate international law. Israel spurns it dismissively. In January,
Netanyahu appointed a three-member committee. Former Supreme Court Justice
Edmond Levy headed it.
He excluded
fairness and rule of law principles from consideration. Three issues were
examined:
(1) Legal
aspects of Israel’s occupation.
(2) The 2005
Sasson Report’s conclusion that dozens of outposts built on privately owned
Palestinian land were illegal.
(3) Whether
Israel’s presence in the West Bank is, or is not, an occupation.
Levy’s report
rewrote international law. It claimed that occupation “as set out in the
relevant international conventions cannot be considered applicable to the
unique and sui generis historic and legal circumstances of Israel’s presence in
Judea and Samaria spanning over decades.”
“Israelis have
the legal right to settle in Judea and Samaria and the establishment of
settlements cannot, in and of itself, be considered illegal.”
It recommended
legalizing illegal outposts. It said zoning officials should authorize them
without further political approval. It urged no restraints on settlement
construction.
Netanyahu
praised the report, saying:
“In my opinion,
this report is important because it deals with the legalization and the
legitimization of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria on the basis
of facts, a variety of facts and arguments that should be seriously
considered.”
It’s unsurprising
given Likud’s position on settlements, stating:
“The Jewish
communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (all Occupied Palestine) are the
realization of Zionist values. Settlement of the land is a clear expression of
the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and
constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the
State of Israel.”
“The Likud will
continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their
uprooting.”
Likud rejects
Green Line separation of Israel and Palestine. It incrementally steals
Palestinian land. It declared all Jerusalem sovereign Israeli territory.
Likud’s Charter
also rejects Palestinian self-determination, saying:
“The Jordan
river will be the permanent eastern border of the State of Israel.”
“Jerusalem is
the eternal, united capital of the State of Israel and only of Israel. The
government will flatly reject Palestinian proposals to divide Jerusalem.”
“The Government
of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of
the Jordan river.”
Levy’s Likudnik
standing remains unblemished. He’s more shyster than jurist. He’s little more
than a retired Likud Party hack. His opinions are entirely separate from legal
principles. Revisionism defined his ruling.
Haaretz said
Netanyahu plans to legalize West Bank outposts. Previously he stopped short. No
longer. Together with other hardliners they’ll do it to appease settlers ahead
of planned January elections.
Doing so will
make it easier to steal land, expand settlements, and dispossess more
Palestinians. Adopting key parts of Levy’s report effectively annexes all West
Bank territory Israel wishes.
Maybe taking it
all is planned. Put nothing past fascists like Netanyahu. Some of his policies
exceed what some despots would dare.
Surprisingly,
Defense Minister Ehud Barak opposes his move, saying:
Approving the
Levy report “will backfire on those who support it. The report’s adoption won’t
strengthen the settlements in the West Bank, but will instead cause diplomatic
damage and will increase Israel’s isolation in the world.”
He urged cabinet
members reject what’s now approved. Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich agreed. He
called Netanyahu’s move a transparent pre-election stunt. He’ll do more harm to
Israel’s security than improve it.
Kadima MK
Yisrael Hasson said Netanyahu’s “playing with a flame-thrower over a barrel of
gasoline. (He) wants to enslave the State of Israel for the sake of political
interests and we will pay the price for that.”
Other opposition
party members also expressed criticism. Likud MK Danny Danon said he’s trying
to enlist congressional support. He wants Washington to legitimize what’s
illegitimate.
Getting it he
calls “a rare historical opportunity.” With US elections approaching, perhaps
he’ll succeed. No one considers what’s right for Palestinians important.
Decades ago, Washington
made them non-persons. Israel did earlier in 1948. Effectively, they’re denied
all rights. Occupation harshness demands it.
Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net . His new book is
titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government
Collusion and Class War
Also visit his
blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with
distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at
noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://is.gd/1ZjtJ2
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