Calling a spade a spade

As the fighting between Palestinian fractions moves into the 5th day one should not make the mistake to in thinking this is strictly an ideological struggle between Hamas and Fatah. In fact, both groups share a remarkable commonality in reference to their long-term goals but only differ in the short-term details. Fatah has the "Phased Plan" for the destruction of the Israeli state while Hamas is willing to accede to "long-term" truce in exchange for large-scale Israeli withdrawals from the disputed territories. In this way, Hamas would allow the nascent Palestinian state time to fully arm and develop an army capable of being an effective force in which to destroy its most unwanted neighbor and thereby taking control over all of "Palestine".

It is common to hear political pundits sprouting stuff such as Fatah is a secular organization riddled with corruption and riff with nepotism while Hamas are squeaky-clean hardnosed religious fanatics set upon building an Islamic utopia in a Palestinian state at all cost and at any price. While there is a grain of truth in both these statements - it would be far more accurate to describe Fatah as a big tent extortion racket, created in exile, for exiles, by exiles. Hamas, on the other hand, was born in resentment and disenfranchisement by an indigenous population from being left out of the exile’s gravy train. I think it helps to think of Fatah as the Barnaby pirates of a modern age and Hamas as a modern day Sicilian Mafia.

Let me be the first to publicly come out and state; neither Hamas nor Fatah are locked into an equal life and death struggle in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip has been a Hamas stronghold for at least the last ten years. What we are witnessing is Hamas systematically slaughtering the last few holdouts or remnants of Fatah’s power in the streets of Gaza. Even as Hamas calls “ceasefire! ceasefire!” it sends out its special forces brigades.

If I hear one more time how Hamas firing rockets at Israel as an attempt to re-united the Palestinian street and avoid civil war; I will spew virtual coffee over each and every one of you. Repeat after me, Hamas is winning, Hamas has no need of uniting the Gaza Strip because not only does Hamas control the streets of Gaza - they like totally own it. What lies at the heart of this fight is consolidating Hamas’ control outside the Gaza Strip and into the West Bank. Hamas needs to break Fatah’s power base among the West Bank clan system. While this Ha'aretz report centers on the Gaza Strip clans, the only difference is Fatah holds the loyalty of the West Bank clans but don't kid yourself - loyalty is a commodity and no one wants to hitch their family's future to a falling star.

If Hamas can entice the larger clans in the West Bank to change their alliance from Fatah and throw in their lot with the hometown boys - Hamas will have effectively co-opted Fatah as the power in the Palestinian Authority. There is only one purpose to be gained for Hamas opening up a second front on Israel while in the midst of a battle with Fatah. Hamas needs to shows itself to be the strong horse capable of delivering not just rolling thunder but a whole world of hurt to Israel at the same time. What’s Fatah got? Absolutely nothing, and furthermore, Hamas has Fatah on the run everywhere. Hamas’ street creditability and stock can only ascend in the West Bank. No body wants to back a loser and the beyond lame of Israeli response until today will only consolidated Hamas’ creds.

But even if a message from G-d was hand delivered to the Kadima government giving Olmert the green light to act "truly harshly" – so what? Hamas has proven it can take a punch and roll just as well as Fatah – I would even say better than Fatah. Again, it just reinforces Hamas “resistance” creds and capacity for action. Nothing less than a full-scale ground invasion/ occupation by the Israelis will be able to act as an effective balm to neutralize Hamas as the political force to be reckoned within the disputed territories.