Speaking with the Hammas
Yitzhak Frankenthal
Immediately after the elections in the Palestinian authority, we at the Arik Institute reached the decision that we should strive towards dialogue with the Hammas. For three weeks, I tried to arrange a meeting with Hammas leaders.
At first, I was told that they would not have the time to arrange any meetings with me until the Parliamentary elections. Now I am being told that they will not have time until the government is stabilized. In spite of this, I managed to find Hammas leaders willing to sit-down and meet with us, and we started discussing matters relevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Due to a mutual agreement between us, I am obliged to refrain from mentioning the names of these Hammas leaders, unless they give their consent.
At the outset, it must be made clear that there is no intrinsic difference between Hammas leaders and any other person. I discovered that they not only have no horns, and no fiery manic hatred burning in their eyes, but that they posses a deep sense of pain and dismay in the face of the current suffering of their people.
Second, it should be noted that there are differences between the Hammas organization and the Fatah - differences that can be looked upon as either beneficial or destructive, depending on your perspective: Fatah held meetings with the Israelis during the early nineties, which led to their recognition of the state of Israel and the alteration of the Palestinian charter. The Hammas does not intend to do this.
According to the leaders of the Hammas, Israel only toyed around with the Fatah during the above-mentioned meetings, and never had any intention of diminishing the suffering of the Palestinian people. By negotiating with Israel for 12 years, the Fatah produced no tangible results at all. The occupation is not over, a Palestinian state has not been erected and the great suffering of the Palestinian people continues. The poverty and unemployment rates have reached all-time highs and are still rising, and worst of all: the Palestinians are now perceived both by Israel and the rest of the world as a large 'terror cell', while Israel , committing vile acts of daily terror, is perceived by the world as the victim.
The Hammas leaders I spoke to told me that their very willingness to run for the elections serves as recognition of the legal status of the Palestinian governmental structure, along with all that's written in its formal documents regarding PLO rising as a result of the Oslo agreements, which the Palestinian government is obligated by. They asked me why I was asking them to recognize Israel , when we can clearly see that the act of running for elections is tantamount to such recognition. They further said that yes, they are different from the Fatah organization - they do not intend to walk into any of Israel's political 'booby-traps', such as Palestinian recognition of Israel on the one hand, with Israel continuing its occupation, on the other.
"Just take a look at how you ( Israel ) abused Arafat. How you made him 'irrelevant'. Look at how Barak spoke circles around Arafat, with the Palestinian people ultimately paying the bill. We recognized you - and you just went right along abusing us." - This is what I was told.
These claims, made by the Hammas leaders that I met, seemed very sound arguments. From what they say, ever since the Oslo agreements (1993), the Palestinians have become poorer, their level of suffering has risen incrementally and they have despaired. They, the Hammas, rose to power to renew the people's hopes. They admonish Bin-Ladin's actions, which they claim do not represent the Islam. They understand that the world in general and particularly Israel and the USA perceive them as terrorists, which they feel is wrong. In their opinion, it is actually Israel that should be perceived as terrorist, in as much as it is the occupier, and that they have every right to fight back. As far as they are concerned, as long as the occupation continues, they will not be willing to either speak to or recognize Israel .
No doubt, that political negotiations with them are going to be harsh and uneasy, unlike the negotiations with the Fatah. Albeit, they do believe that they will be the ones who actually bring about peace.
It is the Israeli leadership that should, in their eyes, understand that the time for empty words has now passed. The bottom line, to them, is the Israeli occupation. If it is brought to an end, there is justification for dialogue. As long as it continues, they have no intention whatsoever in recognizing Israel .
From other things that were said during our meeting, I understood that they also have no intention of converting us to Islam. They respect the individual's right to choose his belief.
The way of the Islam is a way that honors humanity, and does not involve hurting humans. Their goal is to achieve political independence and live side-by-side with Israel . Two states, for two nations.
In answer to my questions, I was answered that Israel should make trust-building moves. Much to their frustration, the first move that Israel has made so far since the Hammas were elected was to steal the Palestinian people's money. This, they said, was an excellent example of how Israel treats them.
We have no issues with living on Pita-bread and olives. We have patience, knowing that the ultimate price to pay will be yours, because you behave as you do. Your people simply do not comprehend that it is you who cause your suffering – and ours."
True, it was not easy for me to sit and meet with the very people who murdered my son. My Arik. My love.
Thank G-d, I have four more children and two grandchildren for which I must continue this work. In the upcoming days, I am supposed to be having more meetings with the Hammas, with different people in the organization.
t the end of meeting, I was told by the senior representative that took part in the meeting, that he would be delighted to visit me as well, in my house in Jerusalem .
