The Palestinian Election Earthquake 2006 Series
Part II: Palestinian Unilaterism in Action

Hamas Electoral Program

by Walid Salem 1/2/2006

Reading Hamas 16 pages electoral program, one can notice clearly the unilateral type of that program. In the preamble the program tells that Hamas will work for "Islamic- Arabic security strategy", for "A Palestinian Sovereign independent, and free state in all West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem without making concessions in regard to each inch   from Palestinian historical land", for "Islamic- Arabic Unity" for "Islamic- Arabic and International investment" for the "promotion of voluntary work", and for "economic development", "support the poor", and the "promotion of equal opportunities".
 
It is clear from that preamble that Hamas, raise new concepts for security and economic development. In regard of security it is no more the security of the Palestinians separated from the Arabic- Islamic nation while linked with Israel, but it is the security of the all that nation, that should be built together. Moreover it is not a process to insure the security of the peace process, but a process to insure the security of the nation and its citizens.
 
In regard to the Economy the preamble speaks about Islamic Arabic investment prior to the international one, which is mentioned in the third place. With that the Iranian and other Islamic sources funding will be there, in addition to the pressure that will be made in the Arab Countries in order to increase their financial support to the Palestinians. Moreover the program speak about supporting the poor, were the "Zakat" monies will be used in this direction, also about promoting the voluntary work which reminds one of the seventies of the previous century when the voluntary work of the grassroots organizations who do not get any funding from outside was contributing to the Palestinian national economy. Moreover the program speaks about equal opportunities to the Palestinians.
 
With a title speak about "reform", followed by a verse from Quran about  reform, it is clear that the program came after to speak about two main fields for reform in the preamble, one is the security reform and the second is the economic reform, which both of them have nothing to do with negotiations or establishing relations with Israel, which represent the unilateral aspects of Hamas program. In addition to these two main sectors of reform Hamas program states in the preamble that the prisoners should be released human rights should be protected, dialogue should be promoted, and also the internal fighting should be prohibited.
 
Getting after that the 12 issues included in Hamas program, one can find that Hamas speaks in the beginning about its consideration "that the security cooperation with Israel is a big national crime, and who commit it should be punished severely", this point is again about Hamas priority to change the concept of security, which also clarifies the positions of Hamas leaders after the elections that the Ministry of Interior should be in their hands, and that the security departments should continue to follow that Ministry and not to be moved to the Authority of Abu Mazen as the leaders of these security departments are calling for, in a full contradiction to the Basic Law which give the authority over the internal security departments to the Ministry of Interior. These people of these security departments want to follow Abu Mazen because they want to be protected from Hamas punishment for their previous cooperation with Israel, also they want to save their salaries.
 
The program also speaks in the beginning about "resisting normalization with Israel", and later on the issue of "resisting cultural normalization", is mentioned under the issue number 8 about Hamas "cultural and Media policy". This means that the joint Israeli-Palestinian projects will become under severe attack, which will require those who practice these projects to join forces and also to widen their constituency in the Palestinian society.
 
In regard to the Issue of "Political reform and the legislative policy" (issue number 5 in Hamas program), Hamas speaks about "Accepting the principle of rotation of authority" and "separation of authorities", which both are fine, then it adds that "new legislation, will be released in order to link all the Palestinians wherever they exist together". Which means that Hamas will work for all the Palestinians people and not only to those of West  Bank and Gaza Strip.
 
But contradictory to democracy the issue number 6 about the "public freedoms, Judiciary and human rights" Hamas is speaking about "Making the Islamic Sharia as the main resource of Legislation, and also moreover "work to represent the Sharia courts in the constitutional court with a reasonable percentage". This means that the constitutional court decision should become according to Islam. In other hand Hamas might not rush to implement this point in its program because of the expected resistance from the secular civil society, women organizations, and the Palestinian Christians.
 
The issue number 7 is about Hamas education policy which show that "Education should be based on Islam as a comprehensive system for all the aspects of life". Again this policy will face a strong resistance from the Palestinian liberal-democratic, secular and secular groups.
 
The issue no. 8 about the "cultural and media policy" speaks also about protecting youth against corruption, westernization, and cultural invasion". This point also will face strong resistance in regard to the right of freedom of thinking and freedom of expression.
 
The issue no. 8 about "social policies", speaks about "inaugurating laws for social security and combating poverty" which is fine, then it combine "combating drugs and drinking wines" together followed by a pledge to "develop the Zakat Committees".
 
Issue no. 11 speaks about equal citizens rights to the Christians" which is fine, then issue no. 12 about women rights exclude these rights to those "granted to women by the Sharia", then the program call for justice towards women by not "depriving these from their rights allowed by the Sharia", followed by asking women to be righteous and modest, insuring that women are partners to men in the ‘Jihad, resistance, building and development".
 
With that all the program is fully unilateral towards Israel, but moreover it has also a lot of unilateralism towards the Palestinian society in a sense that it include policies that Hamas want impose them (even if gradually) on the Palestinian society.
 

Conclusion in regard to Peace: Israel and Hamas
Amazingly enough, the Road Map plan to promote a Palestinian process of political legal, administrative, financial, economic, social and security reforms, which was called in our previous on series about post disengagement as "Palestinian Unilateral Track", might be fulfilled now by Hamas on its own way (also without American and European funding), ending with that the period of Fatah failure earlier to fulfill these tasks that are important for any functional viability of the upcoming Palestinian state.
 
The Palestinian unilateral track (Hamas edition), will not of course be very easy, a lot of risks, obstacles, threats and challenges are on the way, some of them are internal, and some are external, moreover there are problems  in regard to the content of Hamas reform programs that the Palestinian seculars will not be happy with, as it was noted earlier.
 
Now on we will have for the first time two unilateral tracks, one Israeli that began last year, and one Palestinian, the second will not accept now to be dealt with as inferior, or unequal, also this second track believe in reciprocity (such as reciprocal Tahdiya calmness with Israel). And deterence. This last characteristic might play according to Hamas understanding the role of deterring the other side from attacking the Palestinians severely, because of the fear of Hamas retaliation. If this assumption will be proven true, then we will be moving to a new context, were each side will take in consideration in advance the needs of the other side when each side initiate unilateral acts.
 
In this regard, several Israeli responses to Hamas success are striking how much positive they are, for instance the Israeli Minister of Defence praised Hamas on 30/1/2006 because it is "showing responsibility" as  he said, while Shimon Peres spoke in Dafous about a possibility to negotiate with Hamas if it stop its attacks in Israel", other Israelis are waiting or speaking about giving Hamas time and a chance …. Etc. Few only showed panic, with that it look like that the two sides might become for the first time in the track of two unilateral processes that are conducted without negotiations. But most importantly (we hope), they will try not to initiate severe attacks against each other. 
 

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Walid Salem is the director of Panorama, the Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development in East Jerusalem and author of numerous texts about the conflict. He was imprisoned by Israel a number of times in the 1970s and 80s for being an active political member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Walid joined Panorama after the initiation of the Oslo process, and has since conducted joint studies and activities with Israeli academics and peace groups. He also conducts training sessions in democracy, non-violence and civil-society building with Palestinian groups.