Hamas Control of Gaza Does Not Delay Deal With Abbas

{Originally posted to the IMRA website}

Many talking heads suggest that Prime Minister Netanyahu has a Machiavellian interest in keeping Hamas in power in the Gaza Strip as this situation precludes the conclusion of a deal with Mahmoud Abbas.

But it doesn't

In fact, if there really was a genuine and viable "deal" according to which a sovereign Palestinian state is established, the implementation of such a deal in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) with implementation postponed in the Gaza Strip until the end of Hamas rule and the demilitarization of the area, would provide the strongest possible pressure for Hamas to end its rule.

The fact that a deal accepted by the Palestinian representative bodies, was already concluded, would strip Hamas of its legitimacy.

Gazans would be reminded daily of the very tangible fruits of a sovereign Palestinian state that they are missing.

I frankly do not think that there is such a things as a "genuine and viable deal according to which a sovereign Palestinian state is established," but talking heads who still think that pigs can fly have no basis to assert that Hamas is stopping it.

The implementation of any semblance of a logical sovereignty deal would make the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state contingent on the Gaza Strip first being demilitarized.

After all, no one in the world claims that Gaza isn't bristling with weapons that no doubt would be prohibited by a deal.

If anything, a restoration of PA control of the Gaza Strip would postpone implementation of any deal since there would be no justification for a "West Bank first" implementation of the agreement and the failure to demilitarize Gaza would serve to permanently postpone Palestinian sovereignty.