The presence of rockets in Gaza does matter

...When Mahmoud Abbas assured various diplomats that the unified PA would honor its commitments Abbas knew that these commitments prohibit the presence of rockets inside the area of the PA and that his unified PA partner, Hamas, had rockets. If Abbas fails to address this issue with his Hamas partner now as details of the unified PA are being hammered out, then he isn't a victim of Hamas, he is a conspirator. And the last thing we should do is let him off the hook by limiting ourselves to demanding that the illegal rockets in Gaza aren't fired.

Dr. Aaron Lerner..
IMRA Weekly Commentary..
15 May '14..

It is anyone's guess if indeed the Fatah-Hamas unified PA will actually go through, but it would be irresponsible not to prepare for such a possibility.

A unified PA would mean that the Gaza Strip would be under the authority of the unified PA.

And that would mean, first and foremost, that the PA would be responsible for the huge number of rockets now deployed in the Gaza Strip in gross violation of the agreements that the PA is ostensibly committed to.

With the notable exception of Minister Uzi Landau, I am not aware of any Israeli official who has cited the obligation of the PA, if and when it controls the Gaza Strip, to get rid of these rockets.

Here is what PM Netanyahu said when he met this Tuesday with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida: "If President Abbas goes ahead with this national unity with Hamas...then we'll have to hold him accountable for every rocket that is fired from Gaza, to Israel."

That's right. This comment implies that the issue is not if the rockets are in Gaza but instead only if they are fired.

Unfortunately, experience has taught us that this is not a viable position.


When a rocket is fired from Gaza, the Hamas-Fatah coalition can always claim that other forces in Gaza are responsible for the attack.

In fact, based on past experience, one can expect that many, including even some Israelis, will argue that Hamas-Fatah are also "victims" of the rocket attacks as they hurt Hamas-Fatah interests.

But wouldn't Abbas also be able to claim he was a "victim"” that there are rockets altogether in the Gaza Strip?

There is still time for Israel and friends of Israel to "corner" Abbas on the rocket issue now in order to deny him the "victim" narrative in the future.

When Mahmoud Abbas assured various diplomats that the unified PA would honor its commitments Abbas knew that these commitments prohibit the presence of rockets inside the area of the PA and that his unified PA partner, Hamas, had rockets.

If Abbas fails to address this issue with his Hamas partner now as details of the unified PA are being hammered out, then he isn't a victim of Hamas, he is a conspirator.

And the last thing we should do is let him off the hook by limiting ourselves to demanding that the illegal rockets in Gaza aren't fired.

Link: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=63829

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