[An unpublished op-ed submitted to The Denver Post]

On February 1, 2006, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R) Florida, introduced H.R. 4681, ostensibly designed "to promote the development of democratic institutions in areas under the administrative control of the Palestinian Authority." In fact, the resolution will isolate and marginalize the Palestinian Authority, and punish Palestinian civilians for electing Hamas into control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

Hamas is designated as a "foreign terrorist organization" by the Secretary of State and its election presents a difficult test for policy-makers, a measuring stick for the intentions and capacity of the U.S. in its role as de facto mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The resolution, purportedly designed to promote democracy, and the U.S.'s policy toward Hamas have in fact helped undermine the democratic character of the power shift in Palestine.

Mahmoud Abbas, leader of Fatah, still maintains his position as President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In the last several weeks, Abbas and Fatah have made several moves to consolidate power under the office of the President and strip power from the Hamas-led PLC, thereby undermining the Palestinians' recent electoral choice.

• Before the transfer of power, while Fatah still maintained control of the PLC, they created a body that would arbitrate disputes between the PLC and the President, appointing the members to ensure Fatah control over final decisions.
• In an attempt to further restrain Hamas' flexibility in relations with the international community, the PLO ordered the Foreign Ministry to report to Abbas' office before making policy statements to world leaders.¹
• Abbas decreed that he had independent control of decision-making regarding Gaza's border crossings and then took control of the only Palestinian-controlled crossing with security forces which are loyal to him.²

Abbas' moves to undermine a democratically elected authority and prop up the disintegrating Fatah party are being done with the support -  passive or active - of U.S. policy towards Hamas. With Fatah's long history of concession to Western demands, it will be difficult for Palestinians not to see collusion as Fatah and the U.S. simultaneously seek measures to undermine the new PLC.

Close friends and longtime supporters of Fatah have told me they voted for Hamas in the last elections to shake Fatah out of its stupor. Widespread corruption, a structure of political oligarchy, failure in the struggle of liberation and rapidly defecting ranks are bringing ruin to the party. If its rule is sustained, perhaps with U.S. support, its incompetence will be allowed to multiply.

If the U.S. does not reassess its policy toward Hamas, we risk the establishment of another semi-autocratic regime in the Middle East known to be in power due to manipulation of the democratic process and a close relationship with the U.S.

The first step we must take in this reassessment is to recognize the mandate given to Hamas from the Palestinian people: to purge the Palestinian Authority of resource-draining corruption and to use its professional expertise in improving social services. The mandate includes support for entering into negotiations with Israel, because Hamas is trusted to represent the will of the Palestinian people.

All of these are goals the Palestinians and the U.S. should share, as they will broaden the cultural and political space in Palestine, and enable the Palestinian leadership to enter into negotiations with popular support.

We have an opportunity to recognize the frustrations that were voiced in the last elections, encourage the use of elections as a non-violent and democratic expression, and thereby "promote the development of democratic institutions."

Instead of trying to strong-arm ideological changes from Hamas by punishing the Palestinian people and threatening subversive regime change, we should develop a relationship centered on those shared goals, while maintaining a clear opposition to illegal forms of violence.

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Footnotes

¹ "Report: Haniyeh says he will take control of PA security", Ha'aretz, April 7^th, 2006,

² "Forces loyal to Abbas assume control of Gaza-Egypt border", Ha'aretz, April 11^th, 2006,