Hamas Demands Security, West Demands Unilateral Disarmament. See the Problem?
Al-Monitor, via Reuters, breathlessly reports a senior Hamas official stated the group aims to maintain security control in Gaza and can’t commit to disarming. This is presented as hindering “U.S. plans” for peace. One might wonder what 'plans' a governing body in any territory occupied for 57 years and under siege for 17 might have, other than security for its people (or what's left of them). The
media consistently frames any resistance as an 'obstacle to peace,' while ignoring the systematic dismantling of Palestinian governance, from the PLO's disarming efforts post-Oslo to the constant Israeli incursions into 'P.A. controlled' areas. History shows that unilateral disarmament for the occupied has only ever led to increased vulnerability, not statehood. This narrative attempts to
normalize the demand for Palestinians to disarm in the face of ongoing occupation and violence, as if expecting a group to unilaterally give up its only leverage after being subjected to literal siege for nearly two decades is a reasonable expectation. How many times have we seen the same script?