Discovering MENA and other thoughts

“Hay que tener cuidado al elegir a los enemigos porque uno termina pareciéndose a ellos”, dijo en su día Jorge Luis Borges. Cuando tu principal enemigo está en casa y está tan imbricado con tu misma de razón de ser, no es de extrañar que te sea difícil avanzar y luchar contra el enemigo exterior. Es éste el caso de la causa palestina, que no se conforma con chocar una y otra vez contra el muro de la intolerancia israelí, sino que se ve continuamente erosionada por las diferencias y luchas cainitas en el seno de la propia élite palestina. El ejemplo más significativo es la guerra – no por coincidencia denominada “guerra entre hermanos” – entre Hamas y Fatah, que estalló cuando los primeros se proclamaron vencedores de las elecciones que la Franja de Gaza había celebrado en enero de 2006.

"You have to be careful when choosing your enemies because sooner or later you will end up resembling them," Jorge Luis Borges said once. When your main enemy is your team-mate and is deeply embedded with your very raison d'être, it's no wonder how difficult it may be for you to move forward and fight any external threat whatsoever. This is exactly the case with the Palestinian cause, that does not seem to have enough with crashing time and again against the wall of Israeli intolerance and sees itself continually eroded by brotherly differences and struggles within the Palestinian elite itself. The most significant example of this is the war - not coincidentally called "war between brothers" - between Hamas and Fatah that broke out when the former were proclaimed winners of the elections the January 2006 Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah delivered an unforgettable speech in Beirut last July 25th on the occasion of "Jerusalem Day", in which he pledged "all means of support" for the "Palestinian resistance". It wasn't the first time Nasrallah took the chance to criticise Israel and its actions. It was the first time in months, though, Nasrallah showed signs that links between his organisation and Hamas are thawing. Hezbollah and Hamas had been allies in the region for more than 20 years. The first direct contact between the movements took place on December 17, 1992, when Israel deported 415 Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists from the West Bank and Gaza to Marj Al-Zouhour in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Hezbollah’s resistance in the early 1980s inspired and motivated the Palestinians to launch the first intifada in December 1987, during which the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Palestine created Hamas. Many experts consider Nasrallah's messag...

Mi nombre es Zeinab, tengo 14 años y vengo de un lugar del que hoy por hoy muchos estaréis cansados de oír hablar: la franja de Gaza. Mis abuelos, sin embargo, no nacieron aquí, sino en una ciudad, Beersheba, en el centro de lo que hoy el mundo entero se empeña en denominar Israel, pero que en mis recuerdos se llama aún Palestina. Desde que somos pequeños, mi madre se esfuerza en leernos todas las noches los cuadernos en los que mi abuelo Maher relata cómo era su vida allí, cómo le gustaba relajarse en su huerto de olivares, comer sandía con avidez cerca del zoco y romper el ayuno del Ramadán al anochecer con sus vecinos musulmanes y cristianos. También cuenta cómo las primeras comunidades de judíos en la ciudad se mostraban enormemente amables con ellos. Venían huyendo de la muerte que en Europa aguardaba a sus familiares y vecinos. Pero un día, el mundo entero decidió ponerse en contra de los habitantes de la antigua Palestina, y crear un estado para aquellos judíos, allí donde ell...

What's the first image that pops up in your mind when you think about Hamas? Dark-suited bearded men shouting and ranting? Hooded youths hoisting flags and marching on the street? Well, that may be changing, because the Islamist militant group has appointed a spokesperson different than what people in the streets are used to. It's an British-educated cultivated former presenter of Iranian state-run English news channel who wears colored clothes and often smiles into the wind. This person is 23 years old, has a child and has already divorced once. And it's a lady. Her name is Israa Al-Moudallal, and she takes pride in being the first woman to hold the position of spokesperson concerning relations with international media, a hard task taking into account Hamas' disadvantageous situation .

Last July I wrote about the several Tamarrod-style copycat movements that had been created throughout the Arab world inspired by their Egyptian brethren with the aim of protesting against the governments in power and in favour of the granting of further rights. One of the most active ones has surprisingly proven to be the Tamarrod Gaza movement, silently formed in the street against what some consider a status quo controlled by Hamas that is growing authoritarian by the day. Several small scale protests have been taken place in the tiny territory throughout recent weeks, but the demonstration most organisers hoped to represent a real breakthrough was scheduled for November 11, a key date for all inhabitants of the Strip. Indeed, las Monday was the anniversary of the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, founder of Hamas rival Fatah, a date revered by all Palestinians that in the past has also been an occasion for protests.

Months ago, I wrote about how the Lebanese school curricula were designed not to influence the pupil's own identity, with the very particular aim of leaving the interpretation of the country's recent History into the hands of each community. Now I bump into this article on the NYT  about how Hamas has decided to change the curriculum in the Gaza Strip having the exact opposite objective in mind, that is, looking forward to infusing the next generations with its militant ideology (maybe as a consequence of it's being shunned both at home and abroad). Coming from a country in which political ideology, more than class, culture or genetics, remains the main root of polarization between what people call "the two Spains", I am appalled by this kind of gestures, which only teach children to be as narrow-minded as their parents often are. Israel is often criticized for adopting the same stance towards education. If Palestinians want to show they are more qualified than...

You know I believe Palestinian reconciliation is vital if Palestinian politicians really want to create momentum for the Palestinian cause. Every once in a while, if we are attentive enough to the Arab media, we may read news about a new deal between Fatah and Hamas brokered by Cairo, thanks to improved relations between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood (although many believe the bulk of the Peace Process and everything related to it still remains in the realms of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service/Mukhabarat ). The latest news broke out on 15 May, whereby Fatah and Hamas had set a three-month timetable to form a unity government and organize elections to choose the members of the Parliament in exile of the Palestinian People, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), a key step in order to grant all decisions regarding the Palestinian struggle legitimacy.

 Nearly no one liked him at home. He was hailed as a great political figure abroad, though. He spent all his life looking forward to becoming a prophet in his own country, but Palestinian hearts and minds are not that easy to win over. Last week and after months of political bickering and governmental stalemate, former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, handed in his resignation (although he has accepted to remain as caretaker PM) to a relieved Mahmoud Abbas. Indeed, everybody in Palestine and elsewhere was aware of the growing hatred each figure felt towards the other. They have publicly clashed many times, particularly over their respective powers or economic policies. The face-off reached unprecedented heights in recent weeks, coming to a head with the resignation of the Finance Minister Nabil Qassis, which was accepted by the Prime Minister (who coincidentally was previously in charge of the portfolio) but rejected by the President. Fayyad, a US-ed...

As if Hamas didn't have enough... According to the ceasefire Hamas and Israel agreed upon under the auspices of Mr Morsi and the US after the short but bloody November war , all of Gaza's crossing with both Egypt and Israel should be opened. This would have meant the desperately needed lifting of the siege imposed in 2007 by Israel for what it called security reasons. But the text has not been entirely implemented. Far from that. In 2010, Israel already eased some of the limits they imposed on imports into the coastal enclave. Trade was further eased across the Kerem Shalom crossing before its temporary closure after Gaza militants fired a rocket at the Israeli city of Ashkelon as a reprisal for the death of a Palestinian youth that sparked the fears of a third intifada. This crossing is an economic lifeline for the territory's 1.6 million Palestinians, as it provides the vast majority of consumer goods (building materials and fuel usually come from Egypt). Israeli au...

When Hamas celebrated its 25th anniversary in Gaza back in December, several rallies were also authorized and held for the first time in years in the West Bank , sparking (again) rumours about an eventual badly needed Palestinian reconciliation . This type of comments are again all over the media on the occasion of the (first-time since Hamas came to power) holding of another rally, this time a Fatah rally in Gaza, marking the 48th anniversary of the founding of the rival political movement by Arafat, celebrated with a sea of yellow banners, T-shirts and flags (some of them shyly hung on Gazan windows over the last years).  The event featured participating members of Hamas, but it was the delegation having crossed the Rafah border crossing that attracted all the attention, mainly composed of Abu Ali (nom de guerre Abdul Aziz Shahen) historical founder of Fatah, Jibril Rajub, member of the Central Committee of the party...

Last week, particularly on Saturday 8 December (a few days in advance, though , to make the day coincide with the day the first Palestinian Intifada broke out in 1987 in the Gaza Strip itself), the Gaza Strip witnessed several scenes of rapture, as thousands of people rallied in Gaza to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the funding the controversial organization Hamas (branded a terrorist group by various states, as well as by the EU). The celebrations ( which had as a centerpiece a giant model of the missile fired at Tel Aviv during the recent conflict with the inscriptions "Made in Gaza" and "Palestine" ) and the joy surrounding them added to the happiness and tranquility brought by the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel brokered by neighboring Egypt a fortnight ago. The crowd hailed above all an special guest: the religious movement's leader since 1996, Khaled Meshal, who (after a long journey crossing the contentious border with Egypt,  having been ...

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, announced on 12 November during a LAS meeting that the request whereby the UN General Assembly would grant Palestine enhanced observer status would be formalized (and the vote would thus take place) today (29 November 2012, 65th anniversary of the UN partition resolution, "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People"). "The required simple majority is already guaranteed", an ecstatic Abbas told reporters in Cairo. Palestinian officials reckon the Resolution has nearly 60 co-sponsors and estimate at least 130 countries will vote for the proposal. EU member states will unsurprisingly find themselves, once again, divided, and their votes will surely follow the same direction as in the "UNESCO case" last year: 11 supported the entry of Palestine as a state, 5 opposed, and the remaining 11 abstained. One thing is for sure, and makes me really happy: Spain and France will vote ...

   Only time (hours? days? weeks? months? hopefully years!) will tell... Apparently, one Palestinian has already been killed . Maybe it was just a matter of hours... Meanwhile, there go several links which may help us building a more comprehensive analysis (Plus the ones I posted before the ceasefire ) Lluis Basset's assesses the agreement's regional consequences (El Pais - in Spanish) NYT 's main article (and its Editorial ) How Hamas won the war  (FP) also here (Haaretz)  Or not? (Al Ayyam) also here  (Foreign Affairs) Half victory, half defeat  (Al Ayyam) Israel's gamble (Foreign Affairs) More on the winners and losers of the conflict (Le Monde - in French) The Economist's forecast Al Jazeera's coverage Has Israel been talking to all the region?  (Al Monitor) Same text, different result?  (Haaretz) The day after  (Haaretz) Insightful background of the negotiations (Al Hayat) Bibi'...

I have promised myself I won't write about what's currently happening in Gaza. Too many emotions, too many friends I love and respect, too afraid to say something that could be missunderstood. Those of you who know me, know how I feel towards the occupation. I don't think I should state it or post it on my FB wall. I will however post several links I've found most interesting. Please feel free to add more. Sami Nair's take (in Spanish): he is so good, it may deserve a translation Other (journalist, therefore much more reliable than me) friends' takes: Ismael Monzón  Francesca Cicardi Ricard Gonzalez Conflict in Gaza tests alliances Morsi's little room for maneuver   Running an errand during a ceasefire can be dangerous Jebari's killing from a brave neutral point of view The conflict' effect on Morsi's clout regarding Israel Hamas in jeopardy?  Where do the missiles come from?  + another take  (in Spanish) On the Iro...

Operation Cast Lead 2.0 in Foreign Policy A custom-made war for both Bibi and Hamas (in Spanish) by Jose Ignacio Torrenlanca, a real genius

On 16 October, Qatar (dubbed as a foreign policy "rising star" in the Arab World, as I will analyze over the next weeks) announced the launching of a $254 million plan to "rebuild and modernize Gaza", the biggest injection of aid the territory has received since the 2008 war with Israel. However, for Gaza remains under a controverted blockade, it seems the implementation of the scheme will need the cooperation of both Israel (who partially lifted the blockade in 2010) and Egypt (who has shown a somewhat incoherent stance concerning the famous tunnels), as they will have to allow the entrance of building materials and heavy machinery into the strip (instead of resorting to smuggling, like Palestinians in the Strip had to do before). The plan is aimed at improving Gaza's economic situation, badly damaged after the war and under the blockade: it will create thousands of jobs (the territory's unemployment amounts to approximately 30% of the population, and sta...

A delegation of Palestinian representatives has been visiting Egypt. Apparently, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met this week with Hisham Qandil, Egypt's Prime Minister, in Cairo. They discussed various possibilities to lift the siege of the Gaza Strip, one of the electoral promises of the Muslim Brotherhood, and even addressed plans are to develop a free-trade zone between both territories. They surely debated on the tunnels' issue,  used for smuggling goods and people across the border, a huge source of problems (amongst many) between Egypt and Israel. Palestinian leaders in the Strip estimate the value of trade to be $2 million a day (of which Hamas takes 7% in taxes) and therefore consistently oppose this possibility: "not even under ousted president Hosni Mubarak did Egypt think of crippling all the tunnels without providing an alternative", senior Hamas official Mahmoud El-Zahar told the Egyptian newspaper  Al Ahram .  Khal...

I won't sum up the evolution and characteristics of the Arab Spring for you, you are all aware of them. I won't even enter into the debate on the term "Arab Spring" and its real meaning (at least, not now!). But I have to admit I really like the sound of it, moreover when it is used to add a new country to this encouraging domino effect movement, and that seems to be the case of Palestine. Nonetheless, this case presents a new surprising feature... It looks like one of the leaders of the country the events are taking place in is actually supporting the uprising!! So... who/what do the people go against (besides, as always, the Israeli occupiers)? Well, they are mainly demonstrating against the other visible authority of the Palestinian Authority. Wouldn't it be nice if I put names to all of these characters? A (key?) meeting of the Arab League was held last week in Cairo (President Morsi surprised us again with flammable declarations about Syria, he does se...