<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[ei: The Palestine Papers and the &#8220;Gaza&nbsp;coup&#8221;]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><span class="text14">Ali Abunimah, <em>The Electronic Intifada,</em> 27 January 2011</p>
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<td><span class="text11">Palestinians demonstrate in support of national unity in Gaza City, July 2009. (Wissam Nassar/<a href="http://www.maanimages.com/">MaanImages</a>)</span></td>
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<p><span class="text14"><span class="content"><br />
It has long been known that following Hamas&#8217; victory in Palestinian  Authority legislative elections in January 2006, Israel and its allies,  particularly the United States, worked to undermine the Hamas-led  government. Their aim was to restore the authority of the Fatah movement  led by Mahmoud Abbas, which had controlled the PA since it was created  in 1994 after the Oslo accords were signed the previous year.</p>
<p>In February 2007, after months of clashes between their supporters,  Fatah and Hamas agreed to form a &#8220;national unity government&#8221; headed by  Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Enraged by this, the US government  hatched a plot, along with Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, to engage  Hamas militarily in Gaza. But the plot failed and in June 2007 Hamas  turned the tables and overran Dahlan&#8217;s US-supported militias.</p>
<p>Until now, the most comprehensive and essential account of these events was contained in David Rose&#8217;s April 2008 <em>Vanity Fair</em> article, &#8220;<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804">The Gaza Bombshell</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>An initial reading of the Palestine Papers supports Rose&#8217;s account and  provides details of hitherto unknown secret, high-level &#8220;Quadripartite&#8221;  meetings among Israeli, American, Egyptian and Palestinian officials  whose explicit goal appears to have been to undermine the national unity  government. The essential point here is that part of the PA &#8212; loyal to  Mahmoud Abbas and backed by the US &#8212; was actively plotting with Israel  and its allies against the legitimately-constituted unity government.</p>
<p>Two documents in the Palestine Papers contain minutes of these meetings. The first is dated 11 March 2007 and titled &#8220;<a href="http://www.ajtransparency.com/en/document/5135">Quadripartite Meeting of the Gaza Security Committee</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Palestinians in attendance were Dahlan, Jamal Quaeid, Rashid Abu  Shbak, Basil Jaber and one more whose name has been redacted by Al  Jazeera. The American team was headed by US Army Lt. General Keith  Dayton, the Israeli team by General Amos Gilad and the Egyptian team by  one General Sharif.</p>
<p>This first meeting was intended to establish the &#8220;quadirpartite forum&#8221;  and lay down &#8220;rules of engagement.&#8221; Firstly it was agreed that only Gaza  would be discussed, not the West Bank.</p>
<p>Secrecy was to be the top priority. According to the rules of  engagement, &#8220;All parties made very clear that nothing discussed in the  meeting should be shared with anyone outside the forum. All parties made  clear that any leakages would greatly hurt the forum and all those  participating. All parties made clear that any leakages would  immediately result in the cessation of the use of this forum and the  projects being aborted. Also not to be shared is the fact that the forum  exists, nor should who is attending the meetings be leaked. The press  will not be involved.&#8221;</p>
<p>The minutes also note that &#8220;The forum is backed by the highest political  echelons of each government represented.&#8221; In terms of substance, the  record notes that &#8220;The implications of the national unity government  were discussed by all parties in general terms.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Israeli team then presented their &#8220;perception of the security  situation in Gaza, focusing on Hamas activities.&#8221; The Israelis,  according to the minutes, &#8220;highlighted the use of tunnels for all  purposes including storage and meeting areas, the import/smuggling of  advanced weaponry.&#8221; The Israeli team alleged that Hamas fighters were  being trained in Iran and that Hamas was attempting to &#8220;emulate the  Hizballah model, which in turn is based on the Iranian model.&#8221; The  Israelis asserted that &#8220;The main strategic goal of Hamas is to take over  the PA then the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization]. Most  Palestinians do not adhere to this Hamas ideology.&#8221;</p>
<p>Referring to these and other Israeli positions, the minutes note that  &#8220;The Palestinians agreed that this may be part of the analysis&#8221; &#8212; an  indication of complete agreement that Hamas was the common enemy.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.ajtransparency.com/en/document/1617">second &#8220;Quadripartite Security Meeting,&#8221; held on 3 April 2007</a>,  focused on the political situation and stopping the tunnels between  Gaza and Egypt. Lt. General Dayton observed that &#8220;The purpose of these  efforts is to prevent Hamas from using the NUG [National Unity  Government] as a means of gaining more powers and building up more  arms.&#8221;</p>
<p>He also advised the Palestinians: &#8220;If you can keep Hamas from  overwhelming the PLO forces, and keep Fatah together, until Hamas is no  longer an attractive option &#8212; you prevent it from winning militarily  until the next elections.&#8221; Dayton clearly saw his role as preparing  Fatah for military confrontation with Hamas.</p>
<p>During a discussion of Egypt&#8217;s role, Israeli General Amos Gilad had high  praise for Egypt&#8217;s repressive state security services. &#8220;I always  believed in the abilities of the Egyptian Intelligence service [GIS],&#8221;  he said. &#8220;It keeps order and security among 70 millions &#8212; 20 millions  in one city &#8212; this is a great achievement, for which you deserve a  medal. It is the best asset for the middle east.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Palestinian team gave a <a href="http://www.ajtransparency.com/en/document/1602">PowerPoint presentation of its plans to destroy the Gaza tunnels</a> which included suggestions to destroy Palestinian homes near the border  wall &#8212; as Israel had previously done. At one point Dayton asked  Palestinian officer Rashid Abu Shbak &#8220;When Israel tells you about a  tunnel, what do you do?&#8221; Abu Shbak replied, &#8220;In the past there was a  good level of cooperation. But recently it is inadequate. Despite that,  we deal seriously with every information they give us.&#8221;</p>
<p>Overall, many documents among the Palestine Papers indicate a deep  &#8220;security&#8221; relationship &#8212; even codependency &#8212; between Israel, the  occupying power, and the Palestinian Authority, supposedly representing  the occupied. The &#8220;Quadripartite&#8221; forum sheds new light on the joint  effort to overthrow the Hamas-led national unity government.</p>
<p>Yet there also appear to be notable gaps in the Palestine Papers. Hamas  routed the US-backed PA forces in Gaza between 7-14 June 2007. The  minutes and documents immediately before, during and after that period  are curiously silent about the momentous events in Gaza. It is difficult  to believe that the Hamas takeover would not have been the primary  concern of all the actors so this absence suggests that whoever leaked  the documents to Al Jazeera has been careful to hold back some material.</p>
<p>There do not appear to be any other records of the Quadripartite Forum.  Is this because the meetings ceased or because no more minutes were  leaked? Is it because amid the disarray Dahlan and Abu Shbak fled from  Gaza to the West Bank and were discredited?</p>
<p>As revealing as the Palestine Papers are, clearly there is still much we  don&#8217;t know. But one thing is certain: the divide and rule tactics used  by outside powers, and the willingness of some Palestinians to go along  with them, have been debilitating to the Palestinian struggle for  freedom.</p>
<p><em>Ali Abunimah is co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, author of </em><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/store/548.shtml">One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse</a><em> and is a contributor to </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568586418/theelectronic-20">The Goldstone Report: The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict</a><em> (Nation Books). Ali Abunimah was been given special access to the Palestine Papers and has helped analyze them for Al Jazeera.</em></p>
<p><strong>Related Links</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/691.shtml">BY TOPIC: Leaked Palestine Papers reveal diplomatic secrets</a></li>
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