Today an event is happening that many around the world will never learn about. Yet it is an event that has the potential of literally changing the face of the Middle East. No, I am not talking about the continued vicious attacks and counter-attacks in Syria and whether President Bashir Assad will retain his power. No, it is not about the potential for a trial for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek. No, it is not about the escalating violence in Libya as Moammar Qaddafi clings to his power. This event is happening today in Cairo, Egypt. It is the signing of an agreement between the Palestinian Authority (Fatah- the party of Yasir Arafat) and Hamas.
A little background and history. In 2006, in elections held in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, (at the insistence of the American government, I might add) Hamas was clearly the winner. Because they have as one of their strong commitments the destruction of Israel, immediately the American government ruled the elections void. Hamas retreated to the Gaza Strip and there in 2007 forcefully took command of the Strip. Since 2007 the Gaza Strip has become a haven for terrorists, especially those against Israel.
One Israel support group, known as Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI), wrote, "Mahmoud Abbas, our supposed 'peace' partner, has now joined forces with Hamas, the acknowledged terrorist group. This is actually a declaration of war against the State of Israel since Hamas has never disguised its intentions of destroying Israel." Former President Jimmy Carter stated, as reported by his Carter Center, "Based on my years of contacts with Fatah and Hamas, I am confident that, if handled creatively and flexibly by the international community, Hamas' return to unified Palestinian governance can increase the likelihood of a two-state solution and a peaceful outcome." But, is that their intent? Absolutely not!
The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip is one of a handful of Arab countries that actually mourned the death of Osama bin Laden. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said, "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs."
Elections will be held next year in those areas controlled by the Palestinians. Let's just suppose that Hamas wins the majority of the vote - which, by the way, is probably what will happen, at least that is what many political scholars are thinking. Hamas wins. They begin to transport their brand of terrorism, sponsored by the Iranians, to the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). Now there will not any place within Israel that will escape the possibilities of a rocket attack.
How will Israel respond? Their very security is at stake. A pre-emptive strike against Ramallah and Gaza City might seem like logical options. Could it be the shot that ignites the Psalm 83 War? Quite possibly. At least it might coalesce the now hotly divided Arab world around the cry of the destruction of Israel.
Nightly News with Brian Williams and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will probably not feature a story on this historic meeting in Cairo today. And, tomorrow you will have to search into the bowels of your newspaper to find its story, if it is there at all. But, friends, this agreement has all the potential of changing the face of the Middle East.
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