THE ASSASSINATION at dawn yesterday of the spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, by an Israeli missile has dashed any remaining hope of Middle East peace in the foreseeable future.
The roadmap has been rolled up and shelved by the government of Ariel Sharon, which has decided that the only way for Israel to defend itself is through a war of attrition that could continue for years to come.
The dawn attack by helicopter gunships was indicative of Israel’s new strategy. Sheikh Yassin was hit by a missile while leaving a mosque in his wheelchair with an entourage – seven people were killed and at least 15 were wounded.
It was as if Sharon, who congratulated his security forces for their successful operation, wanted to provoke the angriest reaction possible. Sheikh Yassin was by far the most senior militant leader killed in the last three years.
After news of the killing broke, crowds took to the streets of Gaza and protests spread to other parts of the Palestinian territories, with youths clashing with Israeli soldiers. Tens of thousands of angry Palestinians attended the paraplegic cleric’s funeral yesterday. In a statement, Hamas said that Sharon “had opened the gates of hell and nothing will stop us from cutting off his head”.
A senior Hamas official was quoted as saying, “the battle is open and war between us and them is open”.
The Israeli government, in anticipation of a violent response, has put the security forces on high alert and sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip, barring Palestinians from entering Israel. There was worldwide condemnation of the assassination, which, according to analysts, is part of Israel’s strategy of disengagement.
According to one analyst, the Israeli government did not want Palestinians to perceive the withdrawal of troops as a sign of weakness, with Hamas claiming victory. This had happened in 2000, when Israel pulled its occupation troops out of the Lebanon, and Sharon reportedly did not want a repeat, seeing Hamas presenting the withdrawal as victory.
That the attack could lead to an escalation of violence does not seem to be of great concern for the belligerent Sharon, who is braced for an ongoing war of attrition. He has vowed to continue the targeting of militant Palestinian leaders, irrespective of the consequences.
Israel’s prime minister will not discuss any kind of deal until he has crushed the three-year uprising and ensured to complete subjugation of the Palestinians. He never believed in the US brokered roadmap.
Unfortunately, President Bush’s preoccupation with Iraq and the war on terrorism has prevented the US from properly engaging in the Middle East peace process. In fact it seems that Sharon has been allowed to pursue his own objectives, which may explain why the violence has got out of hand.
