The Arab wave of discontent is sweeping the Middle East and did not miss the Palestinians, although the government is choosing stability over permitting democratic assembly, at least for now.
Earlier this week, both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas dispersed demonstrations in favor of Egyptian reforms. Mass demonstrations against Hamas are also expected on Friday, with Fatah welcoming this type of assembly because it is against the PA’s biggest rival. Both the PA and Hamas, though, are leveraging the same forces employed by protestors to organize — social media. Both governing bodies are using Facebook pages to attack their opposition.
Anti-democratic governance is nothing new for the Palestinians. Former PLO chief Yasser Arafat used extensive intimidation of the press and thwarted assemblies to maintain control of the population and ensure that criticism of his administration remained muted. The PA, under Mahmoud Abbas, has instilled a similar strategy, instituting a policy a few months ago to censor Friday sermons to suppress Hamas propaganda. Similarly, Hamas has murdered dissenters and forbids allowing free press.
The Palestinians have always struggled with democracy vs. stability, as is the case in Egypt today. Democratic reforms — such as free elections — could easily topple the government. For example, Hamas was democratically elected in 2006 and has refused to negotiate with Israel. Further, democratic activities — such as assemblies and free press — could fuel anger against the government and cause further upheaval and possible revolution. On the other hand, suppressing democratic activities restrains dissent and allows the government to continue functioning and possibly secure a peace deal with Israel, although that latter proposition is slim in the near-mid term.
The PA and Hamas have faced this dichotomy many times before. The only question is — will there be a difference this time, either through enabling of democratic activities by the governments or a successful effort by protesters to stand up to oppressive regimes?
