Swap deal reveals a glimmer of light in the Middle East

On Tuesday this week, the eyes of the world were on the start of a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinians, a development that brought an end to a five-year saga and offered a rare glimpse of cooperation between the two warring sides.
The deal involved the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for one Israeli soldier, Sergeant Gilad Shalit. As part of the deal, some of the released Palestinian prisoners will not actually be allowed to return home.
In spite of the lopsided nature of the arrangement, the occasion was a welcome one. Still, there are about 10,000 more Palestinian detainees currently in Israeli prisons.
Nevertheless, the prisoner swap has generated serious challenges for both sides, as well as giving the upcoming meeting of the “International Quartet” – made up of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States – added significance.
At the least, the deal has shown that the two sworn enemies are willing to talk to each other on an extremely sensitive issue. But then again, just about everything between Israel and Hamas – the Palestinian governing body that the Israeli government has categorised as a terrorist organisation – is sensitive.
With the added significance of the event, let’s hope that the role of the Quartet can go beyond simply issuing hopeful statements. Without real teeth or the ability to pressure both sides to come to terms with whatever concessions are on the table, the Quartet will just be just another international photo opportunity.
Another challenge for the Palestinian side is the ability of Hamas and its rival Fatah to present themselves in a unified position. Officially, the two sides are supposed to have been reconciled. But this can only be translated into something more meaningful where it really counts – at the negotiating table with the Israelis. To do that, Hamas would have to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
The bitter rivalry in the Palestinian camp has created a dumbbell effect for Palestine, with Fatah controlling the West Bank and Hamas governing Gaza.
Strange as it may seem, in spite of all the tension and pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown that he would rather negotiate with arch enemy Hamas than with the moderate Palestinian Authority (PA), which accepts Israel’s right to exist.
But if he can make this kind of concession with Hamas, certainly he can do the same with Fatah. He has succeeded in surviving the grilling of his coalition partners, who are said to be somewhat uncompromising when it comes to the issue of making concessions to the Palestinians. Perhaps this aspect has been overplayed; perhaps it is just an excuse for Netanyahu not to make any further meaningful offers, like stopping construction of new Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian land.
If Netanyahu has the courage to face the family members of Israelis killed by the people he has just freed, certainly he can display the same kind of courage with the settlers. Freezing Israeli settlements in the occupied territories will be good for Israel’s security and good for peace. This is not rocket science.
In the aftermath of the prisoner swap deal, Israel needs to rethink its relations with Hamas. The blockade on Gaza, which has generated significant problems and embarrassment for Israel, was in some way dictated by Gilad Shalit’s abduction.
Shalit was a 19-year-old corporal when he was captured in June 2006 by Hamas and other groups based in Gaza. Israel retaliated by launching a massive five-month-long military operation against Gaza that left more than 400 Palestinians dead.