Despite the historic responsibility of
successive British governments for what has
befallen our people, from the Balfour
declaration to the catastrophe of
dispossession, Palestinians had hoped that
the new generation of British politicians
might break with the past and stand for
truth and justice in the Middle East.
Regrettably, however, the last decade has
witnessed the most unfair and one-sided
British policy towards the region since the
creation of the state of Israel in our
homeland close to 60 years ago. The problem
has been the unquestioning attachment of
Tony Blair's government to the Clinton and
then Bush administrations, which have seen
the Middle East through Israeli eyes only.
Despite Israeli war crimes against our
people and assassinations of our leaders,
the Palestinians introduced to the region
one of the most transparent democratic
experiences ever. The response of the
British government has been to back the US
and Israel in imposing boycotts and
sanctions, in a blatant act of collective
punishment. Since the legislative elections
in January 2006, the Palestinian people have
endured an effective state of siege and
economic and diplomatic boycotts, and the
Israeli military machine has been given free
rein. During July and August, Israeli
occupation troops killed 251 Palestinians,
about half of them civilians - without a
word of criticism from the British
government.
Mr
Blair plans to visit our country this
weekend. Is this a public relations exercise
as he enters his last days of premiership,
or is he bringing some new initiative to
break the deadlock created by his and his
friend's policies? It might have been an
opportunity for me, as the elected
Palestinian prime minister, to have
one-to-one discussions with him, but that is
not possible, since his government has
decided not to recognise mine. Not only
that, his government decided to punish my
people as well, for electing me and my
fellow MPs, many of whom have been in
Israeli detention since they were kidnapped
from their homes and offices. The arrest of
these ministers and MPs - five ministers, 33
MPs, including my deputy and the speaker of
the legislative council - is a violation of
the most fundamental principles of
democracy, but this appears to be immaterial
to Mr Blair. For him, three captured Israeli
soldiers are far more important than 10,000
Palestinian detainees.
Here
in Palestine we wonder what the British
public thinks of the Blair government
conduct that has brought about untold hurt
to the Palestinian people. We know why our
people are being collectively punished. It
is because we refuse to give up our right to
freedom and independence.
At the
heart of our region's problems is the
Israeli occupation, which has brought about
endless suffering and disasters. If you wish
to do the right thing, Mr Blair, then work
for the end of occupation without further
delay. Our message to Labour party delegates
as they assemble this month is not to allow
those who stand with our oppressors to
divert you from your values and historic
association with freedom movements around
the world.
We
receive signals here that the British public
is unhappy about what Blair's government has
been doing to our people. We know for sure
that the majority of the British people did
not approve of the invasion of Iraq. We
greatly commend them for such a stance and
thank them for sympathising with us in our
plight. It is only through justice that
peace will prevail in our region and
Muslims, Christians and Jews once again live
in harmony.
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*Ismail Haniyeh is the Palestinian
prime minister and a Hamas leader
