It is saddening and ironic that Western countries, who often claim to be the champions of democracy, have been all out to oust a democratically elected government just because they do not agree with its political platforms.
This is what has happened to Palestine's Hamas, which won the parliamentary election last year, although it is partly responsible itself for the ongoing misery.
Shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas-led cabinet, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, and set up his own cabinet on Sunday, Western countries and Israel pledged to resume financial aid and return Palestinian tax money in Israel's coffers.
The European Union announced Monday its plan to resume direct aid payments to the newly appointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's cabinet. The Bush administration intends to resume direct assistance to Abbas' secular government this week.
Meanwhile, Ehud Olmert, Israeli PM, said he would send back Palestine's frozen tax revenues. The West embargoed Hamas' government because it refused to recognize Israel and to stop using violence in its struggle to bring independence to Palestine.
Millions of Palestinians will suffer more after the open war between the Hamas militias and Abbas' Fatah militias. Hamas now controls the Gaza Strip, while Fatah controls the West Bank. Israel and its supporters will isolate Gaza to put pressure on Hamas.
Israel takes the greatest advantage from the Palestinian civil war at the minimum cost. And in short term, Western countries will feel relieved because Hamas, which they have branded a terrorist organization, has lost government control. Those countries who preach the Vox Populi Vox Dei (""the people's voice is the voice of God"") credo have also supported Abbas' undemocratic methods in alienating his political foe.
But as the U.S.-led war on terror has resulted in the rise of more fertile breeding grounds for terrorists, the efforts to eliminate Hamas' politically and economically will backfire. Global terrorism is likely to loom large because of the West's determination to protect its interests at all costs, at the expense of the Palestinians.
Hamas itself has taken confrontational approaches against Israel. Its persistent refusal to recognize Israel's existence is not only unacceptable but also unrealistic, because an independent Palestine can not deny the geographical fact that Israel is a close neighbor and no one can change the map.
The ongoing war between Hamas and Fatah will only create more disasters for the people because their leaders will use the resources they have to fight each other.
It is very true that Israel and its supporters will use all necessary means to weaken Hamas and Fatah. But it is just natural. Therefore it is the Palestinian leaders themselves who should take the blame for this war, not their common enemies.
What can the international community, including predominantly Muslim nations, do to end this civil war? To be frank this is a very complicated issue, as evident in the failure of several Arab initiatives to bring lasting peace between Hamas and Fatah. It is unlikely that the two warring groups will make peace with strong international assistance and cooperation.
The Palestinian leaders need to remember that the world will question their pledge to lead their people to an independent Palestine if at the same time they are not even able to overcome disputes among themselves.
Western countries may feel relieved because they can easily achieve their intention to weaken Hamas. But what they claim as a success may backfire on them because more terrors will approach their front doors.
