GAZA GOVERNOR SLAMS HAMAS "CRIMES" AND PREDICTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001875 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2017 TAGS: PGOV KWBG EAID PTER IS SUBJECT: GAZA GOVERNOR SLAMS HAMAS "CRIMES" AND PREDICTS CONTINUING PROTESTS; CROSSINGS SHUTDOWN "DAMAGING BUT NECESSARY" REF: JERUSALEM 1849 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. In a September 4 meeting in Jerusalem, Gaza Governor Muhammad al-Qidwa said Hamas has stepped up harassment of Fatah and independent activists and journalists in Gaza. He called Hamas "more brutal than Israel was in 27 years of occupation" in arresting, beating and torturing protesters and banning public Friday prayer gatherings. He said Hamas is preparing to disrupt future opposition rallies forcefully, but anti-Hamas rallies will continue. He said he does not meet Hamas officials or accept Executive Force protection to avoid legitimizing Hamas. He said Gazans generally blame the PA and Israel more than Hamas for crossings closures and economic problems, but he understands the political necessity of closing the crossings until PA and business leaders can bring in economic inputs without Hamas benefiting. He said Hamas harasses journalists and press offices, causing a chilling effect and self-censorship. End summary. Popular Resistance as Hamas Tightens Grip, Using Force to Silence Opposition -------------- ¶2. (C) Gaza Governor Muhammad al-Qidwa told PolOff/EconChief September 4 that Hamas has stepped up harassment of Fatah and independent activists and journalists to consolidate its hold on Gaza. He said he left Gaza surreptitiously in an ambulance, as "Hamas knows governors are the last presidential officials in Gaza and has informants that watch our offices. They would have blocked me if they knew I would be visiting PA leaders in Ramallah." He called Hamas "more brutal than Israel was in 27 years of occupation" in arresting, beating and torturing protesters and banning public Friday prayer gatherings. He said Hamas is preparing to disrupt future opposition rallies forcefully. ¶3. (C) Al-Qidwa said he and other leaders have carefully organized anti-Hamas rallies as "popular" or "public" (not "Fatah") demonstrations to maximize support and avoid the perception that the demonstrations are Fatah-Hamas clashes. He predicted continuing protests against Hamas assembly and press restrictions despite Hamas threats and said Hamas' brutality and blunders have reversed Gazans' attitudes. Al-Qidwa said whereas most Gazans, including Fatah members, had stayed out of May-June clashes culminating in Hamas' takeover, now Fatah and other non-Hamas elements are energized and united by opposition to Hamas. "All of Fatah is paying the price for the weakness of Fatah leaders who left Gaza before fighting started to follow their own interests, but also for failing to mobilize against a common threat. This failure has produced a new unity." Hamas "Commits Crimes" Using "Order" as Justification -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Hamas' apparent establishment of order hides serious crimes against PA institutions and private citizens, al-Qidwa said. Alleging that many Executive Force members were drawn from the ranks of organized crime, he said they commit many crimes under cover of law, i.e., stealing cars and collecting bribes from companies transporting humanitarian goods through Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings. ¶5. (C) Al-Qidwa said Hamas' takeover was deliberate, with Hamas plainclothes agents surveilling the Presidential and security compounds and sifting through garbage bins to assemble shredded documents before the takeover. He said Hamas redoubled its harassment and collection efforts after its takeover, sending 40 Executive Force members to raid the Governorate offices where they detained employees for questioning and seized 50 boxes of PA archives and a CD with names of those receiving cash assistance from President Abbas' office. (Note: al-Qidwa said all important documents were already removed or destroyed, and the CD identified poor families who received charitable assistance from the President's office, not any information about the PA/security payroll. End note). Governor Refuses Dealings with Hamas or "Illegal Executive Force" -------------- ¶6. (C) Al-Qidwa said former Hamas PM Ismayil Haniyah had requested that they meet "on a personal basis," noting that al-Qidwa was Haniyah's professor, but he refused and will not JERUSALEM 00001875 002 OF 002 meet with or recognize Hamas officials. He said the Executive Force offered him a protective detail and that other governors have accepted such offers, but he refused, because it would legitimize "an illegal organization." He said it is critical for him to maintain his role and duties as the President's representative, or Gazans will accept Hamas as the legitimate authority. He said he continues to meet with clan and religious leaders and international organizations and Hamas competes by meeting with the same figure soon afterward. Gazans Blame PA, Israel for Suffering, But Closures Serve Political Purpose -------------- ¶7. (C) Acknowledging that most Gazans blame the PA and Israel more than Hamas for crossings closures and poverty, al-Qidwa said "as a businessman, I want the crossings open, but as a politician I understand why they must be closed." He said he remains in touch with Gaza's private sector and oversees a committee of business leaders to explore how to provide needed economic inputs without benefiting Hamas. "Importation of a single bag of cement would have a positive impact on 65 different professions," he said, noting he had met with PM Fayyad to discuss ways to build the private sector but avoid Hamas getting credit. Hamas "Walking All Over" Press Freedom -------------- ¶8. (C) Al-Qidwa said Hamas harasses journalists and press offices, including regional Arab press (al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya),which has had a chilling effect (Reftel). He said many journalists are afraid to cover opposition rallies and self-censor to avoid harassment. He said he received a threatening phone call after giving an interview critical of Hamas, but he is not intimidated and such tactics reflect badly on Hamas. WALLES