The ceasefire between Hamas and
Israel is now in effect. In Washington speak, the agreement is being
hailed as an important "first step" toward "de-escalating" tensions and
working toward a more "durable" solution for peace.
That more
durable solution has, so far, not included any specifics on how the
siege on Gaza might be lifted - only that the blockade is to be eased.
Still,
this agreement is significant. Not only does it hopefully bring an end
to the conflict of the past eight days, which resulted in the deaths of
more than 160 Palestinians and at least five Israelis, but it also
signals a new chapter of diplomacy in the region.
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| Clinton/foto:blogs.aljazeera.com |
The ceasefire
is, in essence, an agreement accepted by Israel and brokered by the US
with a largely untested Egyptian government on the issue of foreign
policy. This is a unique partnership in a post Arab Spring reality. The
efforts of Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian president, in bringing about this
agreement, have most certainly raised his standing as a partner and
ally for a nervous Washington.
Until now, it viewed the leader
with uncertainty. Much of Washington has wondered both aloud and in
private, following the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak and the
subsequent democratic elections which resulted in Morsi's presidency,
whether the US could continue to rely on Egypt as a partner.
Morsi's
diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire seem to have reaffirmed
Egypt's role as a key regional broker. That, in turn, renews the
opportunity for closer engagement with the Obama White House as it works
toward what it calls a "lasting" two-state solution where Israelis and
Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security.
This
ceasefire, however, is even more striking, given that the agreement,
brokered by the US, involved Hamas, a group the US has no direct
diplomatic relations with and has labeled a "terrorist" organisation.
Never mind the fact that Hamas, which controls Gaza, was democratically
elected in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
The US and
its international partners had tried to isolate Hamas, following those
elections, in an attempt to sideline the organisation. This new
agreement signals that the opposite now appears to have occurred. If
anything, the standing of Hamas has, at least for now, been lifted.
Announcing
the ceasefire agreement in Cairo with Mohammed Kamel Amr, Egypt’s
foreign minister, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “This is a
critical moment for the region.”
By all appearances, it is also a critical moment for the United States.
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