Abbas, fresh elections, and possible civil war.

Events in the Middle East are becoming so skewered that, whenever Blair and Bush call for something, it's a safe bet that whatever they are calling for is to be avoided at all costs.

This is certainly the case with their call that welcomes Abbas' demand for fresh election's in Palestine.

"This is the moment for the international community to come behind him, to help build his authority and his capability, to deliver improvements in the living standards of Palestinian people but also in the progress that we all want to see on resolving the Israel-Palestinian issue," Mr Blair said after talks with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak. "Hamas at the present time is not prepared to be constructive."

I don't know about you, but I believe that when elections are held that the people and parties elected are done so for a specified amount of time. Blair, Bush and Israel disagreed with the democratic choice made by the Palestinian people and have been punishing them ever since they made that decision through sanctions and the closure of the Karni crossing. Sanctions that have been an undisguised attempt to starve the Palestinians.

This was our way of making the Palestinians see the error of their democratic choice.

It is understandable, given the immense hardship visited upon the Occupied Territories since the election, that Abbas would seek to end this nightmare by insisting on fresh elections. However, in doing so, he is simply playing into the hands of the US/EU/Israeli enemies of democracy, and opening the door to possible civil war in Palestine.

The problem here is not Hamas, who were the elected representatives of the Palestinian people; the problem is the Israeli reaction to that Palestinian choice.

We either believe in democracy or we do not. Abbas, backed by Blair and Bush, is now attempting to make the Palestinian people choose again; in effect saying, reverse your choice or face more of the same. More sanctions, more closures of crossings, more hardships.

I am unsure of what power Abbas has to call for another election. His party was soundly defeated less than a year ago. When Blair says that "Hamas is not prepared to be constructive", he simply means that Hamas are not prepared to bow to Israeli demands, they are not willing to recognise the illegal Israeli settlements that Bush has declared as "facts on the ground".

Nor am I convinced that, were the Palestinian people to be given the choice again, that they would reverse the choice they have made. The one thing an occupied people are is deeply political. They knew fine well the choice they were making. And Abbas, by playing into the hands of the US/UK/Israeli camp is possibly making himself even less popular.

For he is saying that the Palestinians made a mistake, that they made "the wrong choice" and, it naturally follows, that all that has befallen them since they made that "error" is somehow their own fault.

Hamas have dismissed Abbas' call as a "coup attempt" and it's hard to fault their logic. They were elected. They are allowed to stay in office until 2010. Israel must deal with the government that represents the Palestinian people, not with a possible new government that they find agrees with their plans.

It is easy to understand Abbas' motives and his wish to have his defeat at the polls reversed.

However, Abbas is flirting with civil war here. Which is probably why Israel is backing him. They would much rather the Palestinians were fighting each other rather than themselves.

If Abbas were wise, he would be asking the Palestinians to unite against the unfairness of the sanctions currently being imposed on the Palestinian people; sanctions that are unjust and undemocratic.

Abbas is, instead, making the argument of Bush, Blair and Israel.

The Hamas government reacted angrily to Mr Abbas's speech, calling it "a coup against Palestinian legitimacy and the will of the Palestinian people".

Ahmed Yousef, an adviser to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, said the call for elections was a recipe for violence.

"I think this will lead to bloodshed because this is something against the constitution."

The Palestinian people made their choice. The argument now is whether that choice was legitimate.

I can see where he is coming from, but Abbas is a fool to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Palestinian people's choice.

It is not for the occupying power to tell an occupied people who should represent them.

As always in the Middle East, if Bush and Blair are for something, that's a good indication of why the rest of us should treat what they suggest with extreme caution.

tag: Bush, Blair, Israel, Palestine, Olmert, Quartet, Gaza, sanctions, civil war, Hamas