Why Palestinians are voting for Hamas
Another man in the store chimes in that "even Christians are voting for Hamas. People are saying, 'Things can't be any worse.' They hear the international community saying that 'if you elect Hamas, we'll cut off aid.' But it's the PA that was misusing the world aid. Why does the world insist that Mafia rule is the only leadership the Palestinians can have?
"Abbas promised to end anarchy and lawlessness," this man continues. "He won an election on that basis. But he didn't use the mandate. He tried to appease. And now he's paying ransoms to kidnappers, and people know that if you want to get a job you storm the Bethlehem municipal building."
How well does this man think Hamas will do in the parliamentary vote?
"Well, that depends," he says sardonically. "Remember that the PA security personnel are to vote two days before the rest of us, behind closed doors."
US to cut funding if Hamas elected
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar announced that his movement would not abandon the armed struggle against Israel or negotiate with any Israeli after, when and if, it wins the elections. He disclosed that a Hamas-controlled cabinet would incorporate Palestinian Authority policemen into armed groups that are fighting against Israel.
U.S. sources: If Hamas in PA gov't, aid could be cut
U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority would be reviewed and possibly reduced if it gave Hamas a role in government after this month's Palestinian election, U.S. diplomatic sources said on Friday.
The warning came as top Bush administration officials stepped up pressure on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to disarm the Islamic militant group which the United States classifies as a terrorist organisation.
The ethos of national security
AGAINST THIS backdrop of Israeli societal self-obsession, the elections to the Palestinian legislative council are scheduled to take place in 12 days. Most of the news coverage and commentary regarding these elections has focused on short-term issues: Will Hamas emerge victorious in the elections? Will Arab residents of Jerusalem be allowed to vote? Although these are interesting issues, they miss the larger reality.
That reality is that regardless of what happens in the elections, and regardless of whether Israel and the Palestinians ever renew negotiations, the contours of the Palestinian state are well known and have been known since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. The anarchy, terror, corruption, poverty and ideological commitment to the destruction of Israel that have been the consistent characteristics of the Palestinian Authority since its inception provide us with a precise description of what the realization of the vision for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict with Israel entails.
Regardless of who emerges victorious in the coming elections (if they actually take place), it is absolutely certain that the Palestinian leadership will be comprised of terrorists, terror sympathizers and terrorist organizations - because these are the only people and parties who are running. The Palestinians themselves explain that in everything relating to the desire to destroy Israel (or what the media and the international diplomatic corps refer to as the parties' "diplomatic platforms"), they see no difference between Hamas and Fatah. For Palestinian voters, the principal difference between the two movements is that Fatah is viewed as corrupt and Hamas is viewed as honest. This stark distinction has prompted even Christians to support Hamas.
PA leader Qadura Faras talks peace to Israelis and terror to Palestinians
Palestinian Media Watch has for years documented the duplicity of the Palestinian Authority leadership, which sends a peaceful message to the world media and hate and terror message to its own people in Arabic.
A new example was documented this week, involving Palestinian Legislative Council member Qadura Faras. Faras has been a prominent supporter of the "Geneva Initiative," an unofficial peace proposal drafted in 2003 by a group of leftist Israelis led by Yossi Beilin and Palestinians, and appears on the Geneva Initiative website, conveying a message of peace to Israelis.
However, when Faras recently addressed Palestinians, he used his speech to honor and praise a terrorist who murdered 10 Israelis. He further spoke in memory of one he called a "Shahid" [martyr for Allah], a term that places blame for his death on Israel - even though he had died of cancer in an Israeli prison. Finally, he pledged to continue in the path of these terrorists. This is a totally different Qadura Faras than the one promoting peace on the "Geneva Initiative" web site.
Technorati Tags: Israel, Palestinian Authority, Hamasl.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
Headlines from israel 01/16/2006
The following six items are taken from today's JCPA's daily alert:
Bad elections are better than none
One way or another, Hamas representatives and supporters could win half of the seats in the new parliament. The self-confidence of the organization's leadership is evident in their electioneering. One sign of this is that their spokesmen continue to take a very hard line, without even a hint of compromise. Not only is there no willingness on their part to recognize the 1967 borders (not even the temporary recognition that Sheikh Ahmed Yassin hinted at on a number of occasions), but they explicitly state that they will not negotiate with Israel. In light of this, the argument within Israel over whether to hold talks with Hamas is totally superfluous.
Why Palestinians are voting for Hamas
Another man in the store chimes in that "even Christians are voting for Hamas. People are saying, 'Things can't be any worse.' They hear the international community saying that 'if you elect Hamas, we'll cut off aid.' But it's the PA that was misusing the world aid. Why does the world insist that Mafia rule is the only leadership the Palestinians can have?
"Abbas promised to end anarchy and lawlessness," this man continues. "He won an election on that basis. But he didn't use the mandate. He tried to appease. And now he's paying ransoms to kidnappers, and people know that if you want to get a job you storm the Bethlehem municipal building."
How well does this man think Hamas will do in the parliamentary vote?
"Well, that depends," he says sardonically. "Remember that the PA security personnel are to vote two days before the rest of us, behind closed doors."
US to cut funding if Hamas elected
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar announced that his movement would not abandon the armed struggle against Israel or negotiate with any Israeli after, when and if, it wins the elections. He disclosed that a Hamas-controlled cabinet would incorporate Palestinian Authority policemen into armed groups that are fighting against Israel.
U.S. sources: If Hamas in PA gov't, aid could be cut
U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority would be reviewed and possibly reduced if it gave Hamas a role in government after this month's Palestinian election, U.S. diplomatic sources said on Friday.
The warning came as top Bush administration officials stepped up pressure on PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to disarm the Islamic militant group which the United States classifies as a terrorist organisation.
The ethos of national security
AGAINST THIS backdrop of Israeli societal self-obsession, the elections to the Palestinian legislative council are scheduled to take place in 12 days. Most of the news coverage and commentary regarding these elections has focused on short-term issues: Will Hamas emerge victorious in the elections? Will Arab residents of Jerusalem be allowed to vote? Although these are interesting issues, they miss the larger reality.
That reality is that regardless of what happens in the elections, and regardless of whether Israel and the Palestinians ever renew negotiations, the contours of the Palestinian state are well known and have been known since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. The anarchy, terror, corruption, poverty and ideological commitment to the destruction of Israel that have been the consistent characteristics of the Palestinian Authority since its inception provide us with a precise description of what the realization of the vision for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict with Israel entails.
Regardless of who emerges victorious in the coming elections (if they actually take place), it is absolutely certain that the Palestinian leadership will be comprised of terrorists, terror sympathizers and terrorist organizations - because these are the only people and parties who are running. The Palestinians themselves explain that in everything relating to the desire to destroy Israel (or what the media and the international diplomatic corps refer to as the parties' "diplomatic platforms"), they see no difference between Hamas and Fatah. For Palestinian voters, the principal difference between the two movements is that Fatah is viewed as corrupt and Hamas is viewed as honest. This stark distinction has prompted even Christians to support Hamas.
PA leader Qadura Faras talks peace to Israelis and terror to Palestinians
Palestinian Media Watch has for years documented the duplicity of the Palestinian Authority leadership, which sends a peaceful message to the world media and hate and terror message to its own people in Arabic.
A new example was documented this week, involving Palestinian Legislative Council member Qadura Faras. Faras has been a prominent supporter of the "Geneva Initiative," an unofficial peace proposal drafted in 2003 by a group of leftist Israelis led by Yossi Beilin and Palestinians, and appears on the Geneva Initiative website, conveying a message of peace to Israelis.
However, when Faras recently addressed Palestinians, he used his speech to honor and praise a terrorist who murdered 10 Israelis. He further spoke in memory of one he called a "Shahid" [martyr for Allah], a term that places blame for his death on Israel - even though he had died of cancer in an Israeli prison. Finally, he pledged to continue in the path of these terrorists. This is a totally different Qadura Faras than the one promoting peace on the "Geneva Initiative" web site.
Technorati Tags: Israel, Palestinian Authority, Hamasl.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
Posted by David Gerstman at January 16, 2006 10:16 AM