Thursday
Jan012009
Gaza: Hamas Strikes Back (Against the Palestinian Authority)
Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 18:06
Latest Update: Israeli Manoeuvres in Paris
Looks like we were on to something yesterday as we suggested that Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine (West Bank Branch) was walking a political tightrope when, 48 hours after he blamed Hamas for the bloodshed in Gaza, he turned around condemned the Israeli attacks as "barbaric".
Despite six days of bombing, despite targeted assassinations, Hamas has not been politically decimated. Indeed, it is feeling strong enough to fight back against Abbas' Palestinian Authority.
Hours after one of our readers noted, "Some in Hamas are saying that Fatah reaching out is a possible plot to reveal Hamas commanders’ locations," Griff Witte of The Washington Post wrote:
That, however, is only the tip of the political iceberg. Consider Witte's observation that "sympathy for Hamas appears to be rising" in the West Bank. Note his reference (which he doesn't fully appreciate when he says, "public reaction...to the Gaza strikes has been milder than many analysts predicted") to the following incident:
Hundreds of people rallied in Ramallah's central square, denouncing Israel and chanting slogans calling for Palestinian unity. But when a group of young Hamas supporters attempted to unfurl the movement's green-and-white banners, security forces loyal to Abbas quickly seized the men and hustled them away.
We may be witnessing political jujitsu here. One of the scenarios for those supporting the Israeli attack is that "moderate" Arab states (Saudi Arabia, Egypt) would back a bolstered Palestinian Authority, which has been propped up by millions in US security aid in recent months, as it reclaimed leadership in Gaza. If that didn't work, in the words of Palestinian analyst Khalil Shikaki, "Ultimately, Gaza would become Egypt's problem, not Israel's.The goal of a single Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank would be fully undermined."
(Ironically The Washington Post, even as it runs Witte's report, has become the pulpit for this political strategy, with former Israeli deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh calling on Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and even Syria to back an Israeli-imposed solution and political scientist/Bush loyalist Robert Lieber envisaging "a seriously weakened and politically damaged Hamas".)
All this becomes wishful thinking, however, if Hamas builds its domestic support not only in Gaza but in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority, to protect its own position, will have to pull back from its attempt to isolate its political rival, and Arab countries will be hesitant to press ahead in the face of local opposition (and, far from incidentally, demonstrations on their own streets). Indeed, there may already be signs that Islamic and Arab leaders are re-aligning their positions:
Looks like we were on to something yesterday as we suggested that Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine (West Bank Branch) was walking a political tightrope when, 48 hours after he blamed Hamas for the bloodshed in Gaza, he turned around condemned the Israeli attacks as "barbaric".
Despite six days of bombing, despite targeted assassinations, Hamas has not been politically decimated. Indeed, it is feeling strong enough to fight back against Abbas' Palestinian Authority.
Hours after one of our readers noted, "Some in Hamas are saying that Fatah reaching out is a possible plot to reveal Hamas commanders’ locations," Griff Witte of The Washington Post wrote:
Hamas shot back Wednesday, accusing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, from the rival Fatah party, of being an Israeli collaborator.
That, however, is only the tip of the political iceberg. Consider Witte's observation that "sympathy for Hamas appears to be rising" in the West Bank. Note his reference (which he doesn't fully appreciate when he says, "public reaction...to the Gaza strikes has been milder than many analysts predicted") to the following incident:
Hundreds of people rallied in Ramallah's central square, denouncing Israel and chanting slogans calling for Palestinian unity. But when a group of young Hamas supporters attempted to unfurl the movement's green-and-white banners, security forces loyal to Abbas quickly seized the men and hustled them away.
We may be witnessing political jujitsu here. One of the scenarios for those supporting the Israeli attack is that "moderate" Arab states (Saudi Arabia, Egypt) would back a bolstered Palestinian Authority, which has been propped up by millions in US security aid in recent months, as it reclaimed leadership in Gaza. If that didn't work, in the words of Palestinian analyst Khalil Shikaki, "Ultimately, Gaza would become Egypt's problem, not Israel's.The goal of a single Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank would be fully undermined."
(Ironically The Washington Post, even as it runs Witte's report, has become the pulpit for this political strategy, with former Israeli deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh calling on Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and even Syria to back an Israeli-imposed solution and political scientist/Bush loyalist Robert Lieber envisaging "a seriously weakened and politically damaged Hamas".)
All this becomes wishful thinking, however, if Hamas builds its domestic support not only in Gaza but in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority, to protect its own position, will have to pull back from its attempt to isolate its political rival, and Arab countries will be hesitant to press ahead in the face of local opposition (and, far from incidentally, demonstrations on their own streets). Indeed, there may already be signs that Islamic and Arab leaders are re-aligning their positions:
As diplomats struggled to keep up with events on the ground, the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flew to Syria for talks with President Bashar al-Assad.
Erdogan denied planning to meet Khaled Mashal, the exiled Hamas leader, before flying to Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Reader Comments (8)
We need to get a few things straight in our thinking. To begin with, anyone who has not studied Islam is ill-equipped to form opinions about any news events that involve Muslims, whether nations or individuals.
The fact that a "road map" and a "two state solution" are still being considered in diplomatic circles speaks very clearly to us.
It means that oil is the major reason the global community doesn't want to get on the wrong side of Muslims - because they sit on most of it. Thus, it remains politically correct to maintain that Islam is "a great global faith of peace and tolerance."
Since the bulk of the world's population is utterly ignorant of what Islam truly is, they accept that maxim without question. Even though Islam is the precise opposite of what the maxim says it is.
ALL Muslims hate ALL infidels, Jews more than most, and ALL know that Allah would prefer them dead, preferably at the hands of "good Muslims." It's no state secret; the Quran says so clearly. But most people will never bother doing their homework, and Muslims are aware of that. They use this to their advantage - like protesting the claim that Islam "converts by the sword." Of course they do - and always have, since the day Muhammad converted his first Muslim by the sword. So why the protests? Propaganda: To maintain the fallacy that Islam is peaceful, in spite of daily proof that it isn't. These protesters even killed people over the issue - killing to prove you're peaceful doesn't strike me as logical - yet the West snarfed it up, and the poor Pope had to retract and apologize for merely saying the truth. It's the oil, stupid.
Israel is intimately familiar with Islam - they have to be. No matter what they do, no matter how much help and humanitarian aid they offer to Gazans, the Gazans will keep attacking them and hating them. In effect, the Gazans are saying, "Feed us, so we can continue spending our time trying to kill you."
Does any of this make sense?
Those rockets may not kill many people at all, but they are INTENDED to do so. ANY attack across a national border with a lethal weapon is an act - and a declaration - of WAR. Whether it kills dozens or puts a crater in a field of celery. And war declared against you doesn't require you to use slingshots, just because that's all the attackers have. It's WAR. Hamas is waging it, and Hamas is the target of the response. Gazans are NOT the underdogs here, despite their putrid armaments. They are aggressors and bullies, and know how to get US to sympathize with them, despite their genocidal intentions toward Israel. And we're stupid enough to fall for it. It's the oil, stupid. But also widespread anti-Semitism.
Israel has every right to attack; what's surprising is that they haven't launched a full-scale war much sooner than this. Could you see ANY other country tolerating from a neighbor the things Gaza has been doing?
Jews didn't steal the land they live on; it was GIVEN to them by the whole WORLD after WWII. They have no other place to go. There's so much lethal hatred of Jews that anywhere else would give rise to another Holocaust. The world leaders knew it after WWII, and still do.
There can be no peace between Israel and any land populated by Muslims. It's against the Muslims' religion to even consider it. Their true goal is the total annihilation of Israel and the genocide of all Jews - then on to the rest of us infidels. The prime directive of Islam - right in the Quran - is to have Islam take over the whole world - and they're actively trying. Muslims have been taking over one small country after another - preparation to go after the bigger ones. All this which we, in spite of the Islamic violence all over the planet - remain in denial of the truth. "It's the oil, stupid."
I think we should all just say, "screw the oil," and begin dealing with the threat to all of humanity that uses the name, "Islam." The survival of humanity - and of civilization itself - is much more important than having enough gas and oil.
There IS no solution to the threat of Islam that doesn't involve inhumane things. Genocide is out - unthinkable. But waging wars, and continuing to live cheek-to-jowl with Muslims in our own countries, only means the same violence will keep erupting.
There is only one solution that both protects us from them, and which is maximally humane for them: quarantine. They can't be happy in our lands, anyway, since everything about our cultures is alien and loathsome to them. So they should go to the Islamic state of their choice, where they can be happy campers. Then slam the door shut - for good.
It's a whole LOT more than just Israel. The Israel/"Palestinian" conflict is only the present battle ground, and the tip of the iceberg. Muslims want the whole world, and won't quit till they get it. By any means whatever, including genocide. And they MEAN BUSINESS. It's time we did, too.
GO AND DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK on Islam. Read THEIR scriptures, Quran and Hadith, cover-to-cover (easy, free downloads), and study Islamic prosyletizing sites to learn of the genocidal blood-feud between Sunni and Shi'ite. Learn, and know, from the Muslims themselves. Only then can you have a realistic opinion. It'll stand your hair on end. I've studied Islam since 1994. It's time you did.
Even if you are anti-Semitic, Islam poses a far greater threat than the Jews could possibly be. Haven't you already seen, time and again, the methods that Muslims use to gain their ends? Do you see Jews - or anyone else - staging suicide-bomber attacks against innocent people? Taking over whole nations, with bestial methods? Think, people.
BTW, there IS no such thing as a Moderate Muslim; you're either not moderate or not a Muslim. The Quran allows for no middle ground. Please also note that none of the Islamic states is lifting a finger to stop the genocide in Sudan - it means genocide is fine as paint, as long as Muslims are doing it.
This is very well put. I'm an Israeli and we have seen a series of Israeli governments attempt to combat terror when guided by US/European strategy. All attempts have failed.
There are several reasons why Israel is losing the war on terror. I will explain why.
Recently, Yossi Beilin - one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, and one of the leaders of the left-wing Meretz party, has announced his resignation from public life. That says something - Oslo is unversally declared by both Palestinians and Israelis (across the political spectrum) to be a collosal failure that resulted in loss of thousands of Jewish and Arab lives.
In the wake of the Barack Obama's election to US President, it seems like a good time to examine the root causes of the failure of the international community to combat Palestinian terror.
Max Abrahams writes in his article What Terrorists Want that "the international community cannot expect to make terrism unprofitable and thus scarce without knowing the incentive structure of its practioners".
Over the past 30 years, Israeli governments have employed a variety of strategies to battle terror:
a strict no concessions policy (during the 60s and 70s), promoting democracy (the Oslo agreement that created the PA and resulted in several elections for Palestinian self-determinination)
and land-for-peace appeasement (the disengagement from Gush Katif).
None of the strategies have succeeded and if anything have resulted in more attacks on Israeli citizens,
more Palestinian fatalities and economic hardship and higher costs for Israel with building of the security fence that carries a steep economic and domestic and international political cost.
The dominant assumption by Israeli governments (and prevailing model in academic terror studies) is
that terrorists attack civilians in order to achieve their political objectivess. According to this model - terrorists act rationally to maximize their political benefit, choosing terror when the expected political gain less the estimated cost is greater than expected benefit of the alternatives.
However - Hamas and it's competing terror organization Fatah both act irrationally - preferring continued violence to peace.
More importantly - Israel and the West are acting irrationally in the war against Islamic terror, consistently taking steps that never work.
The reason for this is fairly simple. Israel, Europe and the US consider this a political conflict with political solutions - in fact this is a religious conflict with military and religious solutions.
Islam values land and does not value human life. Islam's strategic objective is to convert all non-Muslims to Islam by the sword.
Israel values life and is willing to compromise on land. Judaism's strategic objective is to bring light to the world.
The religious part of the solution is for Jews all over the world and in Israel to strengthen their belief in God, perform mitzvot, learn Torah and bring light to non-Jews by example. The military part of the solution must be a total position of zero tolerance to Arab violence - one rocket fired against Israel - decimation of an entire city. I am sorry that it must be this way - but the path of combining a strong belief in God and the Bible with a strong hand against terror is the only way to win a religious conflict
To H.B. :
‘It means that oil is the major reason the global community doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Muslims - because they sit on most of it. Thus, it remains politically correct to maintain that Islam is “a great global faith of peace and tolerance.”’
This implies as if the Western nations as a block feel themseves bound to take a “sweet” position towards the Muslims as a whole just because of the importance of oil. I do not agree with this. In fact, the only two motivations behind this are the facts that the number of Muslims are over one billion and there are millions of Muslims in the West, especially 20 million in the EU. The main reason is not oil. Indeed, oil does not render Arabs an advantaged position; because it is the only thing they can export, it is absolutely against their interest as we witnessed this in 1973 OPEC crisis. It was the Arabs who were in great loss; not the West.
‘ALL Muslims hate ALL infidels, Jews more than most, and ALL know that Allah would prefer them dead, preferably at the hands of “good Muslims.” It’s no state secret; the Quran says so clearly.’
So, can you please give me the source that Allah hates all Jews and wants all to be dead? Then it will be beneficial to correct my ignorance as I have never seen that Allah explains Its hatred for all Jews as a broad and common statement…
‘These protesters even killed people over the issue - killing to prove you’re peaceful doesn’t strike me as logical’
How can you label these protester “Muslims” as Muslims who do obey the rules of Allah in Quran even when I do not count them as Muslims? Do you also take the members of al-Qaeda as Muslims into consideration as Muslims? The claim to be a Muslim is enough to be considered as a Muslim even though that person does not fullfil the criteria of being a Muslim? We should be aware of the difference between the text itself and the practices alleged to be consistent with.
‘Hamas is waging it, and Hamas is the target of the response. Gazans are NOT the underdogs here, despite their putrid armaments. They are aggressors and bullies, and know how to get US to sympathize with them, despite their genocidal intentions toward Israel. And we’re stupid enough to fall for it.’
No, it is not a war. War is something that comes to fruition among states. What are the necessities to become a state? Land, population, government and legitimacy from others. The last one is deficient and there is not an internationally recognized state in Gaza. It is now a terrorist organization and it is terrorizing Israelis, Palestinians and others; not waging war…
Do they really know how to gain the sympathy of the US? Really? Even when US labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization in November 2002 and has ignored the rights of Palestinians seven times including the most recent veto in the Security Council to call for an halt for the Israeli operation since 2004? Oil is not in Palestine… Even if there were, no worries, there would not be Palestinians in that area…
Gazans are not the underdogs? Well, if you have nothing to worry about hundreds of dead innocents including children and women – does not matter from which ethnicity they are – I have nothing to say…
‘Jews didn’t steal the land they live on; it was GIVEN to them by the whole WORLD after WWII.’
Did the British Empire (NOT THE WHOLE WORLD) ask the Palestinians about this decision? Or is it the whole world in Iraq and Afghanistan now? Anyway, I am not questioning the history anymore; otherwise there is no way for a possible peace.
‘There can be no peace between Israel and any land populated by Muslims. It’s against the Muslims’ religion to even consider it. Their true goal is the total annihilation of Israel and the genocide of all Jews’
Oh really? Whose fatwa is that? Lol.
‘There is only one solution that both protects us from them, and which is maximally humane for them: quarantine. They can’t be happy in our lands, anyway, since everything about our cultures is alien and loathsome to them. So they should go to the Islamic state of their choice, where they can be happy campers. Then slam the door shut - for good.’
Are you really thinking in this way? I am not into waging a war for an Islamic state that you make up in your mind in parallel with the ones you consider as Muslims but what is this hatred for everyone who consider themselves as Muslims? What is the difference between you and Taliban? Seriously, I am shocked…
‘BTW, there IS no such thing as a Moderate Muslim; you’re either not moderate or not a Muslim.’
Yes, you are right. I am a Muslim and you will see that blood-thirsty murderers can not be Muslims if you do your homework properly…
To Danny,
I think answer to H.B. is also appropriate for your thougts as well. I see that you are also eager to label all Muslims ans Islam as a whole "terrorist." It is seen clearly in your words: 'Islamic terrorism.' It should be "Islamist terrorism" if you get what I mean.
"Islam values land and does not value human life. Islam’s strategic objective is to convert all non-Muslims to Islam by the sword. Israel values life and is willing to compromise on land. Judaism’s strategic objective is to bring light to the world."
Well, may I ask for the source of your statements from the original text of Islam - Quran? Let me put it in this way... If educated, well-rounded, Western people like you start thinking too subjectively, politically irresponsible, intellectually selfish and do not embrace other HUMANS, what kind of a peaceful movement can we expect from others? If we are unable to have a vision to differentiate between what text says and what people do in practice and attribute these ignorant terrorists' discourses and actions to Islam itself and facilitate the mutual labeling of othering process consciously, then it seems that we need thousands of years to understand what peace means...
Addeinius
The source for what I say is based on empirical data from the field.
The empirical data from the last 20 years in Israel shows that Muslim (not Christian) Palestinians prefer to kill civilians (mostly Jewish but often members of competing Arab terror organizations) in the name of and conquering and ruling the land of Israel. Islam is about conquering the world - I suggest reading about the 100 years of massive conquest in Syria, Armenia, Egypt and North Africa after the death of Muhammed - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_conquests.
The empirical data from the same period shows that the Jews are willing to compromise on land and will do anything to preserve human life.
The empirical data shows that the Oslo Accords have enabled the Fatah leadership to line their own pockets with billions in foreign aid while suppressing their own people. While benefiting a small elite, the conditions of most Palestinians has substantially worsened after Oslo - the opportunity for an independent and free, democratic Palestinian state has been consistently rejected by the Palestinian leadership - both in Fatah and Hamas factions - in favor of personal gain and attacks on civilians
THIS is what is happening in practice, not in text
Danny Lieberman
Danny- firstly I've removed the link your site as I don't think this blog is really the place for you to advertise it.
Secondly, how do things like the British Empire, or Nazi and Communist expansion in the 20th century, compare with the 'Muslim conquests' of the first Millennium? Are they not the same?
Mike
That's an interesting question. I am not a historian and therefore not qualified to provide a comparison between the different empires. But - a few things stand out - suggesting that they are totally different phenomena:
1) The Islamic Empire conquered during 7 and 8th century was built on mass conversion of the civilian populations to Islam. Nonetheless - there was freedom of speech and ideas - Maimonides lived in Egypt under Islam rule and wrote almost all of his monumental works in Arabic.
2) The Nazi regime was based on a central idea of a superior Aryan race and genocide of impure races - leading to the deaths of 6 million Jews. Free speech was not one of the Nazi values, there is evidence of a significant Nazi influence on 20th century Islamic leadership - like Haj Amin Husseini. I believe a book has recently been published in Germany that talks about the influence of the Nazis on modern Islamic terror. Can't remember the name
It seems to me that modern Islamic terrorists like the Hamas and Fatah have more in common with 20th Fascists like Hitler then with 7th century philosophers like Averroes. Fascism in the 21st century is evolving and mutating in ways that Hitler and Mussolini could never have imagined.
I stand by my position in my original comment that we are in the midst of a religious war that demands religious solutions. This is a difficult pill to swallow for many people but intuitively clear to the families of victims of Islamic suicide bombers.
Danny Lieberman
PS - Fair enough about the web site - it was supposed to be a link to my blog - http://www.software.co.il/wordpress/
(edited by moderator)
Israel is doomed if it cannot learn how to successfully occupy land. Take a lesson from the colonization of America. You have to pacify and, if necessary, remove the existing inhabitants....