Once again, there are signs that the EU and the US are ready to ignore a terrorist organization’s outright admission that it will not stop terror until the state of Israel is destroyed. Once again, the world utterly ignores that terrorist organization’s leaders own words that explicitly state their goal is to destroy Israel. And once again, the EU and the US decide it’s okay to negotiate with these terrorists, because the Arab-Israeli conflict is what drives ALL the world’s problems. Just ask the Baker Commission. That’s right, every last damned one of them. Global warming, too, no doubt.
Hamas can direct an intifada even if it sits in power, Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal cautioned on Tuesday, adding that that the hudna (calm), like violence, was a Palestinian tactic in the conflict with Israel.
Even the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank will not move Hamas to recognize Israel, as Palestinian lands would still remain “occupied,” Mashaal told the Lebanese newspaper Al Safir.
According to Israel Radio, Mashaal reiterated threats that if the international community failed to set up a framework for a Palestinian state defined by the 1967 borders within six months and assure refugees’ right of return, the Palestinians would resume their course of “resistance” against Israel.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Mashaal’s words were backed up by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who asserted that in all the time he had served as prime minister, he had never taken steps against Palestinian armed groups or prevented them from carrying out operations.
Speaking at a rally the al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, Haniyeh said his government did not condemn resistance but embraced it.
He emphasized that the Palestinian people would not give up a “single grain of the land of Palestine, nor would it relinquish the right of return for Palestinian refugees.”
Haniyeh added that Syrian President Bashar Assad had promised him that all Palestinian security prisoners would be released from Israeli jails.
The reason they want to negotiate? Because of the “humanitarian crisis” going on in Gaza right now. What humanitarian crisis? Why, this one:
Palestinian Authority Planning Minister Samir Abu Aisheh of Hamas said the cash that was brought by Hamas officials was handed over to the PA Finance Ministry. He also revealed that the Hamas-led government has managed to pay 69% of the salaries to the PA’s 160,000 civil servants during the same period.
That’s right, they’re at near-capacity, and the EU is filling in the blanks, but there’s such a humanitarian crisis that the Gazans are perfectly able to smuggle tons of weapons and explosives from Egypt.
This is the most worrisome detail, though:
Meanwhile, sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at a secret location.
The sources told the Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency that Hamas representatives have also been holding secret talks with European government officials, including Britain and France.
If true, I want to know which Democrat is conducting foreign affairs with a terrorist group. I wonder how many different laws s/he broke while doing so?
According to the report, Hamas has succeeded in convincing European officials to accept the Islamist movement’s plan for a long-term hudna [truce] with Israel as a substitute for recognizing Israel’s right to exist.
The report quoted sources close to Hamas as saying that the Europeans have bought the idea of solving the Israeli-Arab conflict on the basis of a hudna rather than the principle of land for peace.
The sources claimed that many European governments have shown interest in “flexible” statements by some Hamas leaders lately, including remarks by Syria-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to the effect that his movement was prepared to offer Israel a hudna in return for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the entire West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.
And again, let me repeat from the quotes above:
Even the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank will not move Hamas to recognize Israel, as Palestinian lands would still remain “occupied,” Mashaal told the Lebanese newspaper Al Safir.
[…] Speaking at a rally the al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, Haniyeh said his government did not condemn resistance but embraced it.
He emphasized that the Palestinian people would not give up a “single grain of the land of Palestine, nor would it relinquish the right of return for Palestinian refugees.”
Haniyeh added that Syrian President Bashar Assad had promised him that all Palestinian security prisoners would be released from Israeli jails.
The Baker Study Group wants Israel to negotiate with the man who is supplying Hamas and Hezbullah with weapons to murder Israelis. The study group wants Israel to accept a “hudna.” The study group thinks that something has changed in the way that palestininians regard Israel.
It has not.
Unless you count their delusion that they can now win a war with Israel, and drive out the Jews.
War is coming. A big one, a bad one, an ugly one in which there will be many casualties on both sides. But it is not going to be a war the palestinians will win.
Not unless the world acts physically to restrain Israel from defending herself.
Which, unfortunately, is a distinct possibility.
I await the coming spring with extreme trepidation. Armies move in the spring. Watch the events of the winter carefully, because I think the spring of 2007 is going to be far bloodier than the spring of 2002, when Israel suffered as many as three suicide bombings in one day. This time, the terrorists have rockets. And Israel’s leaders don’t seem to have the will to stop it before it happens.
That, I think, may turn out to be the understatement of the century–for all of us.
Once a gain (boy, do I feel like a broken record) we see that Israel is on its own. The only thing that worries me is that Olemrt and friends are at the helm and they’re saying: “Oh my, look that wee bit of ice we’re headed for… it can’t possibly harm us, we are a ship that can’t be sunk. Onward full steam ahead! Weeeeee…”
Israel should show a bit of backbone. Do whatever it takes to make sure the world sees your point of view (where is that gun form the Hitchhiker’s Guide?). Stop being so apologetic and explain that Israel has the right to defend itself and that the only reason for the “occupation” is to minimize terror attacks. The only reason you don’t see suicide attacks is because the IDF is doing such a great job at stopping those insane radicals (unfortunately, statistics dictates that one or two will eventually get through). It is in the interest of the PLA to keep its people starving and poor and that is what IT is doing. PLA – Money for weapons and training YES, money for the betterment of the people NO. This is exactly what creates the hatred for Israel, that and infinite propaganda (aka: brain washing).
Well as they say in Israel – “Al tid-ag yihi-ye be-seder”
“I think the spring of 2007 is going to be far bloodier than the spring of 2002”
Here in Israel, the view is pretty gloomy. No one trusts the gov’t, everyone thinks there will be another, far nastier, war very soon (my money is on direct Syrian involvement), and no one thinks that the Lebanese gov’t will surviv long. People are getting their shelters ready, and the army is busy getting commissions to write reports on the last war.
I think Israel will survive, again, but more because of our enemies’ incompetence.
Here’s what I think is the most significant part:
“Elsewhere on Tuesday, Mashaal’s words were backed up by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who asserted that in all the time he had served as prime minister, he had never taken steps against Palestinian armed groups or prevented them from carrying out operations.”
How many, many times have we seen attacks carried out and disclaimed by the Palestinian authorities as “rogue elements” they can’t control? And how many times have the western governments and media echoed that line? We saw it just last week. “We support the cease fire but we can’t control everyone.”
Now the Palestinian PM admits quite openly tht the rogue elements aren’t rogue and in fact at best the PA doesn’t care to know about them and doesn’t care to stop them.
Meryl has a grim prediction for 2007 that may well come true. My prediction for right now is that this unequivocal statement will be totally ignored by the media and western governments.
Anyone want to bet against me?
Newsflash, michael: I am worried about IDF competence and ability at this point. I don’t have the inside view on what went wrong in Leb, but over the past few years the performance has not been impressive.
Hez by contrast looked relatively good, I mean competent. Granted that they are evil, the world somehow doesn’t see that anymore – they did capture/kidnap the soldiers and did manage to avoid having the IDF smash them to pieces, which is really good for a crappy little guerilla force. I hope the IDF will do better next time,
BUT HOPE IS NOT A PLAN.
It is not a dig, not an insult: the US armed forces have also had periods of decline. After Vietnam there was a lot of trouble, and a concerted effort was necessary to make a turnaround.
Obviously it is a big help having the Lord on your side, but nonetheless you may do better with the Lord plus military reform than with the Lord without reform. Unless you are thinking in terms of Gideon, He has historically voted for the heavier, better-trained, better-equipped, etc., battalions.
IIRC, He also required more of his leaders than Olmert has provided. I don’t see any more news, BTW – how is Sharon? Now there would be your miracle – for him to recover and take charge.