There was an obnoxious pop song in the 1960s by Herman’s Hermits, a group that pretty much deserved to fade into obscurity. The song, which I sang as a child, was, “I’m Henry VII I am.” It’s the same verse, repeated, and the intro to the second verse actually says “Second verse, same as the first.”
You could easily apply it to Hamas, the PLO, Fatah, and any other palestinian terrorist organization. They’re simply repeating the same things, over and over again, and yet, the world still insists that they are “moderating.”
You mean like this?
Haniyeh chose his words carefully, both in the political aspect and the religious one. Haniyeh told Khamenei that he would “continue in the path of Imam Khumaini, you have always supported the Palestinian people and I hope to meet you at al-Aqsa mosque in the near future.”
Haniyeh continued to say that “the generation that is fighting the Zionists today and that started the first and second intifadas is a young, highly motivated generation. This is the generation that will free Palestine.”
The Palestinian PM emphasized that the current Palestinian government would never recognize the Zionist regime.
According to Haniyeh, the armed struggle against Israel is part of Hamas and the Palestinian people’s strategy: “The resistance is the only way to free Palestine. All the Palestinians chose this way as serious, and not tactical.”
Simply put, it’s recycling exactly what Haniyeh told a cheering crowd in Tehran two days before. (You see, Anonymous, I told you he hadn’t changed his stance in the least.)
Hamas will never moderate. The palestinians elected Hamas. The palestinians don’t want peace. That logic is not far-fetched.
Hanas wants one thing-the destruction of Israel! They do not want a dialogue or a peace !
All the pali terror groups (including any PA in the past and foreseeable future) call for the destruction of Israel. Well, what can you do? – old habits die hard.
It’s just a shame the world chooses to ignore these things. Heck, if Olmert and pals ignore it, why should I complain about the world?
When the Nazi Party was elected to power in Germany, it too was taken as a sign that they were moderating their stance. In hindsight, it should have been realized that it was not a sign of the Nazis taking a more moderate stance, but of the German people taking a more extreme one.
There is no excuse for pretending the election of Hamas indicates they are taking a more moderate stance. Anyone who does so is either a fool, or a collaborating Jew-hater.
The article Meryl links to is pretty damning, but on the other hand you’ve got a senior Hamas leader talking about a 10-year truce in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the Green Line (and, though the article doesn’t mention it, full right-of-return): http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1164881867574&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
These terms are obviously unacceptable to Israel, but so far as I know, Hamas didn’t even broach the possibility of a truce before 2004. That’s what I personally meant when I wrote that Hamas had moderated its stance. But if in January 2006 some editorialist had written that Hamas would moderate its stance to the point where they would recognize Israel and embrace nonviolent resistance, then I would agree with Meryl that the writer was a moron.
Anonymous, that’s what I mean. There is no change in Hamas’ stance. “Full right-of-return” means flooding Israel with the remaining original refugees, their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, anyone who has married into their families, etc., etc. Go see what’s considered “refugee” status on the UN site. They consider fourth-generation American citizens to be palestinian refugees with the “right of return.”
Destroying Israel by warfare, or destroying it by demographics, is still the destruction of Israel.
See also “hudna: Muhammed & the Jews” for further reference. It is a time to rearm, only. Ten years down the line, Hamas would attack in greater strength. Their model is the Koran, which they state explicitly in their charter. Also, take a gander at their charter. Their stance will not change, only the methods of deception they use on people willing to believe they are changing.
Sorry, but you’re one of them.