Hamas: Recognizing Israel is a Red Line

From JNEREBEL over at Daily Kos 

RE-PRINTED WITH AUTHORS PERMISSION

Note: Over at Daily Kos, the admins. have decided to attempt to create a "Fact Free Zone" around the discussion of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Only a few of the original Progressive / Liberal Zionists are left in the face of increasing administratively sanctioned anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist attacks.  One of these few JNEREBEL has been great in bringing full honesty to the endless barrage of hate that passes for writing over there.

US News reports today in an interview with Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau that Hamas will not abide by any of the Quartets requirements.

Hamas will not recognize Israel

Hamas will not renounce violence

Hamas will not abide by previous international agreements
Marzouk says recognizing Israel is a red line that Hamas will not cross. He further declares that Hamas military forces will remain separate and not be absorbed into the future Palestinian army. Having a standing militia not under government control would obviously imperil any future non-Hamas ruled regime with a waiting militia ready to attack it as well as Israel at any time.

Al-Monitor: The weapons wielded by the al-Qassam Brigades constitute one of the hardest issues dealt with in the reconciliation effort. What are Hamas’ proposals in this regard, and what are the red lines that you think must not be crossed? Will you allow the brigades to be assimilated into the Palestinian security forces? 

Abu Marzouk: This issue was not discussed at all in reconciliation negotiations with Fatah; it was never put on the table. The al-Qassam Brigades’ weaponry is of national importance to confront the occupation. Hamas’ position in this regard is clear, and it will not allow any tampering with the brigades’ armament, under any circumstances, because it is a strategic asset for all Palestinians. In contrast, the Quartet negotiations require that violence be renounced, which, in effect, means that the al-Qassam weapons must be decommissioned. But this is unacceptable, and Hamas will reject it outright.

Al-Monitor: It was not clear whether Hamas would endorse the agreements signed between the PLO and Israel, if it became part of the former. Can you clarify the movement’s position in this regard?

Abu Marzouk: Hamas will not recognize Israel. This is a red line that cannot be crossed. The future government is not interested in providing Israel with recognition, and the conditions set by the Quartet committee do not concern us one bit. We would have spared ourselves seven years of misery under the siege and two wars in 2008 and 2012 had we wanted to recognize Israel. Hamas underwent great political pressure and suffering during the past years, and yet it did not recognize Israel.

Know Thine Enemy

Whether this phrase be the word of G-d or Sun Tzu, it is solid advice.

It is even better when your enemy actually tells you that he is your enemy and tells you that you must beware. So, you may be asking… How does this relate to Israel? Well, earlier this month when speaking to Hizbollah affiliated T.V. (Al – Mayadeen) in Lebanon, Jabril Rajoub, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee had this to say: 

"We the Palestinians are the enemies of Israel….

….."At present, we are satisfied by the popular resistance," Rajoub added, but explained, "We the Palestinians are a source of concern for Israel. We are in this country, and this country is ours. They are our enemy and our battle is against them.”…

…."Until now we have not had nuclear weapons, but in the name of Allah if we had nuclear weapons, we’d be using them”.

And there we have it or do we?

Is this all there is to this commentary? Are the Palestinians really so die-hard that they are the mortal enemies of Israel and can’t live in peace with the Israelis? For a guy like Jibril who signed on to the Geneva Initiative, is this really his stance? I think it is important that we understand what is really going on here.

First of all, we need to determine what made Jibril say this, particularly now. Is it that he merely needed to tell the truth and it needed to burst out or is there more to it? I believe there is. Of course, I actually do believe that Jibril is talking about how he sincerely feels. You don’t make a comment with such far reaching implications like that if you don’t mean it.

That said, I can think of a number of reasons though why he made that comment, and here they are:

1. Domestic Political Considerations: Unity Government talk brokered by Qatar is in the air and as of today, Hamas and Fatah have agreed to form a unity government within three months (for the 873^rd time </snark>). What does this mean? This means that now Fatah is competing with Hamas for who can be the voice of “the resistance” against the Israelis. Remember there are two recent polls out that show the Palestinian Polity supports “armed resistance” as either a first or second choice of tactics against the Israelis. In the latest Pew Poll (cited here)

“Palestinians are more likely to say armed struggle is the best way for their people to achieve statehood (45%) than they are to say negotiations or nonviolent resistance offer the best prospect for the creation of a Palestinian state (15% each). Another 22% volunteer that a combination of these three approaches would be most effective.”

This coupled with a high favorability rating for radicals like Islamic Jihad (58%) is forcing Fatah (who does enjoy a strong position in the polls) to move it’s position to one that is more radical. Hamas and Palestinian radicals are constantly hammering Fatah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as collaborators or as “lap dogs” for the Israelis. I think this kind of rhetoric is geared to stem that in part.

2. Regional Considerations: I think another part of this is the unrest that once again is roiling throughout the region with the rise of Islamist parties. Look where Jibril gave this interview. On Hizbollah T.V.  Look at what is happening in Egypt and in Jordan within their parliaments particularly with the rise of Islamist Political movements, where these people who have Peace Treaties with Israel are demanding their governments abrogate their agreements. The P.A. (or P.L.O.) does not want to get caught outside of these movements that are threatening to either force regime change or force regime radicalization in the region.

Of course, don’t forget Syria. Either way Syria is heading for a more radical future. If Assad wins the revolution, he will have his Iranian masters and his Hizbollah allies to thank. If the Palestinians in Syria and Lebanon don’t radicalize with regards to Israel they will be facing a ton of problems in how they are perceived by Beirut and Damascus. IF Assad loses well then, there will be an al-Qaeda state which will then push to radicalize Jordan. What will happen to the Palestinians then if they are seen as being allies with Israel?

Related to this, remember who is hosting Palestinian reconciliation talks: Qatar. Who just decided to bankroll Hamas and Egypt? The Qataris. Oh yes, and who is financing the Syrian Rebellion. Yep, that would be Qatar. They are using their economic power to become a broker in the region. Jibril is seeing an opportunity for the broke Palestinian Authority to “get his foot in the door”. Keep in mind that right now there is strong unrest focused on the P.A. for not paying wages to civil servants.

So, one has to look at what Jibril is saying and understand against the regional backdrop of what is happening.

Does this excuse anything he said? Absolutely not. It is quite obvious that the Palestinian Polity (or at least those who lead the Polity) have zero interest in settling the conflict permanently with the Israelis in a peaceful manner. I think there are those in the P.A. / P.L.O. that would settle for a peaceful Two State Solution, but, only as an interim step towards a Palestinian State from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.

And, given that only 29.3% of the Palestinian polity supports a Democratic One State Solution where Jews and Arabs live together in peace, I think there is very little that currently speaks to a permanent peace solution from the Palestinian side.

Interestingly enough there are reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the P.A. regarding the Olmert plan last year in a secret meeting. So there is that…

In the end is Jibril “grandstanding”. Maybe. Still, one would hope that someone in the Palestinian polity would stand up and say “What the…. NO!”. If there has been this reaction I haven’t seen it.

So yes, until there is a denunciation by the Palestinian leadership for this remark AND I can’t see that coming from a unified Fatah, Hamas, PIJ leadership… I think the phrase “Know thine enemy is quite appropriate.

Hamas gets Ripped by Human Rights Watch... Activists Somehow Remain Silent

Human Rights Watch (HRW) while being critical of Israel has also strongly criticized the Hamas Government for it's many violations of human rights. Their latest condemnation came earlier today when there was this:

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Gaza's prime minister Ismail Haniyeh promised an investigation after masked Hamas gunmen killed the suspects and dragged their bodies through the streets four months ago.

"Hamas's inability or unwillingness to investigate the brazen murders of seven men makes a mockery of its claims that it's upholding the rule of law in Gaza," said Sarah Leah Whitson of HRW

Of course Hamas took issue with this in their own fashion:

Hamas government spokesman Ihab Ghussein said a committee had investigated the incident and submitted recommendations to the government, which he said were implemented. He would not say what those recommendations were. He said Human Rights Watch had not acted professionally in condemning Hamas without seeking further clarifications.

Gaza's interior ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said Hamas security forces would conduct large-scale arrests of suspected collaborators as soon as the weekslong amnesty period ended on Thursday evening. 

According to YNET, Hamas has arrested and executed Six people for the "crime" of collaboration, but thirty two other individuals have been executed by Hamas Gunmen without a trial.

Picture from Times of Israel - Hamas Thugs drag a body through the streets after killing of "Collaborators"

 According to the Times of Israel:

According to a report on Hamas’s al-Aqsa radio in November, the alleged collaborators with Israel “were caught red-handed” in possession of “hi-tech equipment and filming equipment to take footage of positions.” The men were summarily executed before a mob, and one man’s body was dragged through the streets from the back of a motorcycle.

The HRW report noted that Hamas leaders, including Gazan Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and deputy politburo chief Musa Abu Marzouq condemned the killings and said “an independent committee to investigate the killings” was established in the wake of the November war. Despite those statements, no one has been brought to trial for the seven killings....

...Last week, Hamas internal security official Mohammad Lafi accused Western spy organizations of operating in the Palestinian enclave, and claimed he had a list of names of collaborators. Among the countries mentioned by Lafi as operating agents in the Gaza Strip were the US, UK, France, Germany and unspecified Arab states.

The Hamas Interior Ministry warned last month that collaborators have until April 11 to turn themselves in, after which they “will be pursued without mercy.”

Interestingly enough, nary a word on this is heard from Palestinian advocates. Even though Hamas won the last election in the Palestinian territories and that they still poll second to Fatah. One latest poll of Palestinian Public Opinion show the following:

If new presidential elections are held today and only two were nominated, Abbas would receive the vote of 52% and Haniyeh 41% of the vote of those participating. The rate of participation in such elections would reach 62%. Three months ago, Abbas received the support of 45% and Haniyeh 48%. In this poll, in the Gaza Strip, Abbas receives 53% and Haniyeh 44% and in the West Bank Abbas receives 52% and Haniyeh 39%.

If new legislative elections are held today with the participation of all factions, 71% say they would participate in such elections. Of those who would participate, 29% say they would vote for Hamas and 41% say they would vote for Fatah, 11% would vote for all other third parties combined, and 20% are undecided. Vote for Hamas in the Gaza Strip stands in this poll at 33% and in the West Bank at 27%. Vote for Fatah in the Gaza Strip stands in this poll at 42% and in the West Bank at 40%. These results indicate an increase in Fatah’s popularity compared to our December results when it stood at 36% (38% in the Gaza Strip and 34% in the West Bank). By contrast, Hamas’ popularity dropped six percentage points in the combined West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

So, good news on that front, Hamas is dropping in popularity. Still, at 41%  and close to 30% this is a far shot more than say a party like HaBayit HaYehudi got in Israel (which was something like 9.5% of the vote.

This silence on the part of  activists is telling particularly in light of these findings:

When asked about the long term goal of the PLO and the PA, 64% said that it is to  recover all or some of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, 15% said it is to defeat Israel and recover the 1948 territories, and 11% said it is to defeat Israel and destroy its Jewish population. 

 and that:

55% support the Saudi (Arab) Peace Initiative but only 42% support and 56% oppose mutual recognition of Israel as the state for the Jewish people and Palestine as the state for the Palestinian people.

A full 26% of Palestinians believe that the PLO and P.A. believe that these groups want to destroy Israel (I guess if they asked about the goal of Hamas that answer would be close to 100%).  While that is only a minority, it is still a significant number.

At the same time the poll shows (and backs up my assertion that the Palestinians do not necessarily really want an honest Two State Solution due to the fact that a majority of the Palestinian populace supports the Arab Peace Initiative (which posits a Two State Solution) but also demands that Israel give into the Palestinian "Right of Return" which would in effect render the Jewish character of Israel impossible.

Anyway, this silence is what gives lie to the supposed "human rights" aspect of the Pro-Palestinian movement. Nowhere do they seem to care about Human Rights violations or the make up of the Palestinian polity to come. To them the only thing that matters is/are Israeli actions or politics. Some settler raving about end times becomes representative to them of the entire Israeli polity, yet polls that show that the majority of the Palestinian population supports the end of the State of Israel (and the legitimate rights to self determination of the Jewish people) completely escapes them. I wonder why that is?

Well no... actually I don't.

Now the Hard Part begins....

As the President's trip to Israel winds down, and as Secretary Kerry gets ready to return to the area (he is supposed to return within 24 hours) to get serious about both security coordination with Israel with regards to Iran, Syria and Lebanon... the Secretary will also presumably be trying to jump start Peace Negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.

This is where it gets difficult because to fulfill the Presidents vision of a viable Two State Solution he will have to work through some very tough forces against him.

From the Palestinian side you have The Salafists (who as a greeting to the President launched five Qassam Rockets) into Southern Israel.and who had this to say:

“The American president came here to divide Palestinians,” Sa’id Qasrawi, the spokesman of the Islamic bloc at Bir Zeit University, said. “He said there can be no peace with Hamas, and that he cannot support the Palestinian Authority while Hamas is present. We say: There can be no peace while the usurper entity Israel is present. We are the true owners of the land, and the Zionists must leave the land to its authentic owners.”

and:

The small Salafi group called Magles Shoura al-Mujahddin said in an Internet statement that it fired the rockets to show that Israeli air defenses could not stop attacks on the Jewish state during the visit.  ...

...."Responding to the bragging of the Roman dog and the war criminals of their so-called Iron Dome, we assert that all their military techniques will not stop God's destiny of tormenting them," the statement, posted on the Ansar al-Mujahideen website, which is used by Islamist terrorists, said.

As well as radicals in the Young radicalized Palestinian population who said:

At eleven o’clock, as a black helicopter began its descent, the demonstrators started marching toward the presidential palace, the Muqata. Now, it was the youth who were leading the chants, which were quickly becoming more fiery.

<em>“The people want RPGs, not [security] coordination and the CIA,” shouted one man. A young woman, unscarved and wearing tight jeans, cried out “no way to peaceful [resistance], only bullets and missiles.”</em>

 But these folks are not the only resistance to the Two State Solution stressed by the President.

Here is Deputy Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset Member Ayalet Shaked of HaBayit HaYehudi:

Here is Bennett:

<em>"The time has come for a shred of creativity and innovation in solving the conflict in the Middle East," Bennett said, challenging the wide acceptance of the two-state solution.

"Generally," the new minister added, "there is no occupation within one's own land."</em>

and Shaked:

<em>Knesset Member Ayalet Shaked, also from Habayit Hayehudi, said "Obama is a true friend of Israel, on this no one can argue. But at the end of the day, we are the ones who have to deal with the tragic and devastating consequences that are part of the establishment of a Palestinian state. <strong>That is the reason that just this week, the people selected a government that has no place for a two-state solution within its foundation.</strong>And if we are talking about Iron Dome, then the West Bank is our Iron Dome."</em>

There will certainly be more lunacy from both sides, as the various blogospheres collect and analyze the Presidents speech.  

Still, these two points (the Palestinian One State Solution folks and the Israeli One State solution folks) of view will make the Presidents vision that much more difficult to attain. Particularly as Hamas and the Salafist groups gain popularity in the West Bank and within the Palestinian polity as well, AND the Israeli government that is represented across almost all of it's Security or National Security areas by those who directly and outwardly oppose the Two State Solution. 

As I have written elsewhere on this blog that I think The Two State Solution is eventually going to happen, I think it is important we work towards this goal to avoid the bloodshed that will force this situation. 

I am curious to see what our  policies going forward will be but, even while I foresee American reticence to support the Israeli settlement enterprise in the Occupied Territories of the West Bank, I also foresee America's push against Palestinian radicalism and jihadi sympathies. 

The Hamas Collaborators List

RE-PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM Hey 338Too AT DAILY KOS

According to a variety of news sources, Hamas (the governing entity of the Gaza Strip) has compiled a list of people who are "collaborators" with the Israeli government.  True to their "progressive" nature, Hamas has given people on the list have until April 11 to turn themselves in, or they will be pursued without mercy.
To "sweeten" the deal:

anyone on this list of collaborators who hands themselves in to the authorities by 11 April will not be interrogated or imprisoned. (Author's note: Press TV reports that these cases will be "settled quietly").  It also offered a monthly salary to the informer's families.
...
and we will provide them with information to make sure they can make right their mistakes and thus protect resistance fighters.

So what happens if you don't turn yourself in?

During the fighting in November, Hamas executed seven people in the streets of Gaza, some of them summarily, for collaboration, even though some of them still had appeals of their convictions and death sentences pending in court. Fourteen other people have been convicted of collaboration and executed over the past three years.

According to the family of one of the those accused of collaborating:

ALHELOU: During the eight-day war, six Palestinians who were suspected of spying for Israel were kidnapped from their prison and killed by masked gunmen, who then chained the body of one of the alleged collaborators to a motorcycle and dragged them throughout the main streets of Gaza City. Following the incident, Mousa Abu Marzouq, Hamas's deputy leader, condemned what he described [as] the unlawful killing, adding that punishing collaborators, and especially those involved in the killing of leaders of Palestinian resistance groups, must only be carried out in accordance with the law and through the legal procedures.
...
WIFE OF EXECUTED COLLABORATOR (VOICEOVER TRANSL.): My husband spent three years in prison. The manner in which he was killed and dragged was inhumane. How would his three daughters and two sons feel when they grow up and see the footage? ABU REBHI BADAWI, FATHER OF EXECUTED COLLABORATOR (VOICEOVER TRANSL.): My son was accused of being a collaborator. We were shocked when we saw the footage of our son along five others executed and dragged in the streets by motorcyclists. We are still waiting to hear the results of the committee that was formed to investigate who killed him in that way and who gave the order.

Last week, Hamas' progressive bona fides were burnished even further by forcing the cancellation of an UN Relief and Works Agency marathon.  According to a Hamas spokesman:

Gaza’s Cabinet secretary, Abdul-Salam Siam, said women running in public violated Palestinian customs. “We don’t want women and men mixing in the same race,” Siam said. “We don’t want any woman running uncovered.”
Siam said girls could join the event, just not grown women (Authors note: "Say what?"). The race, scheduled for April 10, would have been the third annual marathon in Gaza. Siam would not say why Hamas did not ban women from the two previous races in 2012 and 2011.

According to Al-Jazeera:

"Hamas claims that women have never been allowed to run, which is not true, then they decided that only local women could run. Then they decided not to let any women participate," a diplomatic source in Gaza told AFP.

The UNRWA ran the marathon:

"The marathon was an annual event to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to raise funds for summer camps organized by UNRWA which serve at least 250,000 schoolchildren," said Adnan Abu Hasna, the agency's media adviser in Gaza.

This is not the first time that Hamas and the UNRWA have been at odds:

But Hamas has frequently squabbled with UNRWA in a rivalry for the hearts and minds of Gaza’s people. Hamas has pressed the U.N. not to organize mixed folkloric dancing for boys and girls; to keep Holocaust education out of its curriculum and it has used harsh rhetoric against previous senior U.N. officials.

Hamas progressive fun fact:

Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip say safety concerns and social traditions, not Islamic religious values, are the main reason behind a decision to ban women from riding motorbikes and scooters.

Crazy Rightists of all stripes agree... President Obama should not visit Israel

This would almost like this could be from The Onion but, it's not. It is interesting to see though when the Lunatic Fringe's on the Hard Right and Hard Left totally agree on something (which of course makes those moderates feel that much more that they are right). But as the President gears up for his trip to the Middle East the nutty comments come out of the bag and for the most part, they all agree on one solid principle. They believe that President Obama should not go to Israel.



From the Lunatic Fringe on the Right, we have this:

Until we have a new administration it's best that Kerry and Obama and Hagel stay away from Israel.

These people cannot do any good because they simply do not understand Jewish history in the region and have no honest sympathies for those of us who live there.

They still believe that the reason that so many Arabs want to kill Jews is because the tiny Jewish minority are mean to the overwhelming Arab majority.  This is what "progressives," including "progressive Zionists," tend to believe.

The best that we can hope for is that Barack Obama will not cause even further damage than what he has caused already.  But I would not count on that.

Never mind that "progressive Zionists" think nothing of a sort except in the fevered minds and demented imaginations of the Lunatic Fringe, this is sort of fun to see. Even when this piece is written by an American who strangely talks as if he was Israeli - by saying <em>"Until we have a new administration"</em> (weird because in the U.S. we do have an administration). and that the President has <em>no sympathies for those of us who live there</em>.

It is interesting in that it assumes that the Presidents efforts to re-start the Peace process between Israelis and Palestinians are "damaging".

Of course, Lunatic Fringe on the Left has the same feeling saying:

A Palestinian grassroots group is planning demonstrations against expected American pressure to resume what it called “useless” negotiations.

“You are not welcome in Palestine,” read a meme on the Facebook page of Palestinians for Dignity, designed to resemble an immigration stamp in Obama’s passport.

Another satirical image on the page displays the US president as saying in Arabic, “American support for Israel is sacred and we must help it remain militarily superior.” An angry protester in a photo below responds in English, “this is a Welcome kiss from the Palestinian people, dog,” as he hurls a shoe at Obama, an Arab symbol of disdain

Not to be outdone.. Hamas called for "a day of Battle" where there might have to be "martyrs" 

Rumors that Obama intends to visit the al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount persisted on Tuesday. In an op-ed titled “Receive Obama the way Sharon was received,” published Monday on Hamas’s news website Al-Resalah, columnist Mustafa Sawwaf called on Palestinians to confront “Zionists” on a daily basis ahead of Obama’s visit to the city.

“Palestinians everywhere should begin their activities with direct confrontation with the Zionists in preparation for Obama’s visit, even if this entails martyrs and injured [Palestinians] until the ominous day of the visit,” wrote Sawwaf.

“That should be the day of battle, the great day of mobilization worthy of the American president.”

So far though, the White House has resisted the calls from both of the Lunatic Fringes and is heading to Israel and Palestine to talk with both the Israelis and the Palestinians. The issue of whether Israel has a functioning government at that time (six days away) is important, but it is also important for the President to meet with various political leaders in Israel and get a sense for where things are going.

Personally I think it would be great of the President spoke directly to the Israeli people and it would be fitting that it be in no better place than Rabin Square so I hope he would do something like that. But in any case, it's good that he is heading to Israel with Sec. State John Kerry. This kind of engagement will only help a very tricky situation. 
:

A hat tip to Peter Beinart, An answer to Mondofront... and anti-Zionists

What more can anyone really want? Well at least if they want controversy that is.

The Progressive Zionist gives a huge hat tip to Peter Beinart who absolutely skewered anti-Zionists in his strong piece; The Pro-Palestinian Left's Hamas Blindspot over at Open Zion:

This tolerance for certain brands of thuggery is an old story on the left. At its core is the belief that anyone who battles “imperialism” can’t be that bad. Fatah, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, are both repressive. So why does Electronic Intifada direct so much more bile toward the former than the latter? Because Hamas is unequivocally hostile to Israel, the “imperialist” power, while Abbas and Israel are—from Electronic Intifada’s perspective—in cahoots. The yardstick, in other words, is not how a Palestinian group treats its own people but how it treats Israel. If it exhibits sufficient hatred of the Jewish state, Electronic Intifada overlooks its flaws. But if a Palestinian leader cooperates with Israel, Electronic Intifada amplifies his misdeeds because it sees the ultimate author of those misdeeds as Israel itself, the one and only true enemy of Palestinian human rights between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. 

We’ve seen this before. In the 1930s, many in the old left excused Joseph Stalin because he opposed capitalism. In the 1960s, many in the New Left excused Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh because they battled American hegemony. Since the Cold War, some in the anti-globalization movement have excused Hugo Chavez for the same reason. In each case, the character of the people fighting Western imperialism didn’t really matter; what mattered was that they were waging the fight. Similarly, many on the global left overlook the misdeeds of Hamas, which is, after all, Palestine’s version of the religious right, not because it has the correct values but because it has the correct enemies.

Of course, being "drilled"  by Beinart did not sit well with the crew over at MondoFront (we call it MondoFront due to the fact that the articles and commentary mostly trade in anti-Semitic memes that are popular on the neo-Nazi site Stormfront, and Mondoweiss is quoted there freely), who sent Adam Horowitz and Seth Roth to write a "response". It is this response that I want to address.

The gist of the MondoFront rebuttal relies on a few things. The first is that they feel as Americans they should criticize Israel because Israel is a "client state" of the U.S. while Hamas is not. They go further to say that because they are Jews, they should be criticizing Israel and really not worry about Hamas. The problem with this argument is that it is a flat out lie.

Here Horowitz and Roth mantain:

We occasionally cover internal Palestinian politics, but it's not a focus of the site. If the U.S. government were funding Hamas we'd feel differently, and if there was a propaganda and lobbying effort in the U.S. to justify and promote oppressive Hamas practices we would cover it. But this isn't the case.

But this is not true. U.S.aid goes directly towards funding the Palestinian Authority government AND helping the Palestinian people who at this point in time (according to Polls would vote to put Hamas in charge of their government. Also, the U.S. is the single largest contributor to the United Nations and the U.N. spends a lot of money directly aiding Gaza. So while the U.S. does not directly fund Hamas, money that it donates to both the Palestinian People directly and in the form U.N. aid does fund Hamas.

The second part of that statement is a bold faced lie. There very much is a propaganda effort sustained in this nation to justify and promote Hamas' oppressive practices. Just look at any major leftist or hard rightist blog sites (when I say Hard Right I mean sites like The Daily Paul, Stormfront, davidduke.com and others). Article after article after article shows up condemning Israel for any slight infraction or supporting every outright lie about the nation. Yet when it comes to Palestinian infractions (or any Islamic country in the MENA, see Syria for example), nary a word is said. If that is not a propaganda effort then I am not sure what one is.

Another lie that the MondoFront owners and participants spread is that they and their neo-Nazi commentators (who post on "screened blog") don't just criticize with an eye towards "improving" Jewish or American policy, they comment under the guise of "human rights activists". They assume the mantle of protectors of human rights for all people. NOT just Palestinians.

But this argument is easily turned aside by the fact that not only do they not give a crap about how the Palestinians are actually treated by their own people or by neighboring Arab nations, they don't give a crap about the Jewish peoples legitimate rights to self-determination. They don't care one bit about the fact that the Hamas charter is rife with genocidal rhetoric. They don't care one bit that Hamas represents a theocratic hard right regime that would restrict the rights of women and would not tolerate the presence of minorities.

They criticize Beinart here:

We stand with and support Palestinians working to make Palestinians society more equitable, and have published pieces to this effect, but we don't see it as our place to dictate to Palestinians what their society should look like. We demand rights for the Palestinian people that they demand for themselves.

Well the Palestinian people support Hamas and their values. If they want to call themselves (or be taken seriously as) "Human Right's Activists" they should stand up for all human rights not just the cop out to what Beinart accurately portrays as anything that smacks of "anti-Western imperialism".

But more than this. As a Useful Idiot, Horowitz (and other apologists like David Harris Gershon) are completely blind to the fact that while "demanding the rights of the Palestinian People" they subject the Palestinian people to incredibly repressive forces. Not much "Human Rights" activism there now, is there.

BUT even more than that exactly what are the rights that the Palestinian People demand for themselves? I mean what they demanding when they actually vote for Hamas. Has Horowitz ever read the Hamas Covenant. where they demand all of the land from the Med. to the Jordan. Or where they demand the right to kill all of the Jews (which ironically would include Horowitz, Roth, and Harris Gershon)? Are those the rights they demand?

Where does that leave the rights of Jewish people? Apparently out in the cold. Of course, they don't feel they should dictate to the Palestinians how they should run their government, because they agree with the goals of the Palestinian polity (One State from the Med to the Jordan, sans Jews). But they do feel the right to demand how the Israeli people should run their government without any regard for Israeli democratic institutions.

Beinart is dead on in his Open Zion commentary in this case. I am not 100% with him on certain things (though I do respect the guy), but, his argument about anti-Zionist sites like Electronic Intifada and MondoFront  is dead on.

Hamas once again shows it's "True Colors"

As the time moves forward for the rest of the world (except in certain parts of the Republican Party in the U.S), the folks at Hamas have decided to take a huge jump backwards towards the 7th Century.

UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) had to cancel it's marathon planned for April 10th in Gaza due to the fact that Hamas would not allow adult women to participate in the race.

According to the Times of Israel

Hamas had sent a letter to UNRWA claiming it was allowing the marathon to take place “under certain limitations relating to Palestinian customs and traditions,” the Gaza-based human rights watchdog Al-Mezan reported.

Apparently one of those limitations relating to Palestinian "customs and traditions"  (according to Hamas) is that adult women can't run in races. Of course not all Palestinians agree with this. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad absolutely blasted Hamas for this saying:

“This move harms the status of Palestinian women, their national and social role, and their absolute right to equality under the Basic Law,” “[It also harms] our people’s customs, which always aspired to enshrine the status of women and reject all attempts to exclude and marginalize them.”

 and Fatah had this to say:

“This decision deals a death blow to the Palestinian national liberation movement,” the statement read. “Those who prevented the participation of young Palestinian women are not only violating the natural and historic rights of the Palestinian woman… but they are also falsifying our people’s cultural and liberating image, presenting their own extremist worldview.”

 True to form (at least for so-called human rights organizations), the "Gaza based Human Rights Group" Al-Mezan group urged UNRWA to continue the race as:

“since it could contribute greatly to enhancing international solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

 I guess as long as those "people" are not adult women.

Now, apologists for the Palestinian people would cite the fact that it is only Hamas and NOT all of the Palestinian people that felt that way. And that might well be true. Probably most Palestinians or at least a large amount of Palestinians wouldn't discriminate against women running. But Hamas is not just an isolated movement in the Palestinian polity. They barely won the last Palestinian elections and now they lead the P.A. in all polling for the top spots in the leadership. Columns are Total - West Bank - Gaza

Tell us how do you evaluate the performance of the dismissed government of Ismail Haniyeh in the Gaza Strip? Is it good or bad?
	1) Very Good				16.8%		15.3%	19.1%
	2) Good				39.1%		44.7%	29.9%

An interesting note here: is that Hamas' leadership has higher favorables in the West Bank than in Gaza. Interesting fact there eh?

Of course these favorables translate to an election victory for Hamas in the poll:

• Haniyeh defeats Abbas in a presidential election by 48% to 45%, but Barghouti wins against Haniyeh, 51% to 42%.
• In a three way presidential elections, Haniyeh receives 39%, Marwan Barghouti 29%, and Abbas 27%.
• In a parliamentary election, Fateh wins 36% and Hamas 35% of the voters 

Particularly since Barghouti is not running for anything and is serving a term in Israeli Prison for his role in a terrorist attack

So maybe Fatah and Fayyad are mad at Hamas but the Palestinian people... not so much.and considering that they are willing to have Hamas lead them in the next government this is very telling. We keep hearing from folks about Israel and it's problems but discussions about the Palestinians and their leadership are conspicuously absent. Imagine if this happened in Israel, what the outrage would be. BUT with Hamas... not a peep. AND considering that Hamas could very well win the next Palestinian elections, this silence is telling.

Also, disturbing in this poll is how a so-called "human rights" group Al-Mezan is willing to completely overlook the human rights of women so that people can "enhance their solidarity with the Palestinian people" (except for Palestinian women who apparently are not part of the Palestinian People). It is almost tempting to have UNRWA actually set the race up so that everyone in the world can see just what Hamas' "true colors" really are.

Why is it so Difficult?

Here is what I don't get... What is difficult about ending the Gaza altercation? In Israel and in America the Hard Left keeps talking in terms of a cease fire or a truce. The Lunatic Right, both here and there, keep talking about blowing Gaza into little bits and "levelling" the place. Neither one of course, (and as usual) is right. They simply aren't. It's not hard to see an answer yet despite the ease of that answer no one wants to address it. Why? Because it takes away an easy crisis that both sides need to feed their power base.

Hamas NEEDS to see their children and civilians die. It's in their interest. They can't maintain any sort of power if they are not seen as the "Heroes of Resistance". They will fight to the very last civilian (as long as their money and influence are not harmed), just to prove that they and no one else is who should rule in the land that is now Israel and Palestine. They certainly don't care who they have to kill to get there and the more their own people suffer, the more they can take those people's minds off of their own failures and corruption.

The Israeli and American Right, need to have an enemy to fight in order to continue to scare people into supporting their nihilistic Randian vision of the world coupled with building towards some fictional Spartan state that they can all feel very tough about while sending other peoples kids to do their fighting for them.

ANYWAY... In all of the analysis and hand wringing about what Israel is doing everyone keeps talking about cease fires and Ten Year Truces and how if Israel just ended it's embargo on the Gaza Strip everything would be peace and light. The Useful Idiots and their supporters all talk about the culpability of Israel without addressing the prime issue, that of the responsibility of Hamas and the Palestinians to simply accept that Israel exists as the National Homeland and State of the Jewish people. IF they did this simple thing... this conflict would be over within ten seconds.

Imagine if a Palestinian leader would go to the Israelis and say "Listen, we are sick of war and sick of what is happening so here's the deal. Give us the land in the Olmert deal for a nation, including at least half of the Old City of East Jerusalem. We will de-militarize for ten years however, YOU are responsible for our protection as well as training of our military so that when we get through our growing pains we can have a professional and responsible military. ALSO, we will need aid. You and the U.S. need to build up our infra-structure and provide a market for our goods until we can develop our markets. That means access to roads, water, and the like. In return... We will give you a complete and total peace. We recognize that Israel is and will be the National Homeland and State of the Jewish people . We will open cultural and trading exchanges and allow for our children to learn with yours in mixed education programs."

That's it. That would end it right then and there. The War, this exchange, the conflict. Done. It would be completely over. No one, but no one asks this of the Palestinians. To be fair, no one on the Israeli Right would lay this out as an opportunity either.  But you have to give something to get something. The Palestinians have to retain some pride to make this a lasting deal. So... This is a fair deal. The Palestinians get control of Islam's third holiest site (the Haram al-Sharif), Christianity's holiest site (Bethlehem) and they get a secure and viable state. They can even negotiate for recompense for those driven from their homes in past wars. Israel would be foolish not to accept these terms.

Until then though, why should Israel cede one inch of anything to people that talk in terms of destroying them? They shouldn't. They need to keep the pressure on Hamas' leadership until they are either dead, removed, or at some point they realize that they will not be dislodging the Israelis and that it is time to do something for their own people rather than continuing to play politics.

What I am curious about is why isn't anyone insisting that Hamas formally recognize Israel? That never, ever gets discussed. There are a million and one other things discussed but no one ever addresses this. YET, this is the simplest thing in the world IF one really wants to end this horrible conflict. Israel will recognize the Palestinians... why won't they simply recognize Israel as the nation it was created to be?

Sadly, this is just a "pipe dream". Hamas has too much money to make and too much power to gain for them to do anything like that. The Israeli Right, I fear, would never accept this as it goes against the concept of Eretz Yisrael HaShlema. BUT, I do think there are some on the Israeli Right that might go along whereas I think there is no one in Hamas or in it's support base that would consider this.

But as an American, I sit here and wonder.... How is this so difficult? And WHY is this not even discussed?

Shells in the North, Shells in the South - An Israeli Dilemna

As we have all been seeing of late, Palestinian Militants in Gaza have once again begun raining shells on Southern Israel. Additionally, now shells from the Syrian Civil War have begun to fall on the Golan. As of yesterday, Gunners from the FSA (The Free Syrian Army - an odd collection of Social revolutionaries and, and Al-Qaeda operatives funded by the reactionary Gulf States) missed their mark and dropped mortars into the Golan. After numerous warnings the IDF reacted with Tanks stationed on the border and scored a direct hit on the mortar position. From YNET:

Twenty-four hours after the IDF first retaliated against a mortar that was fired from Syria and hit Israeli territory, another shell struck the Israeli side of the Golan Heights, just north of Tel Hazeka. No injuries or damage were reported.

Shortly thereafter, the IDF returned fire, using tanks deployed along the border to target two D-3 mortar launchers belonging to the Syrian army. A direct hit was identified.

This return of fire drew criticism from the FSA, a claim of partisanship by the Israelis on the side of the Butcher Assad. 

At the same time civilian communities in the South face heavy rocket fire from Militant groups in Gaza. According to Ma'an News, A group of Israeli tanks and Bulldozers were operating on the Gaza border around the security fence when gunmen from the Popular Resistance Committees opened fire on the Israelis.

Israeli military vehicles briefly penetrated the southern Gaza Strip earlier Thursday morning, leading to clashes with Palestinian militants.

The Popular Resistance Committees said its gunmen had confronted an Israeli force of four tanks and a bulldozer involved in a short-range incursion beyond Israel's border fence with the Gaza Strip.

"Terrorists opened fire at IDF (Israeli army) soldiers while they were performing routine activity adjacent to the security fence," an Israeli military spokeswoman said in Jerusalem. She said reports of Palestinians injuries were being checked.

A military official said the soldiers responded by firing at "suspicious locations" and said an Israeli soldier was lightly injured by mortar fire.

Palestinian fighters said they detonated an explosive device by an Israeli military vehicle near Khuzaa, east of Khan Younis.

In this case the Israelis struck back and since then the shells have been falling in the South. Of course, in recent months, militants from the South have been launching rockets into Israel on a regular basis and while no one has been killed there has been damage and fear in these civilian areas. On a personal note, having a friend at a kibbutz in the area - he tells me that the fire has been incessant and has caused damage.

Of course (and rightly so), the Israeli government has vowed to take steps to defend both borders and has done so. I don't think anyone in their right mind can argue with that. SO... where do they face any dilemma's?

Well... in the South, another Cast Lead Operation style runs the risk of bringing the Egyptians into the conflict OR if not actually into the conflict brings a potential abrogation of the Peace Treaty with Israel and return to the "Cold War" days of Nasser (and in the beginning Sadat). Currently the Egyptians are working with both the Israelis and Hamas to broker a cease fire deal and to be honest it is in the Egyptian regimes interest to get that cease fire. They can ill-afford a potential conflict with Israel as they continue to deal with an economy that has been shattered by greed and abuse.

However, the Muslim Brotherhood (the Parent organization of the ruling Freedom and Justice Party) has been out in the streets whipping up opposition to the Peace treaty in order to distract the Public from the economic woes of the nation AND to push an introduction of strict Sharia into the Egyptian Legal system.

SO, Egypt of course is in a dilemma in which should the Israelis respond in "Cast Lead" Fashion - the Egyptians in order to avoid a full scale internal political crises need to respond with gestures of their own. If they don't, they will face open revolt (a revolt that they are really to blame for by stoking crowds), and if they do they respond - they will face all the problems that come from the SCAF (the armed forces) losing commercial deals not too mention a conflict with their main benefactor; the U.S. Government.

At the same time the Israelis, heading into an election face issues of their own. PM Netanyahu HAS to do something regarding the Rocket Fire in the South. Today, Amos Harel and Avi Isaacheroff in Haaretz talked about the possibility that while there would not be a Cast Lead response - there might be a retaliation based around targeted assassination.

I suggest reading Harel and Isaacherof here as there is great insight into this dilemna where right now the only political winner is looking Hamas (who simply doesn't care what happens to Gaza or the local population as long as they can remain in the vanguard of "resistance"):

Gaza, however, remains the main problem for Netanyahu. The more intensely the southern residents protest what they see as the government's abandonment of their security, the more seriously he will have to consider taking tougher measures, with a resumption of targeted killings the most likely possibility. 

Netanyahu, who is preparing for January's election, is already being attacked in the political arena for not responding more forcefully. But he knows that his range of options against Hamas is limited. Israel is at this stage trying to avoid a ground operation a la Cast Lead. One reason is that the diplomatic reality now is far different than it was when that offensive was launched in 2008: Israel fears a direct confrontation with the new regime in Egypt and it knows that neither the United States nor Europe will be as tolerant of a large-scale military operation this time around.

There was no evidence Sunday along the Gaza border that the IDF was making any special preparations for an operation. Assassinations don't require very much preparation, though. All that's needed is a decision, but that, too, is a gamble, because it's hard to know how Hamas would react to such an initiative. Right now Hamas is looking pretty sure of itself. Its leaders didn't hesitate to take responsibility for some of the attacks over this past week, in a way that Israel saw as particularly provocative

Now, as for the North... Well, getting drawn into a civil war with a country that no matter who wins, will be hostile to Israel is yet another issue. If the FSA wins and ends the cruelty and barbarism of the Assad regime towards it's own people, chances are that an Islamist government (funded by the Saudi Wahabi regime and conservative Gulf States) would take control and in the chaos that would ensue, Israelis would face a Syrian regime with ties to Al-Qaeda on it's Southern Border.

On the other hand should Assad and his Iranian allies win in Syria, Israel would then face a solid Iranian alliance in the form of the Government of Syria AND the quasi Hizbollah State (formerly known as Lebanon </snark>) on their Northern border. A situation that can lead to nothing but no good.

If the Israelis intervene here (and as Harel and Isaacheroff report that they have no desire to do), they will immediately give a boost to whomever they intervene against. If they intervene against FSA and Al-Qaeda militants they give the militants the mantle of being the folks who are resisting not only Assad but also the "hated Israelis", and that would go a long ways to keeping the money and equipment flowing to the Rebels. At the same time should they intervene against Assad and the military, they make the rebels look like "Israeli tools" and hand the Assad regime an invaluable political point to justify it's continued war against it's own population.

SO.... we are left with this: "What is the answer?". Personally, I see no good responses here but I do see some opportunities. NOW, is a time when Israel can completely deflate Hamas by dealing with the Palestinians in the West Bank and working for a comprehensive Peace deal. This is a chance to open negotiations and for the Israelis to illustrate just WHY their security concerns need to be paramount. It can be a diplomatic win for them and if progress is achieved in negotiations in the West Bank can serve to show just how ineffective violent resistance is.

As for Syria, Israel needs to simply defend it's borders but should avoid anything further the more they simply respond yet not engage unless engaged the better it is. The Syrian situation is just one that can spin completely out control and cause massive havoc for the Israelis.

Finally as for Gaza, Personally I favor the Harel and Isaacheroff response (targeted assassinations) towards a Cast Lead style incursion. It may come to that in the end but, I think once the Hamas and Militant leaders get the message that if they show their heads in public they might just lose those heads.... they will be at the table with the Egyptian Leadership (and SCAF) telling them to make a deal. Because if the Israelis can isolate Hamas and separate them from the Palestinian polity. The Rocket fire just might possibly end.

Today We Had A Rocket Attack

My Israel journey continues.  I am staying for two days in an Air BNB rental that is almost a palace, in the Old City of Beersheva.  I think it was built during Turkish times.

Today was my first experience on Israeli roads, as I rented a car and drove to the Dead Sea and Masada.  It was around 110 degrees F at the Dead Sea, hot even for me.  I did the usual floating, and then enjoyed the spectacular views from Masada.  I also drank, by my count, a gallon of water.

-----------------

Upon my return to Beersheva this evening, I was unpacking the car and had awkward hands full of empty water bottles and receipts when I heard the incoming rocket siren.  It is really loud and there is no mistaking what it is.  Then I heard what sounded like a higher pitched wail from farther away.  I stood there and thought 'well, what does one do in this situation'?

I looked around frantically and the only other person on the block was an older man.  He started walking relatively fast - but not running - down toward the corner.  He was still playing with his cell phone while walking.  I had no ideas of my own so I followed him.  At the corner he ducked down and sat at the foot of a concrete retaining wall.  I did the same.

I asked him if he spoke English and he said yes.  I asked what should we do.  He said "You wait 40 seconds after the siren, and then you hear the boom.  It is good to be by a wall."

I crouched with my fingers in my ears and my arms over my head like they taught us in tornado drills in school.  The man was just texting away on his phone.  There was also a car with a Haredi family right on the street in front of us, and they pulled over to the side and sat.

After about 60 seconds where we heard nothing, he said "It is ok - it must have exploded far from here."  I thought to myself that maybe the Iron Dome got it.

He then stood up, and taking the cue, I did too.  He asked where I was from and I said the US.  He said something like 'Every country has dangers, hurricanes, tsunamis - Israel is still a great place to live'.  He also mentioned that there may be more tonight and that they may be ramping up because of the Jewish holidays coming. Then he said "I will call my daughter" which finally broke the facade of nonchalance.

And that was pretty much it.  I picked up my stuff and headed for the house.

It seems that it becomes pretty much part of the background, and people don't let it affect them too much.  Rationally I know that my chance of suffering death or injury from any given rocket is miniscule, and I really do try to adjust my fears to statistics.

One thing is for sure though.  If some harm were to come to me, I would most certainly not be seeking to forgive and embrace whatever Hamas yahoo is responsible for this - like a certain pathetic lying wuss I could mention.

Ahmadinejhad: Zionists control the World and the Zionist Regime Must be Annihilated

Cross Posted at Daily Kos

It seems that this week the world Jewish population and the population of Daily Kos has been subject to the crazed ravings of the anti-Semitic fringe. At least one diarist has been banned and another so far has collected over 27 donuts (and still counting) on their tip jars alone in two diaries.

Not sure what's causing this but.... first we had the Palestinian Government in Gaza call the Holocaust a "Zionist lie" in response to the Palestinian Government in the West Bank's good faith effort to send an adviser to Palestinian President Abbas to visit Auschwitz and to better understand the Holocaust.
NOW, we have Hamas' friend and ally the Iranian Regime as represented by President Ahmadinejhad channeling the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and screeching about Zionist control of the world. For those of you unfamiliar with it:

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion or The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion is an antisemitic hoax purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. It was first published in Russia in 1903, translated into multiple languages, and disseminated internationally in the early part of the 20th century. Henry Ford funded printing of 500,000 copies that were distributed throughout the United States in the 1920s. 

Adolf Hitler and the Nazis publicized the text as if it were a valid document, although it was exposed as fraudulent. After the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, it ordered the text to be studied in German classrooms. The historian Norman Cohn suggested that Hitler used the Protocols as his primary justification for initiating the Holocaust—his "warrant for genocide".[1]
The Protocols purports to document the minutes of a late 19th-century meeting of Jewish leaders discussing their goal of global Jewish hegemony by subverting the morals of Gentiles, and by controlling the press and the world's economies. It is still widely available today and even now sometimes presented as a genuine document, whether on the Internet or in print in numerous languages.

So now, here is the President of Iran as reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency: Ahmadinejad: Qods Day to liberate Palestine, solve entire world problems

Ahmadinejad added, “It has now been some 400 years that a horrendous Zionist clan has been ruling the major world affairs, and behind the scenes of the major power circles, in political, media, monetary, and banking organizations in the world, they have been the decision makers, to an extent that a big power with a huge economy and over 300 million population, the presidential election hopefuls must go kiss the feet of the Zionists to ensure their victory in the elections.” ..... 

....Ahmadinejad said that Israel is the symbol of the globally ruling Zionism in the world, reiterating, “Among the western governments and politicians there are great differences of tastes and the political competitions are tough, but is supporting the Zionist regime, they are all united.”

The president pointed out that in order to evolutionize the status of the world decision making is needed, the forces must get united, and their ultimate objective must be the annihilation of the Zionist regime (vb1 emphasis), emphasizing, “The Zionist regime is both the symbol of the hegemony of the Zionism over the world and the means in the hand of the oppressor powers for expansion of their hegemony in the region and in the world.”

So... President Ahmadinejhad... the "Zionist clan" has been ruling the world for 400 years has it? Hmmmm. Israel, the Zionist State is only 64 years old. Zionism as a political philosophy is only slightly over 140 years old. SO... who has been doing what for 400 years... "Zionists"??? Really?

No. the President of Iran and his supporters and apologists are talking about Jews. Plain and simple. Nothing more nothing less. It is anti-Semitism plain and simple.

It is time that we as progressives stand up to the people that would support this in our movement and in our lives.

I want to quote an opinion column written by a young African American Woman in the Times of Israel. Not a source that I usually quote nor one I like. However, her words here are powerful:

I want to spark a global revolution. Dear reader, as believers in democracy and the rights of mankind, we must unite. We, as Jews and non-Jews, must come together to suppress the evil phenomenon that is anti-Semitism. Businesses and communities and filmmakers and others must come together to stand against this injustice. This must be as popular as NIKE, as hip as Drake, as pervasive as Coca Cola. We must expose the anti-Semitism that is rampant in the Middle East and growing in Europe. We must have lectures, events, outings, Shabbat dinners — and we must educate, cultivate, and change lives. Film is the medium through which this can be accomplished. 

I am not concerned about the long, arduous road that is this battle. We must fight with every fiber of our beings. We will win. We have no other choice. We must end anti-Semitism once and for all.

Join me.

Please join all of us to fight this scourge.

Palestinian Authority Does the Right Thing... HAMAS Denies Holocaust

Cross Posted at Daily Kos

Last week the Palestinian Authority took a positive step in the direction of understanding by sending an adviser to President Abbas, Ziad al-Bandak (The President's adviser on Christian Affairs) to tour the Nazi Death Camp at Auschwitz. Now this is a very important thing as one of many criticisms of the P.A. as that it has traded in Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic memes.

Indeed as was quoted in the International Business Times

“Last week, I visited the West Bank and Israel, where I met people from varied walks of life," Ed Husain, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council of Foreign Relations, wrote recently on the Arab Street blog. "In conversations with young Arabs, I was saddened to hear that Holocaust denial continues to be part of the normative mindset among so many in such an important part of the world. Their grievances with the modern state of Israel are real, but this does not give them the mandate to rewrite history. 

“These are not fringe conspiracy theories," he added. "I’ve heard similar rejections of the Holocaust from political leaders in the Middle East, academics, youth leaders and imams. The virus is so widespread that it impacts Muslims living in Europe. For several years, the Muslim Council of Britain refused to attend Holocaust Memorial Day.”

So, the visit by Mr. al-Bandak is positive as he will no doubt be able to communicate back to the P.A. and President Abbas about the horrors of the Holocaust.

HOWEVER, winners in the last Palestinian election (2006) HAMAS has a different take on this. Rather than looking at this for the bridge building attempt that it was, or just keeping their mouths shut... Hamas had this to say:

“It was an unjustified and unhelpful visit that served only the Zionist occupation," said Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman. 

Barhoum also repeated Hamas’ belief that the Holocaust was a fabrication, by claiming that the visit by Bandak was “a marketing of a false Zionist alleged tragedy."

Also.. there is this:

A comment piece published by the Hamas-run Filastin newspaper also criticised Mr Bandak's visit. 

"What is the wisdom in such a simple step that supports the Jews and their crimes?... Neither the Jews nor we believe that Hitler killed six millions Jews," the article read

In 2009 the Hamas-led administration in the Gaza Strip resisted attempts to introduce lessons about the Holocaust in UN-run schools.

What makes this particularly disturbing (as if Holocaust Denial was not disturbing enough) is that Hamas is and has been the government in the Gaza Strip after winning the National Palestinian Elections in 2006 with 44.45% of the vote. However, their "star" has fallen with the Palestinian electorate and now they trail (or as of June 2012) Fatah 49% - 44%
 
STILL with 44% of the vote they remain a popular force. In this case the P.A. did the right thing. Reaching out to understanding the other side of the conflict. That should be applauded. Hamas on the other hand should be roundly condemned and shunned for this racist and mind bendingly idiotic commentary.

Hamas continues it's quest to shut down Freedom

Yesterday it was Hamas beating up on Shiite worshippers and then denying their existence. Today, it is them wiping out the Palestinian version of "American Idol" or "The X Factor". Maan News is reporting: Hamas Bans 'New Star' singing contest:

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip has banned residents of the coastal enclave from participating in the national reality singing show "New Star."....

....Hasan Abu Hashish, who heads the media office in the Hamas-run government, told Ma'an's public relations director Ala al-Abed that the program was "indecent."

The contest contradicts the customs and traditions of the Gaza community, Abu Hashish said, adding that singing was the passion of a few and not in the interests of the majority of the community.

Interestingly the talkbacks in the Maan piece seem to be providing an interesting arguments between some Palestinians and other Islamic partisans from other parts of the world. Usually I don't deal or care about talkbacks but these have a slightly different tone. What I notice is that the secular Palestinians are calling for a State for Palestinians and are seeing this purely on a national level. At the same time those from outside of Palestine AND religious supporters of Hamas are seeing this in global terms. Read through the talkbacks, they are interesting for the most part.

However, with all of this, Hamas represents a far greater % of the Palestinian Polity than does the PFLP activist posting in the talkbalks in favor of a more Western Style of Government.

Correspondingly, though Hamas is getting a lot of press a Norwegian think tank study over six years finds that Ismail Haniyeh's overall standing with Palestinian Polity is far lower than that of P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas. Interestingly, according to the survey only 25% of Palestinians feel that either Governmental organization (The Palestinian Authority or Hamas) satisfactory in advancing democracy and only 30% feel either is satisfactorally promoting Human Rights. YET... these are the bodies that are advancing the cause of Statehood and a One State solution (though the PA in theory supports a "Two State Solution).

In the meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been conducting talks to "unify the Palestinian Resistance". It is important to remember that both Hamas and P.I.J. have agreed to join the PLO and as a result this deal will have direct implications on any potential Peace Talks or negotiations with Israel towards ending the Occupation (which honestly Israel does not seem to be in a hurry to do) AND establishing a modern, democratic Palestinian State. 

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The leader of Gaza's government Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday called for an in-depth dialogue between his Hamas party and Islamic Jihad, an official said.

Muhammad al-Hindi, an Islamic Jihad leader, said the two sides hoped to unify the Palestinian resistance forces. He said this was an Islamic and national duty.

He said bringing the two sides into closer cooperation was important due to the uprisings across the Arab world, which the factions hope to give a more "Islamic dimension."

Al-Hindi praised Haniyeh's call and said talks were already underway at home and abroad.

For proponents of a peaceful solution whether it be a One State solution or a "faux" Two State solution (Israel exists but all the Palestinian refugees and their descendents from the 1948 War of Independence get to move back to Israel - thus causing a demographic shift in favor of Palestinians and in effect creating Palestine and Palestine), this combination CANNOT be heartening. Islamic Jihad has rejected non-violence as a part of "resistance" as has Hamas.

How the PLO will reconcile this with their plans for unity is unknown and an Israeli reaction to unity with Hamas and P.I.J. joining the process (a process they both oppose) is sure to be both strong and in the opposite direction of those who think that this unification will serve the purpose of creating either Two States or Peace.

Please discuss.

Hamas and PFLP: Peace or Unity... Take your choice.

Well, the erstwhile partner and winner of the 2006 Palestinian elections Hamas has said their piece.
Hamas who is negotiating with the Palestinian Authority run by President Mahmoud Abbas to form a unity government just upped the ante wrt to negotiations saying choose Unity or Peace with Israel.
Senior Hamas negotiator Mahmoud Zahar told Maan News as much saying:

"The changing factors around us are in our favor ... they are not in favor either of Fatah's project or those with whom it cooperates, including the Israeli enemy," he said, watched by his bodyguards.

"It all depends on Fatah's policy now," Zahhar said. "If Fatah wants the (unity) agreement to be accomplished, we will be ready. If they do not want, then we are sitting here and the future is ours."

Zahar, bouyed by the victory of Islamist parties in Egypt (the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist Al-Nour parties) also had this to say in direct contradiction to Hamas' Damascus based leader Khaled Meshaal:

Zahhar said Hamas was not prepared to relinquish the fight against Israel under any circumstances. He denied that Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal, based in Damascus, had endorsed Abbas's concept of non-violent "popular resistance" against Israel.

"Popular resistance includes both Fatah agenda, which speaks of protests only, and the Hamas position which advocates gathering all means of military armament for the sake of self-defense," Zahhar said.

He foresaw a rising tide of Islamism in the Arab world which would strengthen the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh on a visit to the new government of Tunisia had this to say:

"We promise you that we will not cede a single part of Palestine, we will not cede Jerusalem, we will continue to fight and we will not lay down our arms," he said. He urged "the people of the revolution to fight the army of al-Quds" as Jerusalem is known in Arabic.

"To Tunisia we say: 'It is us today who are going to build the new Middle East'." Haniya insisted "We will not recognize Israel," as the crowd chanted: "Death to Israel", "The Tunisian revolution supports Palestine", and "The army of Mohammed is back". Some wiped their feet on the Star of David.

Greeting Haniyeh's visit in Tunisia were a band of anti-Semites who chanted:

Islamist activists welcoming Haniya were heard chanting slogans like: "Kill the Jews, it is our duty", along with anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian messages....

....Videos circulated online showing members of the crowd greeting Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh at the airport on Thursday chanting "kill the Jews" and "crush the Jews." The chants came from Salafists, ultraconservative Muslims that have been making their presence felt in Tunisia recently.

This frightened the small Tunisian Jewish community, and prompted the leader of the new Islamist Government in Tunisia to State:

The head of Tunisia's moderate Islamic party condemned Monday anti-Semitic slogans chanted by a handful of ultraconservative Muslims at the arrival of a top Hamas official. "Ennahda condemns these slogans which do not represent Islam's spirit or teachings, and considers those who raised them as a marginal group," Ghannouchi said in a statement.

According to Haaretz, Zahar and Haniyeh are seeing:

He foresaw a rising tide of Islamism in the Arab world which would strengthen the Palestinian cause.

"What is coming in Egypt, in Tunisia, in Libya and currently in Sudan is supportive of the Palestinian cause, not as in the past a strategic supporter of the Israeli occupation," he said.

"What is coming is a thousand times better than in the past. Therefore we have to invest in these achievements by the Arab street for the sake of achieving the fundamental goals of the Palestinian people, the liberation of land and the return of (refugees)," Zahar added.

Apparently moderation and peace are not first and foremost (or even last and least) on the Hamas wishlist. The question then is what does this mean for both the Palestinian Unity talks AND for Israeli - Palestinian on-going negotiations in Amman, Jordan.

Just for information it is not only the Islamists who oppose a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The secular Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestion (PFLP) had this to say about the talks in Amman:

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine warned on Monday that PLO meetings with Israeli envoys were set to harm reconciliation between Palestinian factions, as Hamas reiterated its opposition to the talks.

 PLO delegates are due to meet representatives of the Israeli government in the Jordanian capital later on Monday, in the second such talks since last week, called by the international Quartet.

But the leftist PFLP, long opposed to negotiations based on the two-state solution, has called the meetings a "grave political mistake," and called on Monday for President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from talks to focus on the fraying reconciliation deal between political rivals Fatah and Hamas.

"Such meetings poison the atmosphere for reconciliation efforts," senior PFLP leader Kayid Al-Ghoul said in a press release.

Oh well.... So much for claims that unity would be bring about a peaceful settlement OR that the Palestinian factions give a crap about Peace.

Semi Daily Discussion News Wrap up

Here we go for Tuesday, December 20th:

First off we have this tidbit from Haaretz: Barak: U.S. committed to Israel's security more than ever before

Despite attempts from those with "ODS" (Obama Derangement Syndrome) to try to convince American Jews not to vote for President Obama because supposedly he is bad for Israel at least the Israelis are not falling for that one. Here is Defense Minister Ehud Barak talking about America and Israel:


photo courtesy of Haaretz

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday that "the U.S. stands besides Israel in terms of its security more than ever before," and that "both countries agree that everything should be done to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon." \

Speaking with reporters at a Hanukkah ceremony in the Efraim IDF Base that was attacked by right-wing settlers a week ago, Barak said that "it is still time for diplomacy, but we will see what will happen as time goes on."
Panetta said Israel's concern for a nuclear Iran is a "common concern" of the U.S., and that Washington would not rule out a military attack.

"The United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. That's a red line for us and that's a red line, obviously, for the Israelis," he told CBS.

Meanwhile, the U.S.¬ and other nations meeting Tuesday in Rome to discuss sanctions against Iran for its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons have resolved to boost pressure on Tehran to restart negotiations, Italian foreign ministry officials said.

Oh well so much for those right wing memes

Our second story comes courtesy of Jeremy's Knesset Blog (a great resource for info. on what is actually being discussed in the Knesset.

First of all - the Government today threw back three no-confidence measures:

* Kadima’s no-confidence motion titled ‘The Netanyahu government undermines the middle class and the disadvantaged groups’ was defeated 32-48 with 40 MKs not present.
* Hadash, Ra’am-Ta’al and Balad’s joint no-confidence motion titled ‘The government is trying to bury the demands of social justice’ was defeated 30-49 with 41 MKs not present.
* Labor and Meretz’s joint no-confidence motion titled ‘The IDF’s decision to bury the Segev Committee report requiring equality between men and women’ was defeated 30-49 with 41 MKs not present.

Second of all one can see here that there were some important bills to vote on and one was a Tax Bill. Unlike in the U.S. where Republican politicians are holding the economy country hostage to their claims of cutting taxes on the Rich, the Israelis (even the right to a small degree is getting somethings partially right). Though this does not in my opinion go far enough - it's a good start:

Funds Committee Chairman Gafni (U.T.J.) explained the amendment would raise the corporate tax by 1% to 25%. It would also lower income tax in the NIS 8,000 – 14,000 per month bracket by 2%, raise the negative income tax on women by 50%, raise men’s bonus points by two for children under the age of 3, and raise the senior citizens’ interest tax exemption from NIS 9,000 to NIS 13,000 per month for an individual and up to NIS 16,000 for a couple. In addition, the amendment would grant the authorization and transfer of property of secondhand homes to the buyer after the tax authority receives a portion of the purchase tax- NIS 7,500 for apartments built after 2001 and NIS 15,000 for apartments built before.  The amendment would also lower interest rates on mortgages of under NIS 220,000 by 1% only for 2012. He stated the bill will help the middle class at the expense of the rich elite and the bill will assist families in buying their homes.

Our third note comes also from Jeremy's Knesset blog. Please note the comments of the N.U. and Hadash representatives. These are the extremes that are gaining footholds within their respective (Palestinian and Israeli) polities. Of course it should be noted that these folks still do represent the extremes and that in next eleceions right now they do not poll particularly highly (with the exception of Yisrael Betainu). Here it is in full:

Amendment to the Museums Bill

MK Ariel (N.U.) explained the amendment would apply the museum bill to Judea and Samaria. He noted four museums that would now be able to receive government funding like other Israeli museums. He asked why 400,000 Judea and Samaria residents have taxation without representation as unequal citizens under Israeli law. He expressed hope that this will be the first step in righting that wrong.

MK Molla  (Kadima) announced that Kadima had decided to allow every MK to vote according to their belief on this bill. He expressed his view that Israel should end the occupation and that he will support this bill until the residents of Judea and Samaria return to Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

MK Barakeh (Hadash) called this bill a win to the land grabbers, hilltop youth and price taggers. He called on the government to fund a Palestinian museum on the occupation and settler violence. He said that the settlers are not citizens and therefore do not deserve rights. He stated his belief that the settlements are temporary.

MK Swaid (Hadash) said that this bill is meant to annex Judea and Samaria into Israel. He said the land is occupied and can’t be annexed. He said this bill is parallel to the construction of a museum of tolerance over a Muslim cemetery. He asked if Israel wants to annex the King Solomon borders and rule over the whole Middle East.

MK Khenin (Hadash) said this bill teaches us that Israel is still trying to play the Zionist game of the 1940s. He said that the world will never accept the occupation and that Israel will eventually give up on ruling over the Palestinians.

MK El-Sana (R.T.) accused Netanyahu for supporting a two state solution of Israel and a second country for the settlers of Judea and Samaria, leaving nothing for the occupied Palestinians. He said that the Jews have no historical or geographic claim to Israel. He said as the decedents of Abraham the Palestinians deserve at least 50% of historic Palestine.

MK Zahalka (Balad) stated there is a normalization of the occupation and that is the reason this bill doesn’t receive press coverage. He called the bill a violation of international law. He called Israel a criminal nation.

MK Eichler (U.T.J.) supported the bill and praised it. He slammed the Muslims for denying the Jewish state of Israel and the Supreme Court for accepting many of these ridiculous Muslim claims.

MK Ben Ari (N.U.) rejected the Palestinian claims that they are Jebozites, noting that they were idol worshipers, not Arabs or Abrahamites. He praised the bill.

MK Rotem (Y.B.) noted that there was never any Palestinian state and that Israel conquered Judea and Samaria from Jordan. He said that the U.N. partition plan called for a Jewish land and an Arab land, and both were created- Israel and Jordan. He stated that the Palestinian people are a new invention, their land is not occupied and the bill is not a violation of international law. He praised the bill.

The bill passed its first reading 19-3 and was sent to the Culture Committee.

Our next story comes from Maan News where despite claims of progress to a "unity government" Eight of the smaller Palestinian factions walked out when told they could not participate because they were not part of the PLO. Apparently, the so-called "democratic movement" representing the Palestinians is not very democratic at all.

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- A member of the Hamas political bureau said Tuesday that attendees at a meeting to discuss reconciliation postponed the decisive issue of PLO membership until later in the week.

Izzat al-Risheq said “elections dates were discussed and agreed on forming a central elections committee. The committee is formed from one delegate from each party and they will meet tonight”.

Risheq's comments came after eight factions walked out of a meeting meant to represent all parties after being told they could not participate because they were not part of the PLO.....

The Popular Resistance Movement, the Popular Resistance Committees, the al-Ahrar Movement, Fatah al-Intifada, as-Saiqa and the Popular Struggle Front were excluded, sources at the talks said.

“The insistence by Fatah to exclude eight Palestinian factions from reconciliation dialogue ... casts doubt upon Fatah’s attitude to reconciliation," a statement from the PRM said.

"Such an attitude only maintains a state of disagreement."

Now it also should be mentioned that in Lebanon yesterday some of the smaller factions traded gunfire with Fateh affiliated people in a Palestinian refugee camp. It will be interesting to see how the autocratic nature of the PLO deals with political challenges from outside of it's ranks. Even more interesting to see how those moves will affect any potential peace with Israel.

For our next story we have some news coming from Israel and the Prime Ministers office regarding recent Price Tag attacks where PM Netanyahu just called Price tag attacks a "stain on the State":

"If you take the whitest shirt and slap it with a single stain, then the whole shirt is stained. This incident stains the State of Israel as a law abiding nation," he said. "We must join forces against this extremist phenomenon and erase this stain.

Netanyahu denounced "price tag" acts, saying "we cannot accept vandalism of mosques or harming police officers, soldiers or innocent people. This can happen, but if it does, we must act with full authority against the perpetrators."

Interestingly enough apparently though some Right Wing critics don't call the acts of physical attacks with stones (unless Palestinians do it), or defacing Holy Sites and other "price tag" attacks terror. The Israeli Government and Military does. Who knew they were not as strong defenders of Israel as the keyboard commando's here in the states (just kidding - I knew that). Here is Defense Minister Barak speaking to that:

"Some 99.9% of settlers are law abiding people. We must protect them and the Palestinians that are under our control," he said.


Answering to reporters' questions, Barak said he considered the incident an act of terror. "This transgression in my opinion is self-made terrorism and our duty is to do everything we can to stop it, including emergency regulations and punishments."

Now when the government actually does something about stopping settlers from burning down Olive fields and throwing stones at Palestinians in the same manner that they crack down on Palestinian Stone throwers then I will give more creedence to their words. However, this is a start. Perhaps the government is seeing the hydra that it is releasing when it refuses to deal with the settlers when they attack the Palestinians. Even IDF soldiers in the Territories comment on this.

In a related story our final piece is regarding Quartet condemnation of Israeli housing in the West Bank and East J'slem. Haaretz is reporting that European members of Security Council condemn Israeli settlements, settler violence. Yep, pissing off the UNSC particularly when the P.A. is moving in the U.N. is really not helpful to the Israeli cause.

"We call on the Israeli government to reverse these steps," the statement said. "The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel's long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements."

The statement, issued following the 15-country Security Council's closed-door discussion on the situation in the Middle East, condemned Israeli settlers' violence against the Palestinians, including the burning of the Nebi Akasha mosque in West Jerusalem and the Burqa mosque in the West Bank.

It called on Israeli leaders to boldly demonstrate political will and leadership to break the impasse in negotiations with the Palestinians. It called on both Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a package of proposals to settle security and border issues in order to advance negotiations toward ending the conflict.

The four countries reiterated support for the creation of a "sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state living in peace and security side by side with Israel."

Ron Prosser, the Israeli Ambassador responded to the statement by the UNSC. by saying: "HEY... LOOK OVER THERE!" (/snark - I couldn't help it)... Prosser did make some comments that did make sense in that the UN does turn a blind eye to many of the injustices in the world and does hold Israel to a higher standard than anyone else. At the same time... simply put. The UNSC is not wrong here. Settler violence is a problem. No amount of saying "SQUIRREL" (reference to the movie "Up") is really going to make a difference. As to the settlements, they do stand in the way of a peace deal. If Israel won't put out a "map" then how can anyone tell what they are doing. Either they want to annex the West Bank or not. If not, why continue building?

Anyway please discuss.

Shalom and Happy Chanukah!