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Kasteele,
Neither Israel, Egypt, nor the Quartet are responsible for the misery of the civilians in gaza. Hamas can claim sole responsibility for that. They have it within their power to end this whole blockade and bring the population of gaza into the palestinian fold and join the community of nations, but instead of choosing peace for the population they are responsible for, they choose war and the blockade and ostracization by the community of nations.
This is their latest attempt to end any kind of peace talks (or as hamas calls it, "collaboration with the enemy)
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US says Hebron attack must not derail Middle East talks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11148097
On the eve of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the US has appealed to both sides not to let the killing of four Jewish settlers near Hebron derail the talks.
The military wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas said it had carried out the "heroic operation".
The Israeli and Palestinian leaders are to meet on Thursday for the first direct talks in two years.
Mr Netanyahu's spokesman, Nir Hefetz, said the prime minister had "ordered the security forces to act without diplomatic limitations in order to catch the murderers".
"Terror will not determine Israel's borders or the future of the settlements," Mr Hefetz added on arrival in the US.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad also condemned the attack, saying it went "against Palestinian interests".
The attack took place near Bani Naim after dark on Highway 60, a busy route used by both Palestinians and Jewish settlers.
The four victims - two men and two women, one of whom was pregnant - were reportedly shot at from a passing vehicle.
On its website, the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, declared "its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron".
Earlier, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri said the attack had been "a natural response to the crimes of the occupation".
Israeli settlers group the Yesha Council said it would restart construction in the West Bank in protest at the attack, in defiance of a government freeze on new building in West Bank settlements.
Working dinner
When they meet Mrs Clinton on Thursday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Mr Netanyahu will be in the same room for the first time in almost a year.
In preparation for the talks, President Barack Obama is to meet Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas individually on Wednesday. He is also scheduled to meet King Abdullah of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
US envoy George Mitchell - whose shuttle diplomacy helped bring Mr Netanyahu and Mr Ammas to the negotiating table - said the goal of reaching a deal within a year was intended to counter the sense that the process was never-ending.
"It's very important to create a sense that this has a definite concluding point. And we believe that it can be done," he added.
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Islamist groups attempt to derail Middle East talks
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0904/1224278203442.html
HAMAS AND 12 radical Palestinian groups are joining forces to co-ordinate attacks against Israel in an effort to torpedo the drive for Middle East peace.
...... rejectionist groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and smaller left-wing militant organisations, met in Gaza.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, said resistance will be stepped up and all options were open. “We declare that the actions of resistance have gone into a new and advanced stage of co-operation in the field at the highest levels in preparation for more effective attacks against the enemy.”
Previous peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians prompted a wave of suicide bombings inside Israel. Israeli security forces have been placed on a high level of alert and have set up additional checkpoints on roads in the West Bank.
“The useless round of negotiations provides a cover for the Zionist aggression against our people,” Mr Abu Abaida said. “We will not allow these negotiations to pass over, and resistance will have its loud voice as an answer to the land-selling negotiation.”
Tuesday’s shooting, in which four settlers were killed, prompted a crackdown by president Abbas’s security forces in the West Bank.
Hundreds of Hamas activists were arrested and two suspects linked to the second attack, in which two settlers were wounded, were arrested.
In contrast to previous attacks in the West Bank, Israeli officials did not blame the Palestinian Authority. Indeed, Israeli security sources went out of their way to praise the actions against Hamas. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader in Gaza, said Mr Abbas does not have a mandate to negotiate with Israel, and the Palestinians would not recognise any agreement.
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I imagine this meeting was called by hamas, and no doubt it was done with hamas approval.
I wonder if hezbollah wants to join that group?
So, hamas hasn't really been trying before?
If all the gazan terrorist groups are organized in their efforts, does this mean hamas really IS in charge? if so, can we assign responsibility for all the terrorist attacks from now on on hamas?
The more progress that is made in peace talks, the more desperate hamas becomes. Violence and destruction are their only tools now.
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Two Heads, No Brain
I love it! How appropriate!
*chuckles* I'd have to agree with that!
This writer is absolutely correct. Palestinian unity is an absolute must! The palestinian people must decide for themselves. The existing disunity will destroy them.
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Fateh and Hamas: Two Heads, No Brain
by Sherri Muzher
(Monday, September 6, 2010)
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/78020
"A national unity government is a must! No ifs, ands, or buts. It’s neither a choice nor a luxury. It is a necessity. They need to provide a united front. It would give decisions more teeth and the people would finally feel like they are being led by leaders, not children in a schoolyard. Those who hinder efforts at Palestinian unity, internally or externally, are not friends of the Palestinian people."
....no comprehensive peace could ever come about without the approval of both major Palestinian political parties.
That brings me to Fateh and Hamas, both of whom are ignoring the people's demand for unity in order to maintain meaningless power.
Two heads, no brain.
The first head belongs to Fateh, secular and widely viewed as corrupt and ineffective. Days before the direct negotiations, President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly said, “If there is a one percent chance of achieving peace, I will follow it. I am convinced in this because we want to reach peace with our neighbors “
And then there is Hamas, the second head. Religious and widely viewed as intimidating and ineffective, they have amped the violence in order to "be heard." It can be argued that the violence against Israeli settlers is in retaliation for the numbers of Palestinian farmers and schoolchildren killed or wounded, but there is no mistaking the timing. And if they were that concerned about their people, why not step down so that Gazans can eat amidst a barbaric Israeli siege? The welfare of people comes before election results.
Each claim to be the protectors of the Palestinian Cause yet each one has greatly harmed it. The great strength of pluralism that has been symbolic of the Palestinian struggle from day one now threatens to be its greatest weakness. In the past, there were differences in ideology and tactics but one line was NEVER crossed -- Palestinians spilling Palestinian blood. Not so anymore as Fateh and Hamas have traded live ammunition, resulting in dozens killed.
What possible purpose does the ill-fated rivalry between Fateh and Hamas serve? It is hardly an exaggeration to say that there was greater leadership under the First Intifada (1987–1993) when power was concentrated on the grassroots level.
While I was not a fan of the late Yasser Arafat, few can dispute that his legacy incorporated the unity of the Palestinians. The same will never be said for Fateh’s Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh.
Unfortunately for now, each is finding solace in the arms of others – others who give little damn for them or the Palestinians. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality is prevailing.
Until they wake up, Fateh and Hamas remain two heads and no brain.
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note: I only included parts of this article.
go to the site to see the entire article.
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note: I only included parts of this article.
go to the site to see the entire article.
why, they already have one visitor every day, why would they want more blind followers?
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true, is really true, there would be little hope of advance......
Orville Wright
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Kasteele,
I am not a blind follower. I have been following the interactions between the palestinians and the israelis for many years now, and I've formed my opinions based on the facts I've seen. I'm certainly open to changing my opinion in the face of new facts. However, you don't present facts, you present sarcasm and innuendo, neither of which are enough to form an informed opinion.
I will say this.....neither side is blameless. Both sides have pride and stubborness. There is enough blame to throw around.
However, I find hamas particularly egregious. Israel has bent over backwards to treat them better than they deserve. I think Israel deserves commendations for how well they've treated those criminals.
After posting an article like this, all you can comment on is the frequency that I allegedly visit this site? How would you know how often I visit any sites? I was hoping you (or someone!!) might have some cogent thought regarding this subject.
if you are insinuating that this is a site I visit every day, then you are wrong. I don't remember ever visiting this site before. (but, I will check it out occasionally in the future.)
I didn't include the whole article (which is normal for me) because of the space it would take up. I figure anyone that is interested will visit the site and see the article for themselves.
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But, Two heads and No brain is a good description of Palestinian Leadership. They do not act in the best interests of the palestinian people. And this article raises a good point that I have neglected to mention.
"In the past, there were differences in ideology and tactics but one line was NEVER crossed -- Palestinians spilling Palestinian blood. Not so anymore as Fateh and Hamas have traded live ammunition, resulting in dozens killed. "
but even in this, hamas is largely to blame, having started the palestinian bloodshed when they took over gaza by force.
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I do not present anything to argue the points any longer, because you and others, simply twist the facts to sound like Israel,s sweet song of destruction. Or better understood, that you think Israel is the home of god or some silly thing like that. As for you, you even throw in the odd shot at Israel, just to be able to "appear" unbiased. I on the other hand, do not bother with kissing the ass of the Israeli government. .
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true, is really true, there would be little hope of advance......
Orville Wright
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Kasteele,
you have no room to talk about "twisting facts". We could all take lessons from you in that respect.
You just throw things out there, and you do not present a url to back up your posts.
I'm glad you choose to not argue the points any longer because your illogic and lack of facts make your arguments meaningless. (although, I hate to admit that there have been moments when you've presented a cogent argument, probably by accident, that has made me consider another viewpoint, however, those moments are few and far between.)
I may present news articles with an anti-hamas slant, but, that's the subject of this thread. You, on the other hand, are so virulently anti-Israel, that you are incapable of unbiased, pragmatic talk on the subject. Instead of speaking in a thoughtful proactive manner, you instead choose knee jerk reactions with little or no thought behind them.
and I apologize to any that read this for my taking time away from the subject of hamas to respond to this obsfucator.
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Perhaps this explains a language difference?
You just throw things out there, and you do not present a url to back up your posts.
You seem to be saying that by doing this, I am twisting facts. I am putting out un-backed statements, but according to English way of wording, that is not twisting. And if by twisting, you mean challenging people to think for themselves, that is cool. I do not however, switch facts around, to make them say something other than they do. Which is a habit of a few people around here. Try to keep in mind, American is OBVIOUSLY not English, so there could be definition differences here.
If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true, is really true, there would be little hope of advance......
Orville Wright
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Analysis: Hamas stuck between peace talks and the IDF
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=188269
Hamas is on the horns of a dilemma. On the one hand it has made a strategic decision to increase its terror attacks against Israel – 10 rockets were fired into Israel on Wednesday – in order to torpedo the peace talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
On the other hand, Hamas does not want to go too far with its attacks, to the point that Israel will feel compelled to send two IDF divisions into Gaza and carry out Operation Cast Lead II.
As a result, Hamas in recent weeks has allowed the jaljalat (Arabic for thunder) groups – al-Qaida and global jihad proxies based in Gaza and made up mostly of former Hamas operatives – to launch attacks into Israel.
While it has given these groups the green light for small operations, it is also restraining them and not allowing large attacks that could end in many casualties on the Israeli side and force the IDF back into Gaza.
There are, however, additional factors. Hamas in Gaza is torn between two camps. The first is the political echelon led by Ismail Haniyeh, which is believed to be more in favor of restraint because it fears a harsh Israeli response.
The second camp is led by Hamas’s military wing Izzadin Kassam and its chief Ahmed Jabari, who is pushing to return to the days before Cast Lead, pre- December 2008, when it was firing dozens of rockets a day.
While Hamas’s focus is on rebuilding damaged infrastructure and obtaining new longrange rockets, the military wing is genuinely frustrated with the restrictions placed on its freedom to attack Israel.
n contrast to the media, the IDF did not make a big deal Wednesday about the firing of at least two mortar shells containing phosphorus into Israel.
Israel, for its part, plans to continue with its current policy, which can be described as an “eye-for-an-eye.”
On the one hand, Israel will strike back at Gaza, as it did Wednesday afternoon by bombing a terror tunnel in southern Gaza, but on the other hand, it will not, at this stage, launch a major operation on the ground inside Gaza.
This stems from intelligence assessments that the current wave of violence will run out following the Jewish holiday season in a little over a week. The belief is that Hamas is letting its operatives and proxies let off steam from a month of Ramadan when it did not really attack Israel at all.
The same intelligence assessments predict, though, that while this wave will soon end, it will not be the last and as the peace talks pick up speed and progress, so will the terrorism from Gaza.
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I think this an accurate, if over simplified assessment of hamas current situation. hamas greatly fears forcing Israel into another large scale operation, but they also greatly want to derail the peace talks and have some sort of legitimacy among nations.
They can't rearm, so they'll likely fire small stuff into Israel sporadically, and the news media will largely ignore them.
After the peace talks produce a true agreement and the possibility for peace exists, hamas will be even more alienated than they are now. They will not be in a position to ignore existing treaties anymore since they are now alienated and not a part of the peace process. They are outsiders in every sense of the word.
But, what of the civilians of gaza? They have been left out of the peace process, and as long as they continue to be held hostage by hamas, they can't even claim to be part of a sovereign state. Over a million innocent people being held hostage. THAT is going to be the legacy of hamas.
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Hamas, Fatah Move Closer to Deal
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Hamas-Fatah-Move-Closer-to-Deal-103785094.html
Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah have announced an agreement on ways to share power and end their divisions, saying they will hold more talks before signing a final Egyptian-mediated deal next month.
Hamas official Izzat Rashaq said the next meeting is expected during the first week of October. The two groups then plan to sign the agreement in Cairo, clearing the way for new Palestinian elections. Hamas had previously rejected the Egyptian proposal.
Reconciliation between the two factions is considered critical because Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas needs a unanimous stance to back newly restarted talks with Israel.
Hamas militants oppose peace with Israel and have threatened to derail the negotiations with violence. Hamas accuses Mr. Abbas and his moderate Fatah faction of treason for engaging in the talks.
Mr. Abbas, speaking at the talks, vowed that Fatah security services will continue to crack down on militants, including Hamas members, who use violence to thwart the negotiations.
Two years of Egyptian mediation had previously failed to heal the rift between Hamas militants, supported by Iran, and the secular Fatah movement.
Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007 and Israel responded by placing the territory under an economic blockade. The Islamist group has vowed to continue attacks on Israeli settlers.
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This is just another stalling tactic by hamas. They have no intention of any kind of reconciliation with Fatah. They just desparately seek any kind of recognition or legitimacy in the eyes of the community of nations.
They intend to derail the peace talks with any means available.
But, who knows? Maybe they are willing to sign an agreement. Then, the issue becomes, will they abide by the agreement they have signed? They have a history of not abiding by written agreements.
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