No downside there. B
Hamas considering economic disengagement from Israel http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3501759,00.html In interview with London paper, senior advisor to Hamas leader states that organization seeks economic unity with Egypt, which would supply Gaza with fuel, electricity Roee Nahmias Published: 02.02.08, 16:47 / <http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3082,00.html> Israel News Hamas is seriously contemplating severing the Gaza Strip's economic ties with <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284752,00.html> Israel, said Ahmed Yousef, a senior advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister and <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3377113,00.html> Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in a Saturday interview with the London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat Yousef furthermore stated that Hamas has already generated plans and proposals to unite economically with Egypt instead of Israel. According to Hamas, Egypt can serve as 'Gaza's gateway' to the Arab and Muslim world and as its in-depth strategic partner. The organization has already generated plans, likely presented to the Egyptian government during a Hamas delegation visit to Cairo last week, whereupon Egypt can supply the Gaza Strip with fuel and electricity, as well as opening the Rafah Crossing for commerce with Gaza. "Several Arab countries have already expressed marked willingness to trade with Gaza and to fund energy export projects should Egypt prove willing," said Yousef, noting that Hamas wants to bolster Gaza's economy by ending its nearly absolute economic reliance on Israel. When asked whether Hamas is also considering abandoning the use of Israeli currency in the Strip, Yousef indicated that this "might be possible in the future. Residents of Gaza can always trade in American Dollars, Jordanian Dinars or Egyptian Pounds at a later point." Egyptain reaction unclear, Fatah objects It is still unclear how Egypt plans to respond to this Hamas proposal, since this economic disengagement is by no means a quick or simple feat, especially as the Palestinian Authority has signed several binding economic accords with Israel. The Fatah movement's reaction to this Hamas proposal, however, was far more emphatic, and decidedly negative. A spokesman for the Fatah movement, Fahmi Al-Za'areer, stated that "Hamas' proposal to lean on Egypt economically via the Rafah Crossing is a decided disaster, and allows Israel to sever the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, thereby dividing the (Palestinian) state as Israel has always longed to do." Al-Sharq al-Awsat also reported Saturday that senior Palestinian Authority officials blamed <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3285832,00.html%20> Syria for breaching the border fence between Gaza and Egypt in retaliation for Egyptian involvement in <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284170,00.html%20> Lebanon. "What Hamas has done goes hand in hand with and the marked role that Egypt plays in Lebanon," stated the Palestinian officials. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
