The New Palestinian State Will Be Run by Islamic Fundamentalists
by Khaled Abu Toameh <http://www.hudson-ny.org/author/Khaled+Abu+Toameh> May 20, 2011 at 5:00 am http://www.hudson-ny.org/2136/palestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists <http://www.hudson-ny.org/article_send.php?id=2136> Send <http://www.hudson-ny.org/2136/palestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists#com ment_submit> Comment <http://www.hudson-ny.org/rss.xml> RSS Share: <http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hudson-ny.org%2F2136%2 Fpalestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists> Facebook <http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hudson-ny.org%2F2136%2F palestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists&service=bit.ly&source=hudsonnewyor k> Twitter <http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hudson-ny.org%2F2136%2 Fpalestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists> Google Buzz <http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hudson-ny.org%2F2136%2F palestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists&title=The+New+Palestinian+State+Wi ll+Be+Run+by+Islamic+Fundamentalists&bodytext=Many+Palestinians+see+the+reco nciliation+accord+sponsored+by+Egypt%2C+as+a+victory+for+Hamas+and+its+strat egy.+Hamas+leaders+have+even+been+boasting+of+the+fact+that+the+reconciliati on+agreement+between+Hamas+and+Fatah+does+not+require+them+to+recognize...> Digg <http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hudson-ny. org%2F2136%2Fpalestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists&title=The+New+Palesti nian+State+Will+Be+Run+by+Islamic+Fundamentalists¬es=Many+Palestinians+se e+the+reconciliation+accord+sponsored+by+Egypt%2C+as+a+victory+for+Hamas+and +its+strategy.+Hamas+leaders+have+even+been+boasting+of+the+fact+that+the+re conciliation+agreement+between+Hamas+and+Fatah+does+not+require+them+to+reco gnize...> del.icio.us <http://www.hudson-ny.org/facebook_like.php?ref_id=2136&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2 Fwww.hudson-ny.org%2F2136%2Fpalestinian-state-islamic-fundamentalists> Be the first of your friends to like this. Many Palestinians see the reconciliation accord sponsored by Egypt, as a victory for Hamas and its strategy. Hamas leaders have even been boasting of the fact that the reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah does not require them to recognize Israel's right to exist or even abandon the "armed struggle." Hamas is being invited to join a new Palestinian government without having to make any concessions. Hamas is not even being asked to relinquish control over the Gaza Strip, over which it seized control in a violent coup in the summer of 2007. The accord also calls for holding new presidential and parliamentary elections within one year after the establishment of a unity government. There is good reason to believe that Hamas and its allies will again score a major victory in a new election. As the Palestinian Authority is insisting on asking the UN as early as September to recognize a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 lines, and then to hold elections. In September 2011, the UN could vote in favor of a Palestinian state that would later be controlled by fundamentalist Muslims. This means that the Palestinian Authority first wants to get a state and then ask the Palestinians to go to the ballot boxes. If Hamas wins that election, the Palestinians will end up with an internationally recognized state that is run by an Islamist extremist group. There is no guarantee that Hamas will not once again win the elections. In 2006, Hamas's Change and Reform list won the parliamentary election, triggering a power struggle with Fatah, which still has not come to terms with its humiliating defeat. Moreover, the accord allows Hamas to maintain its tight grip on the Gaza Strip. Hamas's security forces and armed militias will continue to control the entire Gaza Strip even after the formation of the unity government with Fatah. The reconciliation agreement allows Hamas to become a full and equal partner in running the affairs of the Palestinians without having to accept conditions set by the international community for recognizing the Islamist movement's authority, the first and foremost of which are renouncing violence and recognizing Israel's right to exist. In recent weeks, Palestinian Authority leaders and spokesmen have been telling their people that Israel "is not interested in peace" and does not want to give the Palestinians anything. Such statements play into the hands of Hamas and drive more Palestinians into the open arms of the Islamist movement. In 2006, the international community refused to see the writing on the wall that Hamas was set to win the parliamentary elections. Fatah continues to suffer from a problem of credibility among many Palestinians, largely because of its failure to reform in wake of its crushing defeat to Hamas in the 2006 election. This disappointment with Fatah comes in addition to the fact that it has so far failed to come up with new and more attractive candidates who could lead the faction toward victory over Hamas. The Palestinian Authority may end up asking for a state in September that would eventually be controlled by its rivals in Hamas. Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad and the UN need to think twice before they embark on such a gamble. It would also be advisable for the Palestinian Authority to postpone its intention to seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state until after presidential and parliamentary elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Related Topics: Khaled Abu Toameh <http://www.hudson-ny.org/author/Khaled+Abu+Toameh> [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.shtmlYahoo! 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: [email protected] [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/
