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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Experts: Hamas hopes to take over Palestinian cause |
| 2012-11-17 |
| expert is a former drip under pressure. or no sh*t Sherlock The desire of the Palestinian faction Hamas to become the preeminent defender of the Palestinian cause above its hated rivals Fatah is why it forced Israel into a battle despite the massive damage it will cause the Gazan people, experts say. Hamas has risen relatively quickly from a small offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Palestinian territories to the ruling regime in Gaza and among the most prominent propagators of radicalism among the Palestinian people. "The Palestinian militant groups raised the bar this time not only by killing three Israelis but as well as targeting Tel Aviv with a Fajer 5 missile," said Mostafa Al Sawaf, a political analyst in Gaza, referring to new long-range rockets. AIRSTRIKES: Israel expands Gaza attacks "Because Hamas is for the very first time targeting the Israeli capital, it means the movement is insisting on moving forward against the Israelis to the bitter end." Hamas' confrontations with Israel, which included a similar rocket barrage in 2008, have attracted the attention of other Arab regimes, some hostile toward Israel and others dealing with restive anti-Israel populations. The emir of oil-rich Qatar visited recently, the first time such a high-level Arab head of state had done so since Hamas took over Gaza. Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani pledged $400 million in aid for roads, a hospital and housing. Radical imams and anti-Semitic media sites in the Middle East have praised Hamas while scorning Fatah, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, controls the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. While Hamas has attacked Israel with violence, Abbas has been lobbying the United Nations to allow the Palestinians non-state membership in the General Assembly. Hamas has strengthened regional alliances in the wake of the Arab Spring, in which its fellow Muslim Brotherhood members have gained power. Egypt is now helmed by a president from the Muslim Brotherhood, and members are pressing for more influence in states like Jordan, now overseen by a monarchy. Israel did not respond for days to the recent Hamas barrage but the attacks would not cease, forcing it to retaliate. Some experts say that is exactly what Hamas was hoping for. "In many ways they (want) to see Israel react quite harshly because that with bring the Palestinian issue back to the forefront," said Yossi Mekelberg, program director in international relations at Regents University, London in the United Kingdom. "Because if there is no violence, everything is forgotten." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 I'm sure there's an unemployed envoy or two somewhere. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-11-17 21:13 |
| #1 Sweet JESUS! Radicals taking over the Paleo-Cause? What can we do, or Lordy what can we do? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2012-11-17 17:29 |