Israel responds to Hamas-Fatah reconciliation
On Sunday, Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said he had suspended the transfer of NIS 300 million ($88 million) in customs and other levies which Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), due to the PA’s forging a unity government with the terror group Hamas, who are opposed to peace talks with Israel. He stated that under a Palestinian unity government these taxes could end up in Hamas’ hands and be used to fund terrorism.
P.A. Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad (Photo: REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini)
As part of an interim peace agreement reached between Israel and the P.A., the Israel allows its ports to be used for Palestinian imports and exports. Israeli authorities collect customs on behalf of the P.A. for all products coming in and out of Israeli ports and then transfers the money to the P.A.. The customs and levies which Israel collects and transfers make up two thirds of the P.A.’s annual budget.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad declared that Israel’s actions will not prevent the P.A. from seeking a unity government with Hamas, and went on to state that the P.A. has been in touch with “all international forces and parties to stop Israel from taking these measures.”
The P.A. can and will do what it wants on this matter — hopefully without success. But good for Israel for drawing a line in the sand. Not wanting to finance terrorists who are dedicated to your destruction seems like a pretty reasonble position.
Comments (4) »Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 4:46 PM | Amichai Farkas
Bin Laden assassination stirs anger in East Jerusalem, Gaza
Palestinians rioted in East Jerusalem Monday after hearing news of Osama bin Laden’s death. The rioters threw stones at police and attempted to block roads in the Silwan neighborhood, right outside the Old City of Jerusalem.
Hamas, which has recently announced that it is finalizing a reconciliation agreement with the Palestinian Authority, denounced the assassination of bin Laden, hailing him as an ”Arab holy warrior.” Hams leader Ismail Haniyeh condemned the U.S. for killing bin Laden and claimed that this is an example of “American policy based on the oppression and bloodshed in the Muslim and Arab world.”
Hamas’ reaction to bin Laden’s death and the riots in East Jerusalem shouldn’t be too surprising. When terrorists struck the U.S. on 9/11, many Palestinians in Ramallah and East Jerusalem took to the streets and celebrated the news. Though there are many Arabs that did not celebrate and generally steer clear of the tangled politics of the Middle East, anti-American sentiment is pervasive throughout the region.
Islamist propagandists will try to spin the news of bin Laden’s death by saying that he died as a martyr. But there is no question that by taking out the best-known terrorist in the entire world, the U.S. dealt a severe blow to the morale of jihadists around the world.
Comments (12) »Monday, May 2nd, 2011 at 8:03 PM | Amichai Farkas
Jimmy Carter hails “Palestinian reconciliation”
Jimmy Carter is excited. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) have reconciled. Palestinian unity — and peace – are in the air. On Friday the Carter Center issued a statement that includes this quote from the former President:
Jimmy Carter Photo: AP
Based on my years of contacts with Fatah and Hamas, I am confident that, if handled creatively and flexibly by the international community, Hamas’ return to unified Palestinian governance can increase the likelihood of a two-state solution and a peaceful outcome.
No word on whether Hamas’ “return to unified Palestinian governance” includes an agreement by the terrorist group to give up its vow to destroy Israel and a commitment stop killing Jews.
In the Carter Center statement, Mr. Carter also enthusiastically maintains that the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah will help “preserve Palestinian democracy.” Hmmm. The question is: How do you ”preserve” something that never existed in the first place?
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Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at 1:00 PM | David Kuner
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Israel’s foes unite
The Palestinian Authority (P.A.) has reached a deal with Hamas to form an interim government that will include both parties, and they plan to hold Palestinian elections within a year. Currently, the P.A. governs the West Bank while Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.
Photo: REUTERS/Abd Alhalim Abu Aska
Hamas and the P.A. have been sworn enemies for a number of years. Despite this, the two groups seem to agree on one thing: Israel is an even greater enemy, one that needs to be destroyed.
The difference between the two groups is the means by which they hope to achieve their goal. While Hamas openly calls for the destruction of Israel and refuses to negotiate with the Jewish State, the P.A. believes that the Palestinians can achieve the goal through a diplomatic process aimed at weakening the Jewish State’s position and delegitimizing it globally.
The reconciliation between the P.A. and Hamas is seen by many as a way to push a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state through the U.N. General Assembly this September. The P.A. desperately needed to reconcile with Hamas before pursuing this. By uniting the Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza, the international community will be more likely to accept the idea of a Palestinian state. And statehood declaration would serve both the P.A. and Hamas, since neither would have to change their charters calling for Israel’s destruction or be held to any peace deal.
The P.A.’s push for statehood through the U.N., as opposed to a negotiated deal with Israel, as well as its reconciliation with Hamas, is just more evidence that the P.A. – considered the “legitimate” Palestinian government in the eyes of the world – has no interest in peace. The alliance with Hamas is simply an alliance of convenience, meant to achieve a particular end. The formation of a Palestinian state won’t bring peace any closer — only the Palestinians’ acceptance that the Jewish state is here to stay will do that. But neither Hamas nor the P.A. seem willing to take that…
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