Hamas has had its share of difficulties since its terrorists took over Gaza earlier this year. They have had to take responsibility for actually governing territory, and the international sanctions have forced them to sell the office furniture to meet just a fraction of its payroll obligations. Gazans have quickly lost patience with Hamas, and now they face a phenomenon that they would normally endorse, if not directed at them:
Over the past two months, Fatah has organized a series of peaceful protests against Hamas in the Gaza Strip; thousands of Fatah supporters participated in open-air prayers to protest against Hamas’s June “coup.”
The protests, which have meanwhile been suspended, led to street clashes between the two parties, seriously embarrassing the Hamas government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
Most of the alleged Fatah operations have targeted security vehicles used by Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. Following the attacks, the Hamas Ministry of Interior, which is in charge of security in the Strip, instructed all its operatives to check their vehicles before using them and to be on alert for roadside bombs.
“Apparently, Fatah is trying to copy the tactics of the anti-American insurgents in Iraq,” said a Palestinian journalist in Gaza City. “It’s ironic that Hamas is now describing the Fatah attacks as acts of terrorism.”
Khaled Abu Hilal, a Fatah dissident closely associated with Hamas, said the latest wave of bombings was designed to destabilize the situation in the Gaza Strip. Accusing Fatah leaders in Ramallah of instructing their men to attack Hamas, he said: “These crimes reflect the terrorist mentality of the murderers and of those who give them the instructions from Ramallah.”
Oh, no! Hamas has to deal with terrorism! What a completely unexpected turn of events! The same government that shoots crude missiles at Israeli elementary schools now has to deal with IEDs. They’re shocked, shocked! to find terrorists in their midst!
The fighting goes both ways, in any case. The two groups have targeted each other for violence ever since Ismail Haniyeh grabbed power in Gaza. Hamas uses Fatah as an excuse for its own failings, and Fatah attacks Hamas to grab power back. Given that the street soldiers for Fatah mainly belong to the al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, the conflict mainly represents a turf war between two terrorist groups.
The Israelis and the rest of the world need to maintain Gaza’s isolation. Hamas has created a terrorist protostate in Gaza, and Hamas has to live with the consequences. When Gazans get tired of Hamas and Fatah, they will have to get rid of them. Until the terrorism ends, not one American dollar should go to Gaza.
Two words:
Deliciously ironic.
Time to make some more popcorn.
” …ever since Ismail Haniyeh grabbed power in Gaza.”
That’s an interesting way of putting it. But power wasn’t “grabbed” it was “given.”
Haniyeh is the duly elected representative of the people. The people elected the radical Hamas, and rejected the slightly less radical Fatah. For Fatah to “grab power” would be to disrupt the democracy.
Surely you aren’t advocating that?
Palestinians WANT leaders who will randomly shoot bombs at Israeli schoolchildren. The world needs to come to grips with that fact. The people of Palestine want murder. They voted for murders and they want the killings to continue.
That’s why they had an election.
janitorsquarters is right, but, really, it’s all the same thing. There’s no reason that the problems of the Arabs of Gaza, Judea, and Samaria should be the problems of anybody else but the Arabs of Gaza, Judea, and Samaria.
However, what Hamas won in elections was majority control of a “government” that still had Fatah elected to it. I think what the Capt. is referring to is when Hamas purged Fatah from Gaza, that was defiantly not by the ballot, but by the gun.
Hamas and Fatah remind me of that scene in Monthy Python’s The Life of Brian where Brian mistakes the People’s Front of Judea for the Judean People’s Front. Of course you’d have to change it a bit.
——————-
BRIAN: Are you the Palestinian People’s Front?
REG: F*** off!
BRIAN: What?
REG: Palestinian People’s Front. We’re the People’s Front of Palestine! Palestinian People’s Front. Cawk.
FRANCIS: Wankers.
BRIAN: Can I… join your group?
REG: No. Piss off.
BRIAN: I didn’t want to sell this stuff. It’s only a job. I hate the Jews as much as anybody.
PEOPLE’S FRONT OF PALESTINE: Shhhh. Shhhh. Shhh. Shh. Shhhh.
REG: Schtum.
JUDITH: Are you sure?
BRIAN: Oh, dead sure. I hate the Jews already.
REG: Listen. If you really wanted to join the P.F.P., you’d have to really hate the Jews.
BRIAN: I do!
REG: Oh, yeah? How much?
BRIAN: A lot!
REG: Right. You’re in. Listen. The only people we hate more than the Jews are the f*****g Palestinian People’s Front.
P.F.P.: Yeah…
JUDITH: Splitters.
P.F.P.: Splitters!
I wonder if those Hamas vehicles are getting blown up with a little American and Isreali help? If not, they should be. The irony of Hamas complaining about terrorism is just too rich.
Not one dime, other than for sabatoge operations, to the so called “Palestinins”
Posted by TomB
Two words:
Deliciously ironic.
[deserved repeating]
Palestinian Sympathy Fatigue is alive and well. All these intolerant, murderous, honor killing, gender apartheiding doofus’ and their never ending quest for power. Perhaps the Palestinian people will get fed up of preachers, militias, wannabe despots who can kill and enforce sha ria – but cannot govern or tend to their constituents and demand consensual government.
Thats one big perhaps though.
The US State Department will soon come to the Gazans rescue.
Have no fear.
“Until the terrorism ends, not one American dollar should go to Gaza.”
What makes you think that it’s proper to take my money and give out to the Gazans even after they stop terrorism?!