Hamas has found governance significantly more difficult than agitation, now that it owns the Gaza Strip. When confronted with unrest, they resorted to beating protestors, armed and unarmed, and threatened the Associated Press if they took pictures of the proceedings:
A protest against Hamas rule by thousands of Fatah supporters turned violent yesterday when Hamas forces began dispersing the crowd, firing in the air and beating demonstrators.
The clashes broke out after worshipers held a Friday prayer meeting outside a mosque in a Gaza City public square. Fatah has urged its backers to stay out of mosques, which it says are being used by Hamas to provoke factional fighting among Palestinians.
About 20 people were injured in the clashes, including children, according to doctors and witnesses.
Two journalists were beaten by Hamas supporters, although neither was seriously hurt. Two other French journalists suffered minor injuries from a small explosion.
Fatah didn’t exactly follow the Mohandas K. Gandhi playbook, either. After conducted prayer services outside of Hamas-controlled mosques in Gaza City and Rafah, the protestors in some cases finished their supplication with the traditional pipe-bomb toss that the Palestinians have made so popular. Most of the demonstrations were not violent, however, until Hamas decided that they had tired of dissent.
One of the reasons Hamas lost patience was because of an interesting taunt. Fatah loyalists starting yelling “Shi’ites”, a reference to Hamas’ Iranian ties. Those apparently cause more grief than commonly known in the Palestinian territories, and Hamas — which is nominally Sunni — has a little sensitivity to the charge. The protestors also referred to their Hamas masters as “mercenaries”, another reference to Iran.
Hamas also has a sensitivity about free speech, as in they don’t like it. While meting out the beatings, Hamas took the time to pay the Associated Press a visit in their offices. They told the AP not to film the outside of their security offices from the AP balcony or roof — and they brought their guns to underscore their point. They had arrested over two dozen “subverters”, and apparently didn’t want images of the detainees to make it to the wires.
It doesn’t sound as if Hamas is enjoying their power grab. Certainly the people of Gaza haven’t found it palatable, and the example it sets for Islamist rule has to be bracing for moderates in the region. If the beatings don’t improve Gaza morale soon, what will Hamas do next?
“If the beatings don’t improve Gaza morale soon, what will Hamas do next?
A few public executions?
Public stonings?
Public beheadings?
I think the headline should read:
The Bombings, Killings, Jew-Baiting And Other Jihad Stuff Will Continue Until Morale Improves
I’d be a bit careful with the usage that Hamas is “nominally Sunni.” In evangelical circles, the term “nominal” has the meaning of being not-particularly-faithful, like a “RINO”, a “nominal Christian” would be a Christian in name only.
If anything, the Hamas folks are more devoutly Muslim (and mostly Sunni Muslim, yes) on average than Fatah; it comes with a big devotion to the lesser jihad, but devout to be sure. Fatah is more on the secular side; recall that Arafat had a Christian (at least nominally so) wife.
A bit of obvious truth: There is no such thing as the ends justifying the means. Because the means ARE the ends.
“If the beatings don’t improve Gaza morale soon, what will Hamas do next?
Mass executions.
just goes to show that one man can alter history if he kills the right men.
Yagal Amir killed such a man. If not for Amir we would have had a permanent and just peace between Israel and the Palestine by now. i have no doubt about this.
Eventually they will establish such a peace – but it is still 10-20 years away.
That asshat fanatic Amir set back history 30 years.
May Rabin RIP
The problem seems intractable. Just as Hamas starts to find itself faced with problems that cannot be solved with the indiscriminate, brutal force it enjoys, Hizb ut-Tahrir (or however it’s spelled) is on the rise in the West Bank.
The idea that Rabin would have brought peace is hilarious. Rabin would have handed Gaza and the West Bank over to the Palestinians without the beating Israel gave the terrorist groups between 2000 – 2005, without the security barrier, without any of the things that have saved hundreds if not thousands of innocent Israeli lives the past two, three years. Rabin’s policies would have resulted in a Jewish bloodbath, followed by an even greater Palestinian one.
CLASS: Here’s your lesson for today.
The mob in gazoo, climbed into and on top of buses, that they were going to use to punch thru INTO EYGPT.
As far as all arab leadership goes; all the people are merely fodder. So, Hamas did what it had to do, to protect itself from a storm Mubarak can break on Haniyah’s head.
We’re not at a critical juncture, though. Because, Haniyah, as far as I know, has not gone into hiding. (Oh, and Abbas is still alive.)
This can only mean that Americans have been fooled. AGAIN. By the tent dwellers. You see the word “Sunni,” and you think it’s like the word “indian.” When it’s NOT. In other words, you could stick 50,000 tribes under the indian feathers; and you wouldn’t know who-is-who.
Well? Indians not only killed their prey; meaning anyone not of their tribe. Lots of them adopted the custom of Totem Poles. Right in front of their “villages,” they hung the dead heads out to dry, and decay, in the sun.
Hamas, however, has the “latest” in AMerican made ammunition. Thanks to Lt. General Keith Dayton. An asshole who brought his order sheet to Condi Rice, and got it signed.
What goes on in our State Department? Who knows.
While Hamas is doing “this” job; just you wait for the Eygptians to muster. You think they want an invasion from gazoo? (Oh, and france is under new leadership.) Don’t worry, though. The rich can still eat. (Each other.)
you are wrong Chaos.
Had Rabin not been killed by the rabid jewish fanatic, he would have indeed handed over WB and Gaza and they would be living in peace today.
WHY? because in 1995-97 Hamas had an 8-PERCENT!!! approval rating…………………now it is probably near 70-percent.
WHY?……..well alot of things:
1. Rabin was killed and there was no other to stand up and fit in his shoes. Barak was ok – but not as passionate about peace as Rabin.
2. Arafat was an arse and not much of a leader for peace – mostly ego – but Rabin I think could have worked with Arafat and made peace. Barak failed to be able to do this.
3. Sharon Sharon SHARON – willfully walked that rought which ended up reraging Muslims there and caused all sorts of mayhem (he full well know and wanted such mayhem).
4. Sharon Sharon Sharon – building of more settlements (for this is the real core issue (which Evangelical/Republicans refuse to discuss) and then Janin(sp).
…………………
so no chaos – Hamas did not just “appear” and got popular, Sharon was instrumental in promoting Hama’s popularity with his bunker mentality.
Just as Bush continues to do in Iraq.
again: had not the fanatical rabid jewish terrorist Yegal Amir killed the larger than life Rabin – thousands would be alive today who are not now, and peace would be alive and well between Israelis and Palistinians.
Hamas doesn’t recognize any of Israel’s territory. They are just like the PLO from whence they came, they hate the Jews and they want to “push them into the sea.” Hamas started out as the extremest element of the PLO and has now grown so large that I doubt that anyone one government has total control, even the Hamas government itself. They are all driven by a pathological hatred of Jews (and Christians, and just about everyone else) and a need for control and they will not stop till they are ether all dead or in control of the middle east and the rest of the world.
They only ones to blame for Hamas is Hamas themselves and the PLO who used those fanatics to further their own needs. Now that the PLO is more or less defunct, Hamas has taken over and is continuing the mass terror and killings that made the PLO famous. If you want to blame one person for Hamas, blame Arafat, he’s the one who created them and helped them become the murdering tyrants they are today. He’s the one who taught them and he’s the one who supported them.
Fatah is not that different from Hamas, but at least they are happy for what they have are are slowly trying to rebuild Gaza after Hamas destroyed it. Only time will tell if Fatah will accept Israel, but you can be damn sure Hamas never will.
I dissagree with alot of your assesment Ray.
1. Arafat had a role in the blame – but a minor one.
2. I blame Yegal Amir for almost all of what we have now. He changed history – maybe you have a philosophical problem with the belief that one man can change the world if he kills the right man? Don’t know you so don’t know. I do know that Yegal Amir altered histroy when he killed Rabin and a series of dominoes fallowed which over a 10 yr period resulted in what we have now.
3. Sharon played a similar role as Arafat – an unhelpfull one and on par in sharing the guilt that Arafat should.
4. Both men pail when compared to the role Amir played when he removed Rabin from the peace process.
………………..
as for Hamas and Fatah. Hamas’ popularity went from 8-percent when Rabin gave hope to the Palistinians that they would have a just peace. Hamas was “out of the loop” in the mid-90’s and the Palastinian on the street didn’t not like them and saw Hamas as a agent of destruction of Peace.
Due to events following Rabin’s death that same man on the street sees Peace as DOA – and now fully supports Hamas’ mandate for destruction. Hamas has not changed in the least – but the People have!! how? they lost hope, and now think they have “nothing to lose” so they support Hamas (maybe 70 percent?).
HOWEVER – this is not sustainable, now that Fatah is gone (due to their corruption) and Hamas was elected (due to their non-corruption). the “Buck stops with Hamas” in providing for their People. they can not point fingers to Fatah or even Israel indefinately. It may work for a couple of years – but eventually the People will start to hold Hamas to account, and when they do Hamas with have to make a choice.
Say in 5 yrs for so, they will no longer be popular and will either dig their heels in and continue to self-destruct until another party replaces them (not Fatah – they are disscredited now (corrupt), OR they will recognize Israel.
I think by 2012 they will wisely choose the latter (and there may be alot of in-fighting/in-killing till then).
At which time maye there will be decent leadership on both sides.
OR not…..which will only delay the inevitable another 10 yrs or so. that of peace for land of course.
It will happen – just a matter of time. 20 yrs or so.
“Fatah rebuilding Gaza”……….
huh? Fatah is no longer in Gaza – all “rebuilding” there is done by those in control Hamas.
Hamas kicked Fatah out of Gaza. and they may do the same in the WB.
Fatah has SERIOUS moral troblems. Hamas had high moral – that alone made all the differnce in Gaza.
“WHY? because in 1995-97 Hamas had an 8-PERCENT!!! approval rating…………………now it is probably near 70-percent.”
Really, who approves Hamas 70 percent? Show me!
The latest polls in Gaza showed hamas in less than 20 percent approval range. Among people that live in Gaza.
Of course we all know polls lie, right?
A few more months of their talibanian treatment of people in Gaza, coupled with no electricity, no water, no services, trash piles obstructing the streets, people being murdered by the dozen each week (day?) and not being allowed to work or live, is going to produce not only a much lower approval rating, but more killing and more people trying to escape to anywhere but where they are in Gaza.
The violence in the West Bank will be met with death or jail to those that try. The Master Jews will not tolerate it from anyone including their own.
Of course money will continue to flow into Hamas coffers from various countries including the U.S.
Which will enable them to continue their Islamic rule and their vision of an Islamic Army that will destroy it’s enemies.
Which as we know is pure and simple propaganda and just an excuse to continue to get rich off of international aid, no matter that the population is dying, starving or leaving.
I am sure if we just sit back, the number of those killed in that area, will exceed their birth rate.
If not, we are in big trouble.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Let’s see, a terrorist group using mosques to plan other terror activities against another terrorist group, but that doesn’t represent desecration of mosques or Qu’rans contained therein, and the ‘moderates’ in the muslim world are silent as to such ‘sacrilege’, but put a Saudi flag on a soccer ball, and watch the whine and seethe party erupt.