Hamas and Fatah Unification—the End of Oslo?

July 3, 2014

Hamas

Photo credit: www.idfblog.com “Ismail Haniyeh [Hamas Prime Minister], told a large crowd of [Hamas] supporters in Rafah on June 1 that the reconciliation is meant to unify the Palestinian people against the main enemy, ‘the Zionist enemy,’ and to continue with the option of resistance and resolve.”

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida]

“We think that the path of negotiations and peace talks has reached a dead end and that the resistance [Intifada, 2000-2005], which liberated Gaza and defended Gaza, can liberate the West Bank and the rest of the Palestinian lands, Allah willing. Those who liberated Gaza, with the help of Allah, can liberate Jerusalem, the West Bank and the rest of Palestine.” [Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas)]

                                                                        By Palestinian Media Watch

“Hamas has never recognized and will never recognize Israel, as long as Hamas lives,” Ismail Alashqar, a Hamas member of parliament told The Media Line. “If Hamas recognizes Israel, then it will no longer remain Hamas. Recognizing Israel is a religious and national crime.”

                                                                                                By The Media Line

Fatah

Photo credit: www.palwatch.com “Not a centimeter of Jerusalem will be liberated unless every grain of Palestinian soil is soaked in the blood of its brave people,”

                        Fatah official Tawfiq Tirawi at an event marking World Teachers’ Day in December 2013

Abbas is Lying, Says Former Hamas Spokesman

Photo credit: mikhail/shutterstock.com Former Hamas government spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein announced on June 8 that in private meetings with Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas insists that he is lying in his public statements in order to “trick the Americans:”

The following is his Facebook post describing Abbas’ “tricking the Americans”:

“You know what Mahmoud Abbas says behind closed doors?? He says: ‘Guys, let me [continue] saying what I say to the media. Those words are meant for the Americans and the occupation (i.e., Israel), not for you [Hamas]. What’s important is what we agree on among ourselves. In other words, when I go out [publicly] and say that the government is my [Abbas] government and it recognizes “Israel” and so on, fine—these words are meant to trick the Americans. But we agree that the government has nothing to do with politics (i.e., foreign relations). The same thing happened in 2006,’ he [Abbas] said: ‘Don’t harp on everything I tell the media, forget about the statements in the media.’”

            By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, Palestinian Media Watch

Palestinian Unity Bears Unholy Fruit

 In the aftermath of the unity agreement between Hamas and Fatah, three teenagers were kidnapped and held captive. The whole nation of Israel joined in prayer. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke strongly with Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen saying, “I expect you to assist in returning the abducted youths and in apprehending the kidnappers. The Hamas kidnappers came from territory under Palestinian Authority control and returned to territory under Palestinian Authority control. This incident exposes the true face of the terrorism that we are fighting against. Terrorists abduct innocent Israeli children while we save the lives of ill Palestinian children in our hospitals. This is the difference between our humanitarian policy and the murderous terrorism that is attacking us.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu added, “The consequences of the partnership with Hamas must be understood; it is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians and bad for the region.”

                                                                        Israeli Prime Minister’s Facebook page

Israeli Response to Palestinian Unity

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Abu Mazen said yes to terrorism and no to peace. This is the direct continuation of Abu Mazen’s policy of refusing peace. While Israel has carried out courageous and painful steps on behalf of the diplomatic process and continues to be committed to peace, Abu Mazen has refused to extend the negotiations, has rejected the American framework document, continues to incite against Israel, has unilaterally acceded to UN treaties and has now forged a pact with the Hamas terrorist organization.

“Abu Mazen has forged a pact with the Hamas organization, which is responsible for the murder of over 1,000 innocent Israelis and the firing of thousands of missiles at Israeli cities.

“Abu Mazen has forged a pact with Hamas, an organization which has been declared a terrorist organization in the US, Europe, Egypt and throughout the world, and which completely rejects the international community’s conditions. The international community needs to treat it accordingly.

“In recent days, the leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization have reiterated their commitment to the path of terrorism and to the elimination of the State of Israel.

“The agreement with Hamas makes Abu Mazen directly responsible for the terrorism emanating from Gaza.

“The State of Israel will not conduct diplomatic negotiations with a Palestinian government with backing from Hamas, a terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of Israel.”

                                                PM Netanyahu addressing the Security Cabinet

State of War along Israel’s Border with Syria

 An Israeli teen was killed and two others wounded as the civilian vehicle in which they were riding was targeted by a Syrian army position. In describing the fatal explosion, IDF spokesman, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said, “The attack was an unprovoked act of aggression against Israel, and a direct continuation to recent attacks that occurred in the area.” The IAF retaliated by striking nine military targets within Syria.

Syrian National Reconciliation Affairs Minister, Ali Haidar, responded to Israel’s air strikes by saying, “Whatever cease-fire agreements there were in the past are now null and void as a result of the Israeli aggression, we have returned to a state of war.”