Perturbing The Neighbours
Hamas is not easily led from its agenda. Its uncompromisingly deadly agenda to wipe Israel from the map of the Middle East. Its responsibilities toward the Gazan population of Palestinians of Egyptian origin rest lightly on the terror-group's shoulders. Everything is permissible in a war of attrition, one that will most surely be won, they insist, by instilling sufficient terror into the hearts of one's enemies.The sacrifice of peoples' lives, the futures of their children, is agreeable enough as long as it sustains the movement, and aids the relentless drive to realization of the goal. Funny thing, that; people will believe what they want to believe in any event. Israel vacated Gaza, left it to the entrepreneurial devices of the Palestinians to make of it what they would; they need only have emulated the social and commercial successes of the settlers forced to abandon their investments.
Instead, resentment and aggrieved blame was permitted to take precedence over planning for the future and establishing a meaningful and determined infrastructure in support of the peoples' ambitions and aspirations. No civic infrastructure, no observance of the law; justice has a habit of taking a back seat, and no one prospers. The population, instead, festers, as dissipated louts are permitted to morph into terrorists representing the entire community.
Blame for failure is never placed where it should rightfully rest. The enemy could not conceivably be represented by those who claim to be acting in their best interests. As surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Israeli responses to deadly terror attacks result in severe casualties to hoped-for co-operation and settlements of differences. Cause and deliberately planned effect.
Harsh words can be taken back; deadly assaults are immutable. And a price must be paid. And what a price! Dire warnings of power cut-offs that never quite materialize. The threat is sufficient to leave a bitter aftertaste and hatred blooms and thrives. Israeli moves prove to be Hamas's most successful assets in encouraging the population of the PA that their purported oppressors are to blame for their tribulations.
The support for the poor Palestinians' plight from its Arab neighbours is unstinting in its compassion. Not only are huge sums of misallocated charitable funds forthcoming from international aid groups gushing in agony over the self-inflicted misery of the Palestinians, but their neighbours too rush to give compassionate aid. Now Jordan reports that Hamas has, unsurprisingly, confiscated a convoy of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Sixteen trucks carrying emergency supplies were seized by Hamas forces and the cargo diverted to a warehouse operated by Hamas. "We are surprised it should be confiscated and distributed in a manner based on political considerations ... this only penalizes those who really deserve this aid", lamented a Jordanian spokesperson. The aid was meant to be received by the Palestinian Red Crescent for distribution to needy Gazans.
Hamas obviously has its own plans for the goods. Any distribution will come out of their warehouse, by their hands, further endearing them to their charges and effectively and efficiently cutting out any credit to be given elsewhere. Much as has happened with a very unhappy Egypt, sitting back now and giving grave consideration to the manoeuvring undertaken by Hamas in destroying the wall between Gaza and Egypt.
Egyptian MP Muhammad 'Ali Ibraham, editor of the government daily Al-Gumhouriyya wrote: "The Hamas fighters are not satisfied with Abu Mazen's way of reaching a permanent and definitive solution with the Hebrew state that will ensure the establishment and continuity of the Palestinian state.
"This is because the only aim of Khaled Mash'al and his men is to keep this issue hot, so that regional forces such as Iran and Syria can continue playing the card of the Palestinian problem to promote their private interests - that is, Iran's nuclear dossier, the liberation of the Golan Heights, etc...."
If the Egyptians sound disillusioned, it's because they are. They're outraged at Hamas's furtive undermining of the separating wall and the subsequent rush of Gazans over their border. They interpret the missile attacks against Israel as sabotage attempts against the peace process; they speak of the spiritual head of Hamas contacting its big brother in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, to mount co-ordinated protests within Egypt demanding jihad and war against Israel.
The Egyptian editorial claims that Hamas planned for veiled women to breach the border, "knowing full well that the decent Egyptian security forces would never raise a hand against a hungry woman or against a mother seeking food for her children... Unfortunately, however, the women's demonstration was a cover for the subsequent incursion of Hamas 'girls' who have the blood of their compatriots on their hands - so what was to prevent them from murdering Egyptians?" What, indeed?
"The Second part of the plan was for the Hamas fighters to break through the border behind the women, each one following close on a woman's heels - an abominable proximity that contravenes religion. Then the Hamas members were to kidnap several Egyptian security personnel and bring them back to Gaza - a step which would compel the Egyptians to pressure Israel to release Hamas prisoners from its jails.
"The Gaza residents who are fleeing the Israeli oppression are treating our people just as they treat Israeli prisoner Gilad Shalit, or the soldiers captured by Hassan Nasrallah's forces in Lebanon in the summer of 2006..."
Yes, oh most certainly. Yes, indeed.
Labels: Middle East, Terrorism
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, February 10, 2008
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