generalspeaking

Peeved Hamas

The Hamas leadership is irate at what they characterize as "blackmail" on the part of Israel in its decision conveyed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that it will keep its border crossings with Gaza closed - with the exception of limited passage of humanitarian aid - until such time as abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is returned to his country and his family.

Blackmail is, in fact, what Hamas excels in, not Israel. Israel does not abduct Palestinians, it apprehends, arrests and imprisons those enemies of the state whose activities are meant to harm Israel and its people. Yet Israel is committed to an exchange with Hamas; one sole figure in trade for huge numbers. Does the unreasonableness of that trade irritate Hamas?

It is, after all, the Hamas leadership that has the unmitigated gall to draw up a list of prisoners held by Israel, demanding their release before the release of a single Israeli would be considered by Hamas. That isn't blackmail, it is unadulterated extortion. Israel wishes to reclaim that single human life, willing to release hundreds of Palestinians in exchange for that single Israeli.

Hamas demands, no less, that Israel free one thousand, four hundred Palestinian prisoners before they will consider releasing one single abductee. That, to Hamas, represents a reasonable exchange. But that Israel balks against re-opening border crossings that it knows full well Hamas will use to its advantage to smuggle through munitions and arms, causes the Hamas leadership to bridle with outrage.

One can only wonder what kind of reverse universe they inhabit. The continued requests by Israel that Corporal Gilad Shalit be returned in exchange for prisoners, some of whom are convicted terrorists, murderers, plotters of Israel's demise, seems a rather unequal exchange, but yet it is one that Israel contemplates seriously and will, in the end, submit to.

Israel, claims a Hamas spokesman, has stuck "a knife in Egypt's back" in adding that proviso before it will commit to a truce between itself and Hamas, negotiated by Egypt. And, because Israel is attempting to "torpedo" the proceedings, renewed violence is all but guaranteed, because, as the spokesman warns, Hamas "won't stand around doing nothing in the face of Israeli aggression".

It is aggression to request the return of an abducted soldier. Yet the simple fact is that since Israel withdrew from Gaza, rocket attacks against border communities within Israel, from Gaza, have continued unabated. Who, after all, is the aggressor?

Labels: Israel, Middle East, Terrorism

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, February 19, 2009