Israeli officials appear united in publicly condemning yesterday’s announced reconciliation deal among Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. Officials responded today with repeated warnings that they have ruled out any future peace talks.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has taken a line literally of asking Fatah to choose between the right-wing Israeli government and Hamas, saying they cannot have ties with both. Since the Netanyahu government broke off peace talks with Hamas in September, however, it appears the threat to not hold additional peace talks was not a major one for Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Indeed, Israeli officials have occasionally insisted that talks with Fatah were pointless precisely because Hamas was not involved, and they hold sway over a large chunk of the population. It seems either way, the largely illusory peace process would be “imperiled.”
Which has led Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to insist that Israel may begin withholding all taxes collected for the Palestinian Authority. Since Israel only occasionally pays this amount in full at any rate, and is constantly finding excuses to withhold it to punish officials, this too may be an empty threat.
But top US Congressmen are also threatening to withhold aid to the Palestinian Authority to punish them for “shunning peace talks” by accepting a peace deal with the rival Hamas faction. The two parties split in 2006 after Hamas won the parliamentary elections, enraging Fatah. The split ended with Hamas taking over the Gaza Strip and Fatah holding the West Bank.
Of course, what no article today seems to mention is that the original split seemed to be a CIA/Mossad operation. Lots of money and weapons were given to Fatah by the US and Israel, and then Fatah used this to stage an armed coup against the elected Hamas government. The coup succeeded in the West Bank, but failed in gun battles in Gaza.
Hey, if Israel and the US Congress are upset, then someone did something right.
And of course, its two groups talking peace with each other that get Israel and the US Congress so upset. They love war and death and destruction and torture. But they hate the idea of people talking.
I agree. At first I thought this reconciliation was a good thing for the Israelis because Abbas' movement was corrupted long ago. I thought this meant that they have corrupted Hamas as well.
I'm looking at the big picture here. A major war is about to break out very soon. I can smell it. I'm getting a little freaked out.
you can't win
first) hamas is not involved, there is no partner, when it is split
and then) you cannot involve hamas, they are terrorists
the skill israel has with preventing peace is notorious. just read the palestine papers. they have the chips and the regional hegemony…. they are playing poker to keep putting people in the illegal colonies, and making (illegal) "facts on the ground", simple as that. the only way israel makes peace is when they feel a real threat… like egypt after '73. maybe they need to feel a real threat…. and they should.
What would you think otherwise.., as long as there is no unity among the people of Palestine.., Israel could do whatever they want.., not that they haven’t.., but this time they are facing a united people.., as long as people in Middle East are divided Israel and US/EU-NATO they are going to do whatever they want helping religious extremisms as Muslims Brotherhood to divide people and create wars where they can. Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco is on the list.., so as Syria, Lebanon and other part of Middle East.., with help from Barak Hussein Obama Muslim Brotherhood has become a cancer spreading itself in Middle East…, this is not democracy.., this is dividing people in what their belief is about.., this man creating turmoil by using terrorism of all kind in Libya. We have asked this questions to be answered by Hillary Clinton.., what was promised by Hillary Clinton to Muslims Brotherhood when they meet in Egypt and later in Paris with Libyan Council.., what was promised to Saudis when they invaded Bahrain.., and when she hade a meeting with Bahraini Tyrants.., people be wear this is a new trend by US and NATO to conduct wars against peoples uprising for democracy.., Muslim Brotherhood is not a democracy not even close to the wording.
Were it not for the pain and suffering they have inflicted on the people of the Middle East, the Israelis would simply be the world's biggest joke.
Unfortunately, the Israelis are much like the Soviet Union – a Third World country with nuclear weapons. They use their enormous arsenal to lord it over the occupied territories.
Without their US supplied weapons, they truly are a laughingstock.
The new Palestinian unity deal could imperil hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid if it gives a more prominent role to Hamas, legislators in Washington said Thursday.
US can take its money and shove it where it belongs.., there is a blood stain on each and every dollar that’s given to Palestinian people anyway.., Such a comments shows that US legislature or senators are beneficial as long as people are divided while they enjoy the Israel atrocity toward a nation.., it seams that US politicians enjoying their falsified democracy using other branch of Muslims to create wars while they are against the unity of a nation where such action shows the principals in democracy uniting people. If you don’t like the idea then you are not a democrat nor you think as one.
In the other hand.., it is Israel and its apartheid regime which fraudulently been called the only democratic system in Middle East by those who not only don’t understand the basics in democracy but they are there to fulfill a position and getting paid for lying.., next time senator.., people will demand from you to define the word “democracy“.., while you at it.., you better get your act together and study the meanings in democracy.., first lesson.., don’t lie.., second.., people united will never be defeated.
The threat to withhold taxes extracted from Palestinians in occupied lands if they form a united government is about the most flagrant scam I have read about. Israel has never been a self-made country. They con the rest of the world into donations (tax free for Americans) with which they build hospitals and universities to show off as "their hard work". They only work hard at sucking up as much cash from the rest of the world to fulfill their wants and then pat themselves on the back for being so industrious. Smith Barney would say that "they never earned it". We've all been conned.
Fatah and its deadly force PLO, is guilt driving them toward repentance or is it just another one of their unending counter-revolutions? Much to early to tell I say, time being the great arbitrator of truth that’s what I always say.
The Israelis are not interested in any form of peace with the Palestinians. They want them gone and the efforts against the Palestinians, especially over the past 10-15 years has been toward their complete extermination and removal from the West Bank. Any talk about "peace negotiations" is farcical.
Israel seems to be like a spoiled younger brother while the US Politicos are the bid stupid dolt of a older brother.
What exactly does Israel have on the US to keep our Govt, common financial slaves to them since 1948?
Ban AIPAC
The Israeli-US symbiosis runs far deeper than mere political influence in the FedGov capital, although that is formidable in and of itself. There is an entire regime of political and psychological conditioning designed to winnow out, before they're elected much beyond the post of dog catcher, anyone who doesn't "Love Israel" to the point of fawning obsequiousness. Added to that is the religious/psychological conditioning of the average American to "Love Israel." This brainwashing regime grows ever more intense by the year. Then there is the financial nexus of American Jewry with Israel, which ties right back into the AIPAC influence machinery. This is a multifaceted, enormously entrenched system that would require a revolution to uproot.
Palestinians are damed if they do damned if they dont
The "Mask is off" and all I can see is the insane "Samson Option".
If the "US aid" to the PA is stopped, the PA will collapse and so would the police collaboration with israel to keep the West Bank Palestinians in order.GOOD! DO IT! The Hamas advantage is they do not give in to blackmail.
Okay, fine- cut off US aid to Palestine. Go right on ahead. But guess what? Iran is a relatively short drive away, and I'm sure they would love to plant some of their own influence right on Israel's doorstep. And guess what? I'm sure the Chinese might be interested in a little greenback diplomacy as well as a way to gain even more goodwill among the Arab nations (read: oil contracts). The French and British- and the Russians- need an outlet for their arms industry; money talks and if Palestine is having to build a military from the ground up they're going to need everything from rifles to bullets to uniforms and boots- and aircraft, eventually (read: fat arms contracts). Now, consider that an infrastructure is going to need to be built- buses, trains, decent roads, etc, not to mention a reliable power grid and water system…. need I go on? The US has a perfect opportunity here to show what we're capable of in the realm of feats of civil engineering but we're about to squander the whole thing on…. Israel?
Instead of having two potential 'aircraft carriers on land' in the Middle East, we're going to stick with just one, a 3/4 century old sinking ship that we can no longer steer- and one that is crewed from first to last by unsavory types we wouldn't let run a day care for our children.
Elementary my dear Watson, peace is the last thing Israel wants. There's no money in it. Absent the quagmire with the Palestinians, who's gonna give 'em any money for "self-defense"? They'll sabotage the peace process and continue the Palestinian genocide till someone does to them what was done to the Nazis.
War criminals. Like Hitler , they support the puppet regimes in the countries they invade.
Both sides (Israel and Palestinian) countries should have peace talks then this issue will be solved otherwise this issue will continue for a long time and neighbouring countries will suffer along with these countries and also this conflict will be one of the reason for world war so we have to solve this problem immediately United Nations should negotiate with these countries.
WOW it would seem that people here are anti Semites! Does it not matter that EVERY SINGLE CONFLICT has been started by others, egypt,pakistan,iran, have sent terrorists, or flat out attacked Israel. Israel has been persecuted by almost every country since the beginning of time, including the US who wouldn't take Jewish refugees during WWII. Why? What have the Jews done to everyone? Look it up, there is no good answer. I don't like war but I like mass murder far less and that is exactly what will happen if we don't help our friends and allies the Israelis. Israel has had nukes for some time and if they were the war mongers you people make them out to be they would have nuked their enemies long ago, hamas has said openly that they want to exterminate the Jews,they have a right to defend themselves