Posted on 06/15/2007 12:55:07 PM PDT by SmithL
JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) -- Hamas' seizure of the Gaza Strip could be a hollow victory. With Israel in control of Gaza's borders and the international community likely to shun it in favor of the Fatah-controlled West Bank, Hamas will have a hard time providing for the impoverished strip's 1.4 million inhabitants.
Its first moves — issuing an amnesty for rival Palestinian fighters and calling for the release of a kidnapped British journalist — signaled an awareness of the risks of isolation. However, Hamas' first day as the sole ruler of Gaza also saw crowds looting Fatah strongholds and militants sending a man to his death from a rooftop.
The Hamas military victory in Gaza could paradoxically force it to soften its line.
If the Islamic militant group sticks to its guns, firing rockets at Israel, for example, Israel could close off the borders and prevent food, water and electricity from reaching Gaza. Hamas' rule in the coastal strip may not be sustainable over the long term unless it changes its ways and again joins forces with Fatah, the secular pro-Western movement it has vanquished.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah responded to the bloody Hamas takeover by assuming emergency powers — dissolving the unity government with Hamas and naming a new prime minister who is popular in the West. The moves did little to reverse the gains made by Hamas in Gaza, but appears to have consolidated Fatah's control over the West Bank.
With Hamas out of the government, the international boycott imposed after Hamas won parliamentary elections last year will likely no longer apply to the West Bank — improving the lives of that territory's 2 million people.
An Israeli official,...said his government will likely release tens of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds to the emergency government...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
More wishful thinking from libs in denial.
Incorrect. Israel is in control of its own borders. Egypt is in control of its own borders.
If Gazans and their munitions stay inside their own borders, there would be no problem.
Yes, Hilter marching into the Czech republic 'softened' his line.
I was thinking that what good would come out of this is the removing the myth of the PA and it being dealt with peacefully.
A pyrrhic victory at best, and they ain’t thru yet.
A complete and utter failure lies dead ahead for the Palis who survive the Gaza Gonzo Death Squads. Party on.
I’m trying to remember how that turned out.
Hamas knows the difficulties they will face but I’m sure they’ve figured this into their calculations. All they have to do is keep their army fed & housed and continue to smuggle arms into Gaza (sort of like in Lebanon), say they want to live in peace (for now), and be prepared for future opportunities that are sure to arise as a result of Syria’s and Iran’s efforts to create more unrest in the surrounding region and THEN they will be ready when the move(s) against Israel eventually takes place.
The Muslim community is looking to re-establish the caliphate that was ended in 1924. Taking out Israel is just one step toward that end. Gaza is just one baby step in that direction. It ain’t gonna stop at Israel. Eventually they plan to control the Mid-East region (its about the oil) and subsequently the world economy. From there its just a matter of time because the secularists will not stand up to them and, for now, it just ain’t popular to take a stand against evil...only to make friends with them and hope they will ‘like’ us and be ‘nice’ to us. They (the Muslims) unfortunately believe in something they are willing to die for (as evil as it may be) while the rest of the ‘civilized’ world is too busy fighting over global warming and trying to buy the latest video game or watching who’s gonna win a singing contest on TV. Oh well.
I'm not sure welfare is real high on these boys' agenda. Judging by what's happening in the rest of their territory that task is for other people. Wonder when we'll get the bill?
“Fatah, the secular pro-Western movement”
I want some of what the author is smoking!
“If the Islamic militant group sticks to its guns, firing rockets at Israel, for example, Israel could close off the borders and prevent food, water and electricity from reaching Gaza.”
If Israel does close its borders (and therefore prevents food, etc. from reaching Gaza), the blame will likely be placed on the heads of the Israelis for not being “understanding” towards the Palestinians.
I hate to take such a pessimistic view, but a large part of the so-called intl community will look at it that that way.
Boy, talk about the "bigotry of low expectations". Israel's goal here should not be a Hamas reunion with Fatah, which is like wishing for the Baath and Al Qaeda to patch up their differences. The standard should be civilized behavior, period.
There will never be an independent Gaza in any case, and there will never be an independent West Bank. Wishing it were so won't make it so. Time wasted pursuing something that will never be means more innocent Israelis and more deluded arab cannon fodder will die.
“The Hamas military victory in Gaza could paradoxically force it to soften its line.”
And I am Marie of Roumania.
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