Council on Foreign Relations HAMAS Hamas is a Palestinian militant movement ... one of the territories' two major political parties. A nationalist-Islamist spinoff of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas was founded in 1987, during the first intifada [uprising], and later emerged at the forefront of armed resistance to Israel. The United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Its rival party, Fatah, which dominates the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has renounced violence. As Governing Party As Armed Resistance A Way Forward? Additional Resources http://www.cfr.org/israel/hamas/p8968 |
Recapping my undertanding:
- Hamas has de facto government status in Gaza because it is up against US and EU non-recognition. What's EU got to do with it?
- Presumably because US has decided Israel falls within their 'Eucom' miltary controls, even though it is in the Middle East.
- Hamas designated a terrorist organisation because Hamas stands by armed resistance.
- Previously suicide bombings; but have stopped.
- Hamas cut off from direct communications with US and with EU, because of the US and EU terrorist designation.
- Hamas also cut off from 'official assistance' from US and EU (but it's rival Fatah in West Bank get assistance because they're playing by Israel, US and EU rules? -- or because US and EU don't deal directly with Hamas, so it is down to Fatah to distribute the money?]
- In 2011, Israel had 1,027 Palestinian prisoners.
- The Palestinians are blocked off on a sliver of land.
- Israel also maintains a sea blockade.
- Israel appears to have had some kind of accord and periods of truce with Hamas, as long as Hamas contained extreme groups?
The Gaza Palestinians are virtual prisoners and they dig tunnels:
The main issue (I think) is that Hamas/Gaza will not:network of more than a thousand tunnels circumvented the Egyptian crossing, allowing staples such as food, medicine, and cheap gas for electricity production into the territory, as well as construction materials, cash, and arms.
- Disarm / renounce violent resistance.
- Recognise Israel.
- Accept prior Agreements (see Oslo I Accords - here).
But gist is: Fatah signed the Oslo accords - Hamas objected.
So why would Hamas now decide it wants the accord?
Then there is this interesting aside:
In a 2001 video, Netanyahu, reportedly unaware he was being recorded, said: "They asked me before the election if I'd honor [the Oslo accords]... I said I would, but [that] I'm going to interpret the accords in such a way that would allow me to put an end to this galloping forward to the '67 borders. How did we do it? Nobody said what defined military zones were. Defined military zones are security zones; as far as I'm concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone. Go argue." Netanyahu then explained how he conditioned his signing of the 1997 Hebron agreement on American consent that there be no withdrawals from "specified military locations", and insisted he be allowed to specify which areas constituted a "military location"—such as the whole of the Jordan Valley. "Why is that important? Because from that moment on I stopped the Oslo Accords", Netanyahu affirmed. [wikipedia]
I'm not 100% clear on what Netanyahu's getting at, but I gather the Oslo accords agreement is worthless if you're a Palestinian wanting to reclaim land pursuant to 1967 borders?
Under the circumstances, it's not surprising there's resistance.
When there is resistance, it's ineffectual (crude weapons; 2009-2014 - ten (10) dead Israeli civilians versus something like 3,000 Palestinians dead).
Compare also Operation Protective Edge - 3 weeks and 1,800+ Palestinians killed and many thousands wounded + the levelling of homes, infrastructure etc - while the world stood by and kept maintaining in parrot fashion 'Israel has the right to defend itself'.
Below is a chart of Palestinian and Israeli deaths caused by violence (does not include 8 July 2014 - Operation Protective Edge figures):
Source - IFAMERICANSKNEW - here.
[Their cited source: B'Tselem Israel Centre for Human Rights in Occupied Territories]
What was also interesting on the site is the Israeli soldier deaths for 2005:
Causes of Deaths of Israeli Soldiers - 2005
Committed Suicide | 30 |
Illness | 14 |
Accidents | 26 |
Terror Incidents | 6 |
What recently happened to the Israeli boys is deplorable and
the retaliatory attack on the Palestinian boy is equally deplorable.
But when I look at the overall statistics (which don't even take into account the 1,800+ recent civilian Palestinian deaths etc, I don't see Israel under any significant threat.
Israel itself refers to quelling Palestinian crude, ineffectual missile lobbing, in periodic resistance, as 'mowing the lawn'. So it's not exactly a scenario that's proportionate to threat, I would think.
Oddly, Turkey and Qatar are the intermediaries. But both have close ties to the US.
Fatah has a vested interest, yet it is in a position where it appears to have power over the elected government of Gaza (if I understand correctly).
Forty thousand public servants in Gaza haven't been paid by the Palestinian National Authority, who (pursuant to the Oslo accord) claims 'authority over all the Palestinian areas' -- but, in fact, Hamas has control of Gaza -- minus control of the money:
The PA has received financial assistance from the European Union and the United States (approximately USD 1 bln. combined in 2005). All direct aid was suspended on 7 April 2006 as a result of the Hamas victory in parliamentary elections. Shortly thereafter, aid payments resumed, but were channeled directly to the offices of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Conflict between Hamas and Fatah later in 2006 resulted in Hamas taking exclusive control over the administration of all PA institutions in the Gaza Strip. Since 9 January 2009, when Mahmoud Abbas' term as President was supposed to have ended and elections were to have been called, Hamas supporters and many in the Gaza Strip have withdrawn recognition for his Presidency and instead consider Aziz Dweik, who served as the speaker of the house in the Palestinian Legislative Council, to be the acting President until new elections can be held. No Western financial assistance is given to the PA authorities in Gaza and Western governments do not recognize anyone but Abbas to be the President. [wikipedia]
I'm not clear on whether Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) in the West Bank is supposed to channel some of that money to Gaza or not. Wikipedia on Abbas is - here - see corruption/embezzlement allegations.
Anyway, this has satisfied my curiosity to a degree regarding Hamas.
It would seem that if Hamas would give in, accept the Oslo accords, disarm and recognise Israel, they would suddenly be legitimised by the US and EU? But, failing that, they are denied recognition, denied funding, denied diplomatic relations (I gather) and blocked from trade (I gather).
Noticed Russia was among 'the quartet' who insist on the 3 points.
Uncertain what Russia has to do with it, apart from being in the UN, I guess.
I think Russia's friendly with Syria and the Palestinians appear to be opposed to Syria, but I'm not sure why.
Could be that Hamas are Sunni Muslim. But Syria is about 60% Sunni Muslim. Although the President (Assad) is not - he is Shia (13% of the Syrian population). Yes, Shia (Alawite), but described 'secular government'. Not sure. This is stuff is out of my league.
Anyway, it looks like Israel is bent on four things:
- incapacitate Hamas ability to resist (deplete weapons etc),
- maintain blockade,
- get rid of tunnels (incoming weapons, money etc),
- maintain territory claimed in wars with Palestinians (I think).
But if you pull away and look at the whole picture (how things are split off, how the cards are stacked against the Palestinians in the form of these various organisations (including the European designation for the region), how they've been kept down economically etc), I think there is so much in this that really disempowers (and is maybe designed to disempower?) the Palestinian people in a big way.
So that's Hamas, I think.
No abuse, please, because I'm on my political L-Plates. LOL.
..........................................................................................
Bit of additional info (got curious re EU):
..........................................................................................
POSTSCRIPT
CHECK THIS OUT:
..........................................................................................
Bit of additional info (got curious re EU):
ISRAEL and ECONOMIC UNION
Israel is an associated state of the European Union. The relations between the two are framed in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and the Union for the Mediterranean.
The main legal ties between Israel and the EU are set by the 1995 Association Agreement. Several other agreement cover sectoral issues.
Relations between Israel and the European Union are generally positive on the economic level, though affected by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict on the political level.
EU membership for Israel
Although Israel is not in Europe, it considers itself culturally part thereof. Israel thus is a member in many European transnational federations and frameworks and takes part in many European sporting events. Various Israeli ministers have expressed that they would like to see Israel in the EU. ... The European Union's former High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, stated in 2009 that Israel had a very significant relationship with the EU, amounting almost to full cooperation through participation in the EU's programmes. In 2014, former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar said Israel is needed by the European Union, in an address in a room hired by the Henry Jackson Society in the British House of Commons. Aznar said his report recommends that due to its Western culture and the benefits it brings the European Union, Israel should become a full member of the EU without pre-conditions. Moreover, like most western European countries, Israel is a member of the OECD and from an economic perspective matches the European Union extremely well, with essentially every significant economic indicator (GDP per capita, government deficit, public debt level, current account surplus, inflation level, etc.) closely matching the overall EU average. Israel is however not included among the nine countries that are part of the EU agenda for future enlargement of the European Union. [wikipedia]
Looks like Israel knows how to network.
Don't get how countries can elect what they 'consider' themselves as, despite their geographic location. Hey, I might consider myself a Martian, but that doesn't make me an eligible alien from Mars. LOL
That Spanish dude founded 'Friends of Israel Initiative' - purpose: to counter attempts to 'de-legitimatise the State of Israel.'
Check out the Friends of Israel Initiative. First point:
The Friends of Israel are based on the following principles:Israel is a modern, flourishing Western country
Oh, get fucked! It's in the Middle East. It's not a 'Western country' by any stretch.
This is hilarious.
Slogan: "Stand for Israel, Stand for the West"
The 'right to self defence' is in there -- and the bogeyman of Iran nuclear weapons and Islam/Jihadists and Israel the saviour of the WESTERN WORLD (of which Israel is a part) ... LOL.
It's like something out of one of those NGO's that push an agenda, which is probably what it is. Doh.
Well, I just checked the wiki on Israel and Israel is still located in the Middle East.
Another way of looking at the EU involvement etc, would be as a strategy to further 'legitimise' Israel, by entrenching it in various organisations, institutions etc.
In my view, the EU is just another way for Israel to pull the strings.
This is what the Palestinians are up against and they haven't a hope.
..........................................................................................
POSTSCRIPT
CHECK THIS OUT:
No comments:
Post a Comment