| Israel |
| Written by Chris Perver |
| Thursday, 05 July 2007 06:36 |
| Once shunned for its refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist, and its daily rocket attacks against Israeli towns, Hamas is slowly being rehabilitated by the international community. Hamas, with the consent of US government, took the reigns of power from President Abbas' Fatah party in a landslide election in 2006. An economic and political boycott was placed against the Palestinian Authority, to pressure the terrorist organization to reform its ideologies. Earlier this year, we also had the efforts of Saudi Arabia in the Mecca agreement, which saw the formation of a new Palestinian unity government run by both Fatah and Hamas, enabling the lifting of the economic embargo. A few weeks ago the terrorist organization took military control of the Gaza Strip, after weeks of clashes with Fatah which left over 100 people dead. Yesterday, the Palestinian group freed BBC reporter Alan Johnston, after 114 days incarceration at the hands of a group formerly affiliated with Hamas. And today, a group of British parliamentarians are calling for the rehabilitation of Hamas by the international community. Quote: "Twenty MPs from all parties, including Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, signed the Commons motion a day after the BBC correspondent's release. It says Hamas's "pivotal role" in ending his kidnap shows it should join Palestinian reconciliation efforts. According to former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, the British government's contacts with the terrorist organization in regards to the BBC reporter's incarceration, was what really tipped the balance in favour of Johnston's release. This whole story reminds me of the abduction of the British naval patrol by the Iranian coastguard, and subsequent release by President Ahmadinejad - which was presented as a "gift" to the British people. That was a propaganda exercise aimed at weakening Britain's resolve to stop the Iranian nuclear programme. Far from moderating his ideologies, the President has continued his threats against the Jewish state. And despite talk of peace agreements, like their Iranian masters, I believe Hamas will ultimately re-embark on its stated goal, the destruction of the "Zionist regime". Source BBC, Haaretz
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