Welcome to Hamastine!

[zenith-nadir]

May 07, 2006 - The Sunday Times

Israel foils plot to kill Palestinian president

A HAMAS plot to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has been thwarted after he was tipped off by Israeli intelligence.

Hamas’s military wing, the Izza Din Al-Qassem, had planned to kill Abbas at his office in Gaza, intelligence sources said.

Abbas, who became president of the Palestinian Authority last year after the death of Yasser Arafat, was formally warned of the danger by the Israelis and cancelled a planned visit to the territory.

The murder plan is the clearest sign yet of the tensions inside the Palestinian Authority between Hamas, which swept to power after elections in January, and Abbas’s Fatah movement.

(emphasis mine)

May 9, 2006 - Associated Press

Renewed Clashes in Gaza Leave 12 Injured

Renewed clashes Tuesday between Hamas and Fatah militants wounded at least 12 Palestinians, including five children, raising fears that Palestinian territories could erupt in a much wider conflagration.

Fighting Tuesday broke out in Gaza City just hours before international mediators met in New York to discuss whether to ease the financial siege on Hamas over its violent anti-Israel ideology.

Hamas gunmen later attacked a Fatah funeral procession in the southern Gaza Strip and three unarmed bystanders were wounded, witnesses said.

The funeral was for a Fatah gunman killed in a clash with Hamas on Monday. Fatah officials and witnesses said Hamas set off two bombs and opened fire on the procession, setting off a firefight between the two sides.

(emphasis mine)

May 21, 2006 - The New York Times

Palestinian Intelligence Chief Is Badly Wounded in Bombing

The leader of Palestinian intelligence was badly wounded on Saturday in a bombing at his heavily guarded headquarters in Gaza City.

The intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Tareq Abu Rajab, is a senior member of Fatah and an ally of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion, which hit as he entered an elevator with his aides and bodyguards.

Mr. Rajab, 59, also known as Muhammad Shanyura, underwent surgery at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza and was transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv to try to save his leg, said Dr. Baker Abu Safia, who runs Al Shifa's emergency room.

(emphasis mine)

May 22, 2006 - ABC News

Palestinian Police Foil Attack in Gaza

Violence between the Hamas-led government and rival Fatah forces threatened to explode Monday after suspected militants tried to assassinate another ally of President Mahmoud Abbas, the second such attempt in as many days.

On Sunday, security forces discovered a 150-pound bomb planted along a route used by Abu Shbak's motorcade, security officials said. The explosives were found as police conducted their daily inspection of Abu Shbak's route, officials said.

The discovery came a day after Abbas' intelligence chief was seriously wounded when a bomb filled with metal pellets ripped through an elevator shaft in his Gaza City headquarters.

(emphasis mine)

Way to go Hamas, your true colors are finally showing...

{edited to add}

Nothing to worry about, the islamic fundamentalists of Hamas are simply "resisting" the occupation of Mahmoud Abbas, "resisting" the humiliation of Maj. Gen. Tareq Abu Rajab and "resisting" the apartheid policies Abu Shbak... with bombs. Personally I blame Israel....and the "West".

 

[fabian_lidman]

By the way, which is the next hypocritical EU country like Germany or Sweden to have Hamas murderers, terrorists and assasins officials over for tea and crumpets? Any betting folks at JREF?

Both Germany and Sweden have strongly condemned Hamas' policy of terror. There was a reason for not denying the Hamas minister a visum in Sweden: We don't want politicians to decide, on political grounds, who gets to visit our country and who doesn't. I think it's a fair principle.

 

[andyandy]

Way to go Hamas, your true colors are finally showing...

when were Hamas' true colours not showing?

 

[webfusion]

Three little words would be all that are required:

From an Anonymous senior American government official, quoted in the the press yesterday:

"All that is being asked of them [Hamas] is three words - yes, yes and yes," he said, referring to the international community's three demands: that Hamas recognize Israel, abandon terror and honor previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.

 

[Jon_in_london]

Stop. Hamastine. Cant touch this. ner ner nee-ner doo doo- dooo-deee.

Oi vay!

 

[zenith-nadir]

Stop. Hamastine. Cant touch this. ner ner nee-ner doo doo- dooo-deee.

Oi vay!

It's Hammer time!

May. 22, 2006 15:24

Hamas militiamen and Palestinian police traded heavy fire near Gaza City's parliament building on Monday, killing the driver of the Jordanian ambassador in Gaza and wounding 11 people in the worst internal fighting in recent weeks.

At one point, Hamas gunmen holed up in two buildings under construction, hurled grenades and fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at police.

Other militants took up positions behind trees, cars and buildings, turning downtown Gaza into a battle zone.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar called the Jordanian ambassador in Gaza and expressed his condolences.

(emphasis mine)

Nothing to see here....for the sake of the unity of the Palestinian people and for the sake of preserving the jihad against the Zionist occupier Hamas is simply "resisting" the aggressive and repressive measures by the Palestinian police and the driver of the Jordanian ambassador...with grenades and RPGs that is...in front of the Palestinian parliament building... in downtown, unoccupied Gaza.

Down with Israel!!!

 

[Mycroft]

when were Hamas' true colours not showing?

That's very true, but there are many who believe Hamas will somehow be transformed into something other than it is simply because they have been elected to power.

 

[webfusion]

Trying to open the Gaza airport ---

This just in: (DEBKA)
http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?id=2035
Hamas transport minister Ziad Zaza, just returned from Tehran, formally asked Israel Sunday, May 21, to allow dozens of Iranian air transport engineers and technicians and assorted heavy equipment to enter Gaza from Egyptian Sinai through the Rafah crossing... the consignment from Iran includes 300 vehicles of various types (including aircraft refueling and handling) and two civilian aircraft.

Sounds like a good idea to me. It will give them something constructive to keep themselves busy with... and Israel would look pretty amazing by allowing the plan to begin! Hey, what's the downside? It will take the Palestinians a while just to recover from the shock of being permitted to rebuild the airport, and in the meantime, the Iranians will suddenly find themselves in the uncomfortable position of "babysitting" in Gaza.
Gotta love it.

 

[Elind]

We don't want politicians to decide, on political grounds, who gets to visit our country and who doesn't. I think it's a fair principle.

And the principle is that you don't want politicians to stand on political principles? What a load of......

 

[Cylinder]

Just for a minute let's all do the bump!

[Joe stole my wit - damn it!]

 

[webfusion]

Interview with Palestinian PM

An Israeli daily newspaper has just published an exclusive interview with the HAMASTAN (or as z-n coined here, Hamastine) Prime Minister Haniyeh.

Byline Danny Rubenstein
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/718678.html
From the article --
Palestinian government spokesman Ghazi Hamed said Hamas would ultimately adapt its ideology to the current situation.
"With time we will suit our positions to reality and change," he said. "But under no circumstances will we do so under the pressure of a siege and only to get money. As we have already said, we will eat pita-bread and hyssop [za'atar] and not give in."

That's a direct quote.
Za'atar.

Meanwhile, Ha'aretz journalist Rubenstein, who is apparently now in Gaza (?), reports that the members of the various security forces appear to be getting along with each other. At one square on Al-Jala Boulevard, which leads from the Jabalya refugee camp to central Gaza, police officers from the security force that answers to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas were chatting with the Hamas-affiliated "operational forces."

 

[a_unique_person]

An Israeli daily newspaper has just published an exclusive interview with the HAMASTAN (or as z-n coined here, Hamastine) Prime Minister Haniyeh.

Byline Danny Rubenstein
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/718678.html
From the article --
Palestinian government spokesman Ghazi Hamed said Hamas would ultimately adapt its ideology to the current situation.
"With time we will suit our positions to reality and change," he said.

Isn't that what I said would have to happen? They can only live in fantasy land for so long.

 

[Mycroft]

Palestinian government spokesman Ghazi Hamed said Hamas would ultimately adapt its ideology to the current situation.
"With time we will suit our positions to reality and change," he said.

Sure, but Ghazi Hamed is an Islamist Zealot. When he says "...adapt its ideology to the current situation" it doesn't mean to become more moderate and to behave in a way most of us would consider rational.

 

[fabian_lidman]

And the principle is that you don't want politicians to stand on political principles? What a load of......

No, again, the principle is that politicians don't get to judge who gets to visit (other than by making new laws). Here's why, and i don't expect you to agree:
Giving politicians power to ban people would be a dangerous slippery slope. If we decide a Hamas minister can't come, who else can be barred? We disagree with Israel building their wall, so we could ban them too. Also, we dislike some of the the policies of Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin, Alexandr Lukashenko, Hugo Chavez and Condolezza Rice.
Preventing your political opponents from entering the country is Soviet-style abuse of power. This is a liberal democracy. The politicians make laws, which the state are then supposed to implement dispassionately. The constitution prohibits politicians from running the state by any other means than making laws -- the prime minister can't just decide to lower someone's taxes, for example. Likewise, the prime minister can't decide whether we should let a Hamas minister into the country. This basically protects us from political persecution.
Bottom line is, we may disagree (and that's putting it mildly) with Hamas' self-righteous, murderous, fanatic politics. But that's no reason for us to turn into fanatics ourselves. We're much better off if we keep on respecting national and international law, and don't let politicians meddle too much in anybody's life.

 

[zenith-nadir]

Likewise, the prime minister can't decide whether we should let a Hamas minister into the country.

Most countries have laws regarding entry visas for known terrorists and known criminals. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the EU. Last I checked Sweden was part of the EU. Yet eventhough Hamas is recognized a terrorist organization by the EU, and Sweden is part of the EU, many people are amazed that Sweden's general consulate in Jerusalem issued a Schengen visa for leading Hamas members. Sweden has become the first EU member to grant an entry visa to a minister of a known - and recognized - terrorist organization.

IMO getting a Schengen visa is not a "right" or even a "human right". But then again let's look behind the curtain...

Mar. 14, 2006 at 2:08PM - UPI

A new report indicates a significant portion of the Swedish population has a negative attitude toward Jews.

• 26 percent of those queried said they think there is a Jewish influence over the world economy
• 15 percent said they thought the influence was too great
• 25 percent of those queried said they didn't like the idea of a Jewish prime minister.

The survey was conducted between March and May last year. No margin of error was given.

While not bashing Sweden it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why granting a visa to members of a designated islamic fundamentalist terror organization who want to destroy Israel and wipe out the jews in "Palestine" is not - in Sweden - a big deal.

 

[fabian_lidman]

I get your point. A few more facts: There were other Hamas member who were denied a visa, because of the EU anti-terrorist regulations. The minister in who did get a visa claimed to be visiting Sweden as a representative of the (democratically elected) Palestinian authority rather than the Hamas movement. He didn't meet or talk to any government officials.
It should also be noted that all Schengen countries have the right to veto a visa application to any other Schengen member. Nobody did. Procedure was followed.

I know of that survey you referred to. Unfortunately, it was criticised for being methodologically flawed -- so i'm skeptical about it. We do have a few nazi skinheads here though. And while most of the muslims who live here are moderate and don't hate anyone, a few may do. So maybe the survey is right, but i don't know. I've personally never encountered antisemitism.
Accusing the jews of running this country is just ridicolous. We have like a couple of thousand jews here, and they're not running anything except their own lives. (Except the minister of culture, Leif Pagrotsky, woh has a jewish surname. Big deal.)

 

[zenith-nadir]

Oh, and here's a good one...

Peace will prevail if Israel ends occupation: Hamas PM - May 23 2006 - AFP

JERUSALEM (AFP) - The prime minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, Ismail Haniya, said in an interview peace would prevail if Israel withdrew from all the land it captured in 1967.

Haniya told Israel's liberal Haaretz daily that the Islamist movement which does not recognise the Jewish state's right to exist would institute a long-term ceasefire, or hudna, if Israel pulled out of the whole of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Haniya would not say, however, whether Hamas was prepared to rewrite its founding charter which specifically calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.

"Leave Hamas aside now -- I am speaking to you as the leader of the Palestinian government, the government of all the Palestinians, and not as the leader of a movement."

Gotta love the B.S. Haniya is "offering" what is already in place, a hudna in return for Israel pulling out of the whole of the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Gosh, what a great deal, how could we possibly pass up giving in to every absurd Hamas demand?

The irony is Haniya can't even promise the Palestinians peace as his gunmen are shooting it out with Abbas's gunmen on mainstreet Gaza...

Additionally notice how Haniya said:

"Leave Hamas aside now -- I am speaking to you as the leader of the Palestinian government

Well that's the whole point Haniya! The pressure is on you because you are the leader of the Palestinian government who represents a designated terrorist organization. It cannot be "left aside for now".., nice attempt at a deflection though. Mr. Haniya and his Hamas party refuse to renounce violence, refuse to recognise Israel's right to exist and refuse to agree to all previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements then what the hell are they actually offering? Sweet bugger all.

Guaranteed Haniya's generous "offer" will stike a cord with the useful idiots and nicompoops around the world but in reality he has nothing, nada, zero, zitch to offer. This is just more lies and B.S. to try to restart the international $$$gravy train$$$.

 

[fabian_lidman]

On a related note, there are some worrying anti-arab trends in this country and the rest of the EU. Persians, too, are being subjected to this malignant guilt-by-association racism because people can't tell the difference. A very nice (moderate) christian lady from Iraq owns a candy shop down the street where i live. She got her windows smashed on New Years eve and some racist morons sprayed islamophobic slogan all over the walls. That's just the kind of extremist behaviour that made her leave Iraq many years ago.
So while we (rightly) condemn islam for being barbaric, misogynistic and unhumane, let's not be nazis and confuse the memes with the ethnic group of their vehicles.

 

[zenith-nadir]

The minister in who did get a visa claimed to be visiting Sweden as a representative of the (democratically elected) Palestinian authority rather than the Hamas movement. He didn't meet or talk to any government officials.

Folks like me who object to islamic terror organizations are always amazed how Hamas is somehow viewed differently than let's say Al Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiah. The only difference between Al Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiah and Hamas is Hamas was voted into office - an entirely different story. Otherwise they are all recognized Islamic terror organizations.

My beef is Hamas has so far refused to abandon it's own policies that put it on the U.S. and EU list of terror organizations in the first place... yet Sweden saw fit to allow some Hamas members in regardless. I'm not down on Sweden, just the hypocrisy.

{edited to add}

On a side note:

#1 Wanted Terrorist Caught - 11:36 May 23, '06

A joint IDF/GSS/police operation succeeded early this morning in capturing Ibrahim Hamed, who has topped Israel's "most wanted terrorists" list since 1998 for his role in the murder of 80 Israelis.

Security source say Hamed, the head of the Hamas military wing in Judea and Samaria, was in the midst of planning additional large-scale attacks.

A special elite police force surrounded a building in Ramallah late last night, demanding that he give himself up. Though terrorists caught in similar situations often refuse to surrender, choosing to shoot and be killed instead, Hamed gave himself up when he saw an Israeli bulldozer approaching the house to overturn it.

Hamed, 41, is responsible for the deaths of 80 Jews in many different attacks. Among the terror atrocities he organized were the following:

• Cafe Moment in Jerusalem, March 9, 2002, 12 murdered
• Cafeteria in Hebrew University, July 31, 2002, 9 killed
• Double suicide car-bombing in Zion Square, Dec. 1, 2001, 11 murdered
• Sheffield Hall in Rishon LeTzion, May 7, 2002, 6 dead
• Suicide bombing at Tzrifin bus stop, Sep. 9, 2003, 9 murdered
• A few hours later, a suicide bombing at the Hillel Cafe in Jerusalem, killing seven, including Dr. David Appelbaum and his daughter Nava, who was to be married the next night.

This is what Hamas is, and what Hamas is about, and this is why when Sweden grants visas to Hamas members it makes me - and many others - go huh?!?!?!

 

[a_unique_person]

Gotta love the B.S. Haniya is "offering" what is already in place, a hudna in return for Israel pulling out of the whole of the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Gosh, what a great deal, how could we possibly pass up giving in to every absurd Hamas demand?

Hamas might have some good or bad policies. What is bad about that demand? The prime minister of Israel largely agrees with it.

The irony is Haniya can't even promise the Palestinians peace as his gunmen are shooting it out with Abbas's gunmen on mainstreet Gaza...

So you do agree, Palestinians do not have a law enforcement situation in which they can guarantee there will be no terrorist attacks?