Will Hamas suck up to Iran to save itself?
Mideast Media Sampler 08/01/2013
Troubles for Hamas in Gaza
In The New Republic, Ehud Yaari explains some of the reasons Hamas is in trouble. Its Muslim Brotherhood patrons in Egypt fell from power after it alienated Iran for stopping its support of Bashar Assad. These changes have precipitated a leadership split in Hamas.
For example, in contrast to Mashal’s Egypt focus, Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh has emphasized the need to defend Hamas control over the strip. Although he accepted the position of deputy Executive Committee chief after failing to win the top Hamas post in April, he no longer heeds orders from Mashal.
Other leaders have urged speedy reconciliation with Iran, emphasizing that Hamas cannot afford to divorce itself from the “resistance axis”. The most adamant proponent of this view is Imad al-Alami, the group’s former permanent envoy in Tehran and head of the “Intifada Committee,” now returned from Damascus to Gaza. He is supported by military figures such as Muhammad Deif and Marwan Issa, and by politicians such as Mahmoud al-Zahar. In contrast, Mashal received heavy criticism for attending a much-publicized May sermon in Qatar in which Qaradawi railed against Iran and its partners. His response was that he did not have prior knowledge of what Qaradawi would say.
In recent weeks, Hamas has sent delegations to Beirut and Tehran in order to reach new understandings with Iran and Hezbollah. Although both parties replied that they will keep their doors open to Hamas, they also noted that they cannot normalize relations until the group modifies its position on Syria’s war and Iranian/Hezbollah involvement there.
Making matters worse for Hamas is that the new Egyptian government’s blockade of Gaza has severely limited Gaza’s supply of fuel.
“There are very few cars on the road and people line up for hours to get just a few liters of gas,” Omar Shaaban, an economist in Gaza told The Media Line. “There is only about 25 percent of the quantity that is needed.”
The shortage is also affecting municipal services such as sewage treatment plants which also run on fuel. Municipal officials in Gaza say they’ve began dumping untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea since they don’t have fuel to run the generators.
Egypt is sealing off the tunnels as part of its campaign against gunmen in the Sinai peninsula. Last August, insurgents in Sinai killed 16 Egyptian policemen. Egypt worries the Sinai gunmen could receive weapons through the tunnels and could even escape to Gaza.
Although it is reported that Gazans are angry with Egypt over the blockade, the gas shortage will likely hurt Hamas’s popularity too.
While Iran may be open to restoring ties with Hamas, currently it is working against the terrorist group that controls Gaza. The New York Times reports that Iran is sending aid to Gaza through a different terrorist group, Palestinians Islamic Jihad.
The food boxes bore the logo of Islamic Jihad and the Iranian flag alongside the Palestinian one. Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed extremist militant group, often challenges the larger Hamas.
Organizers at the packaging center said that the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, a Beirut-based Iranian charity, was financing the $2 million food aid project. Islamic Jihad has been granted the honors of distributing the 40,000 parcels, giving it a boost at a delicate time when Hamas is struggling to cope with a shifting regional landscape.
In recent months, Iran has suspended millions of dollars in monthly aid to Hamas because the group did not stand by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, its former patron, in his struggle against rebel forces. Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad did not leave its base in Damascus and has kept up relations with the government of Mr. Assad, a longtime Iranian ally.
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Then there is this:
WATCH: Netanyahu’s response to Arab MK who said Arabs were here first
“I did not plan to speak but I heard what MK Zahalka had to say. You said ‘We were here before you and we’ll be here after you’re gone.’ The first part is not true and the second part will never take place,” the prime minister said, slamming his hand on the podium and leaving.
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=11099
I just know that there IS a record of birth for one Benjamin Netanyahu, in Hawaii! We must find it!
BTW, had never heard, nor seen the http://www.israelhayom.com/site/about.php prior to this article.
However they do seem legit as hell. Any knowledge to that effect?
The biG Hamas error occurred when a few of their terrorist gangsters, “did” a number on an Egyptian police outpost. Very close to the border with Israel. The gazans killed 17 egyptian policemen. Commandeered equipment … which they then tried to run into Israel, where they were intending to do even greater terror than was just done in egypt.
There was only a “quick” viral video put out by Israel, showing the incoming vehicles in the sites of an IAF plane. And, the kaboom. And, the resulting skid marks.
Since this time the egyptians (sans the muslem brotherhood). And, with the egyptian military back in charge. Have taken upon themselves to ruin Gaza.
Remember, too, that gaza was once owned by egypt. But was lost back in ’73. (Yes, at Camp David, Ben Gurion, in exchange for a state dinner thrown by Jimmy Carter, “gave this all back at Camp David.) The egyptians ended up with the Sinai. (Desert. Where only Bedouins roam.)
It’s such a badlands over there that it was only recently Israel built a wall separating out the turf. Why? Because africans were traveling through the desert … Remember The Sahara is as big and wide as the United States.) And, Israel saw thousands and thousands of Africans coming in seeking shelter. After they had been sufficiently raped by the Bedouin.)
Israel did try to accommodate some of the Africans. But then the ‘european community’ went up in arms, because the women had been given injected birth control, that would give them a period of five years where they couldn’t conceive. Because of the “humanitarian” intervention, Israel was actually forced to build a wall. Yes. Building one earlier would have been better.
As to egypt one of the ways they are now controlling in gaza, is that they flooded 80% of the tunnels. Egypt is making it much more difficult, now, for these “gazans” to get into egypt. (Which has its own problems of over-population. And, food shortages.)
I still don’t know what possessed Bibi to do what he’s done. Because only “slim margins” separates out winners from political losers. And, when he selected Livni, and handed her a portfolio … you get the idea that in Israel the right wing is treated poorly.
I can’t imagine there isn’t a lot of screaming going on.
But a few voices on the right say “don’t worry.” Bibi’s only holding talks. Yakity. Yak.
There are also problems in Lebanon.
While Assad is set to claim victory. From these dark places, stretching from iran, through irak. And, now Assad’s syria, there will be new pressures squirting out. (This is the place where obummer thinks he can get his way. That egypt will be forced to take in the muslem brotherhood. That the fighting in Libya isn’t draining some swamp or other. And, the saud’s still think it’s their fingers that are stirring this pot.)
Fracking, on the other hand, has caused the saud’s to get very, very upset.
Beats me how all these tribal animosities ends up. Nor do I know on whose side “time” favors.
If a situation could be worse, it would be that these incendiary places wouldn’t be thrown into such turmoil.
I also know that on the political stage, in Israel, Bibi is being given lots of room to maneuver. (You know, if Kerry kicked Bibi in a “sensative spot” … then Bibi should react by getting angry. Then? Bibi will have to live with his “good gesture” of freeing murderers.)
Egyptians sealing the tunnels used for “commerce” between Egypt and Gaza!
Funny peculiar why no one has questioned the need for tunnels to import fuel from Egypt .
As far as I can make out Israel has not stopped supplying Gaza with electricity, food and gas.
Hamas is in an interesting position. I think that they’re beginning to find out that they’re replaceable, both with Iran and with the Palestinians.
Can’t predict what will happen, but I for one will be watching with a bit of interest.