"SHOCK AND AWE" IN GAZA

No, the US has not invaded Gaza................yet. Instead the "shock and awe" is in relation to this; One year later in Gaza, One member of FATAH visits Gaza and says this; 'I am in contact with my brothers in Hamas' and we say "About effing time" and where's the rest of the "brothers"

link Nabil Shaath, a member of the central committee of the secular Fatah, said he hoped to meet representatives from all the Palestinian factions including democratically elected Hamas, which seized Gaza control in June 2007.

"I want to see the citizens and their situation in Gaza. I am coming to part of the (Palestinian) homeland and I don't need a visa," he told reporters after passing through the Erez border crossing from Israel.

Ok right there is telling, call me, well... call me "skeptical" as the Zionists let him in. What does Israel get out of this, it's always about what Isarel can "get."

"I am in contact with my brothers in Hamas and all the Palestinian factions, and all of them know about this visit. I am not on a secret mission.

Time will tell why he has visited, suddenly, now, after one year, with Zionist permission to pass through Erez.

PALESTINIAN UNITY~ABBAS VS HAMAS

Palestinian Unity between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas wants unity, and says:

link Dr. Mahmoud Zahhar, a political leader of the Hamas movement, stated that they would sign the Egyptian document for internal Palestinian unity should the Egyptian leadership provide guarantees to ensure a successful agreement.

Zahhar said that Hamas does not want to sign on unclear issues, and that Egypt should provide clarifications so that all aspects are durable to ensure a lasting unity deal.

He added that Hamas believes that the transitional period should be used to achieve all needed arrangements and reconciliation measures to guarantee national interests and unity.

“We are determined to achieve unity, we want to make sure the Egyptian document is clear for all of us”, Zahhar said, “We demanded Egypt to provide guarantees to implementing all reached deals”.

Zahhar also insists that Egypt invite Hamas leaders for talks on the measures to guarantee the future unity deal is solid and flawless.

And rightly so, they must be careful of signing an agreement that is unclear. The above is a fair request to iron out any misconceptions and clear up any vague areas regarding security and other things. Ok, that’s one side, now what about Fatah? Abbas is continually claiming he wants unity for the Palestinians and continually pointing the finger at Hamas as the ones against unity. So here is Abbas’ contribution towards unity for all parties:

Palestinian Security Forces arrested 14 members of the Hamas political party in the West Bank this Wednesday at dawn.

In Qalqilia, to the north of the West Bank, Mustafa Bader was apprehended. He has been repeatedly arrested by Palestinian security forces along with spending time in Israeli prison. Nael Nofal, Sa’id Jeidy, Abdul-Halim Al Basha and Freij Daoud were also detained in Qalqilia. They face arrest just one day after release from a Palestinian detention center.

In Allar near Qalqilia, security forces arrested Ahmad Taqatqa, Abada Taqatqa, Khalid Abdullah and Mujahid Shadid.

In the district of Ramallah, security forces arrested Moath Ziad Mashal, a journalist from Silwad village. Mashal has been arrested three times by the Israeli military, spending a combined total of five years in Israeli prisons. He has also been arrested once by Palestinian security forces despite his involvement with the Silwad local council.

In Hebron, security forces arrested Sheikh Mahmoud Al Hour, member of the Surif village council and Sheikh Mahmoud Al Asafra. Al Asafra serves as the Imam of Al Rahman Mosque in Beit Kahil.

Near the city of Jenin, security forces arrested Mohammad Fares Abu Obeid from Al Yamoun village.

The statement issued by Hamas also alleged that Fateh security forces still hold Hamas party members in detention, despite a Palestinian court order demanding their immediate release.

I think we can all see the real problems with “unity.” Perhaps when Abbas and his cohorts begin to respect the democratic mandate of all parties, including Hamas who won a majority in a free and democratic election. Then we may see some unity.

Fatah & Hamas Unity Deal Thoughts

A friend pointed me to a report this morning which I already had read but will now post on it. The report states that Hamas will refuse the unity agreement with FATAH over “the right to resist.” Now, upon first read of the article you may form one opinion. But perhaps we should read between the lines here. As we must remember back in August 2009, immediately after the long awaited, much over due, manipulated FATAH conference as well. First today’s report regarding Hamas:

Reports from The Associated Press said Hamas leadership in Syria, and several other factions with leaders in exile there, rejected the Egyptian proposal for unity with its rival Fatah party in a Thursday report. Members of Fatah signed the agreement Wednesday, putting the onus on Hamas to sign and finalize the unity deal. Eight factions, unnamed but for Hamas in the AP report, issued a joint statement calling for the revision of the Egyptian plan to include the right of Palestinians to resist the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.source

Now let’s remember this from August 2009 after the FATAH conference:

Renewing its charter for the first time in two decades, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement reiterated on Sunday, August 9, the Palestinian right to resist the Israeli occupation, angering Tel Aviv.

"Fatah stresses its commitment to the pursuit of a comprehensive peace but reiterates the Palestinian people's right to resistance to occupation in all its forms in line with international law," reads the new charter cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"… we will not drop any options and we believe resistance in all its forms is a legitimate right of occupied peoples in confronting their occupiers." source

so here’s my initial off the cuff, not long thought out reaction, subject to change should I have more time to think about it politically and strategically that is ;o) But, my first inclination is that obviously, the position of the “right to resist” technically exists in both FATAH and HAMAS charters, as stated above in both articles.

Having said that, why would this now be a stumbling block? Could it be that the Egyptian proposals exclude the right to resist? If so then FATAH would need to change its charter as well as Hamas. And that would mean another FATAH conference. And I have not seen where FATAH have done this as their last conference was in August which retained the Palestinian right to resist. Additionally there are members and factions within FATAH that would never drop this right, nor would allow Abbas to give that right away. So it could be to destabilise and create some inner turmoil within FATAH factions who will then be informing Abbas that the right to resist cannot be traded away in Egypt or anywhere else without a vote.

So what else could it be then? Well, it could be that Hamas wants to ensure FATAH don’t drop this right in future. It could be that Hamas is forcing Abbas to reiterate what was decided at the conference in August 2009, in order to ensure that the right to resist is NOT off the table should any unity deal take place with Hamas and FATAH. Hamas would know that on the heels of the Abbas/Goldstone nightmare, that Abbas could never get away with dropping the right to resist at this time, even if he wanted to. so this places FATAH in a position of having to re-iterate it's position on the "right to resist" and thus could be paving the way for some unity deal perhaps. This is what I would tend to go with for now. I believe that Hamas is forcing Abbas and FATAH to re-state, in no uncertain terms that it remains true to its own August 2009 Charter which includes the Right To Resist, this move may be the ground laying for a possible unity deal, once that right is reiterated by FATAH and not for trade. Time will tell, we don’t have all the facts so we can only guess right now.