U.S. and Israel plans to overthrow Hamas.

Originally posted by maldives01

"As a fledgling nation the Palestinian people [...] don't want to kill Israelis or Americans or anyone else really

According to a poll done after the PLC elections held on January 25, 2006,

56.2% support suicide bombing operations

against Israeli civilians.


The Palestinians are not all that peaceful as we wish them to be. Also, since the disengagement from Gaza, over 450 rockets have been fired at Israel, and the rocket distance capability is constantly expanding.

[edit on 26-2-2006 by Riwka]

Today, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch met again in Jerusalem to discuss the current situation in the PA.

The U.S. (and also the EU) view Hamas as a terror organization and would refrain from supporting a Palestinian government led by extremists.

The benchmark that was set for Hamas by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is:

Hamas has to

1. lcease its terror activity
   
   
2. recognize Israel
   
   
3. honor agreements existing between Israel and the Palestinians renounce terror and
   
   
4. change its platform calling for the destruction of Israel
   

to get U.S. and EU assistance.

Unfortunately, up to now Hamas continued to play verbal games while maintaining their terrorist character.

When asked if Hamas would be willing to recognize Israel should it agree to withdraw to the 1967 borders, Haniyeh told the Washingon Post that Hamas would agree to a peace deal in stages, the first of which would call for stability and longterm ceasefire. He also said, "We have no hostile feelings toward Jews and we don't want to throw them into the sea. All we want is to get our land back and not to hurt anyone."

In response, cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit told Army Radio Sunday, "I wish they would change their positions... They (Hamas) may be starting to speak another language."

If Hamas were to accept Israel's conditions to recognise Israel and renounce violence, "we won't have any trouble speaking to Hamas, and to reach a settlement," Sheetrit said. (source)

Israel plans to ask that the U.S. coordinate with it humanitarian aid to the Palestinians via international organizations so that every dollar transferred reaches its target.


[edit on 26-2-2006 by Riwka]

Hi Riwka,


Some interesting poll results in the link below, for what it's worth. I personally subscribe to the view of the great statesman Benjamin Disraeli who said "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics" but here they are anyway -

news.yahoo.com...

And to back up my quote from Disraeli, here is a link -

www.quotationspage.com...

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I fail to see how a majority of Palestinians can be FOR peace with Israel, and a majority can be FOR suicide bombings. Doesn't make sense does it? This is why I quoted Benjamin Disraeli. All most people want the world over, is peace and stability. I see nothing wrong with that - it's a fairly basic, modest aspiration surely. The results of polls can be taken with a pinch of salt really - I've never known one to be right, ever.

My basic view in my postings on this thread is that there is movement in the attitude of Hamas. They are saying things now which would have been inconceivable only a few years ago. This is movement, and it's movement in the right direction. Anything which is moving in the direction of peace, albeit an uneasy one has to be good news doesn't it?

I am also sure, and no I have no links to polls to back me up, that the majority of people in Israel also want peace and stability. This is also based on news and opinions I have read.

Peace and stability in the region would be good, would it not, both for your people and the Palestinians




[edit on 26-2-2006 by maldives01] - link trouble!

[edit on 26-2-2006 by maldives01]

I am also sure, and no I have no links to polls to back me up, that the majority of people in Israel also want peace and stability. This is also based on news and opinions I have read.

You are mistaken.

More Israeli Jews favor transfer of Palestinians, Israeli Arabs - poll finds

Transfer is just a nicey-nice word for massive ethnic cleansing.

More than four million people.....

LOL.

That article has been published by Haaretz on 12 March 2002.

It will be 4 years old soon.

That data is old and useless now.

Meanwhile, the European Union decided on Monday to grant $143 million in urgent aid for the Palestinians.

PA officials already said they need $60m-$80m this week if they are to begin paying public sector salaries.

The PA on Sunday faced the threat of an immediate suspension of fuel shipments after failing to meet a payment of more than $30m to the Israeli supplier. A check for 103 million shekels sent to Dor-Allon, bounced last week.

Europe fills Palestinian aid gap

About 20m euros will pay the salaries of Palestinian Authority officials, and another 40m will be earmarked for electricity and other energy expenses.

The European commission insists that the latter will go directly to suppliers, not go through the Palestinian Authority.

“They [the PA] will provide us with bills and we will pay those bills to the utilities concerned,” spokeswoman Emma Udwin said.

The outgoing PA government faces a deficit of up to $370m.

Quartet to seek to avert fiscal collapse of PA

Russia has already pledged $10m to support the PA’s March budget. Norway will contribute $10m and Saudi Arabia $20m to help meet February’s bills. Further funding is likely to come from a World Bank donor trust fund.

But even these emergency measures would leave the PA with a financing gap of up to $170m over the two months

The U.S. which is not providing assistance to the Palestinian Authority this year, is due to announce shortly whether it will contribute to Palestinian projects.

Hi Riwka, I did not realise that the other article was so old, but although I mentioned that I don't necessarily take much notice of polls, if four years ago such a high percentage of Palestinians wanted peace, and now according to the poll that you quoted a majority favour suicide bombings, why the huge swing in Palestinian public opinion in four years? A relevant question I think. Here's a link to another poll, bit reluctant to include it as it's from Al-Jazeera and I wanted to stay as neutral as possible on this and Al - Jazeera as you know is Arab-owned. However, as it's been widely quoted elsewhere by other widely respected news organisations without any negative overtones then I thought I would - you may not have seen it. Here it is -

english.aljazeera.net...

Here is a link you may be interested in - it's from an organisation I have not heard of but it's aims seem commendable. There are lots of statistics and tables and poll results, both from the Israeli and the Palestinian sides. It seems a pretty reputable source to me. Here it is -

truman.huji.ac.il...

As I stated in my previous post I don't really hold much store in polls and percentages - I'm with Benjamin Disraeli on this one!

[edit on 28-2-2006 by maldives01]

[edit on 28-2-2006 by maldives01]

Four years in Middle East is a LOT - it is a fast changing area.
Just take in mind that the intifada started, Arafat died, Israel builds a security fence, left Gaza and so on and so on. Polls done short after time of the the suicide bombing e.g. Netanyia /Israel - Jenin /Westbank battle are of course very different than those done in times of 'calm'.

Here is the newest February poll - released today:

Up from the last January- poll (which is the one mentioned in your source)

trust in Hamas has increased from 41% to 44%

trust in Fateh has decreased from 38% to 29%.

support for a peace agreement with Israel has
dropped from 84% to 73%.

the belief that Hamas should change its position on
the elimination of the state of Israel has decreased from 75% to 62%.


[edit on 28-2-2006 by Riwka]

Thanks for that Riwka! Interesting info - I enjoy our little "chats" - very instructive! The link/logo for Palestinian Political Pulse looks interesting - I've bookmarked it to look at later - Stargate is on in a minute and the video doesn't work so I have to watch it in "realtime"