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Palestinian Arabs

Israel to help Hamas

Report: Will not obstruct PA elections despite terrorists' participation


By Stan Goodenough
December 21, 2005

Last September, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared that Israel would not do anything to help the Palestinian Arabs hold their elections on January 25 if Hamas is permitted to participate in the poll.

 Back then, during a visit to the United Nations, Sharon spelled out his country?s position to world leaders: Israel was adamantly opposed to Hamas fielding candidates for election.

Unusually, both the US and Europe were supportive of the Israeli position.

So much so that, last Friday, the US House of Representatives voted to cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas was permitted to take part in the elections without first recognizing Israel?s right to exist, ending its incitement against Israel, condemning terrorism and dismantling its terrorist infrastructure.

And on Sunday, EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana let the PA know that Europe would not be willing to support a ?Palestinian? government that included a party whose platform advocated violence and the destruction of Israel.

Now, in a stunning about-face that effectively undermines the steps taken by the EU and US, Sharon?s government has let it be known that it will help facilitate the ?Palestinian? elections in Judea and Samaria next month, whether or not Hamas takes part.

According to a report in Wednesday?s The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli Foreign Ministry?s ?general position? is that Israel should cooperate with the Arabs to enable them to vote unimpeded.

An unnamed ?senior diplomatic official? said Israel recognized that there was ?a great deal of international interest in seeing Israel facilitate free and open? PA elections.

That fact that Hamas is resolved to run in the race, and just last week demonstrated that it has gained a massive increase in public support in Judea and Samaria is apparently not reason enough to give Israel second thoughts.

Earlier this week Israel?s chief of Military Intelligence warned that the Gaza Strip was well on the way to becoming ?Hamastan.?

And Israeli Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz notified IDF commanders Wednesday morning to prepare their forces for a wave of Arab terrorism that is expected to erupt from Gaza in the run-up to the elections.

Meanwhile, after retreating from its first definitive position, Israel appears to have redrawn its red line at Jerusalem, with officials now saying that because of Hamas? participation, ?Palestinians? living in Jerusalem will have to go outside of the capital to cast their ballots.

Hardly were these words published than both the PA and reporters for the leftwing Israeli press began trying to erode this new position.

The PA said if Israel insisted on preventing voting in Jerusalem the elections would be postponed ? something the PA is in favor of, but which Hamas opposes.

Ha?aretz ?reminded? Israel that, according to the Oslo Accords, Palestinian Arabs in ?east? Jerusalem were permitted to vote at post offices in their neighborhoods.

Some commentators have suggested that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who would like to postpone the elections to later next year, will use this latest Israeli position as an excuse to do so.

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