By Ryan Jones
Mar 27, 2006
Further dashing Western hopes of "moderating" Hamas, and rendering worthless the primary reason given within Israel for starting a "peace" process with the PLO more than a decade ago, the new masters of the Palestinian Authority last week announced they would punish no one for murdering Israeli Jews.
Said incoming PA Interior Minister Saed Seyam in an interview with Reuters Thursday:
"The day will never come when any Palestinian would be arrested because of his political affiliation or because of resisting the occupation."
To the contrary, the new Hamas regime will seek to better coordinate the "Palestinian" assault on the Jewish state, said Seyam:
"Talks with the factions in the future will focus on the mechanisms, the shape and the timing (of any attacks)."
Seyam's interview was followed Sunday by remarks by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh; remarks inaccurately described as "conciliatory" by an ever-wishful media. Speaking to reporters in Gaza City, Haniyeh said:
"We don't want a whirlpool of blood in this region. We want the rights and dignity of our people. We also want to put an end to this complicated conflict that has been going on for decades... Hamas's presence in power marks the beginning of resolving the crisis."
In his purposely vague comments, Haniyeh left out the shape of the "peace" his group seeks. New Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar filled in the blanks:
"Even if the US gave us all its money in return for recognizing Israel and giving up one inch of Palestine [sic], we would never do so even if this costs us our lives."
Hamas' 24-member terrorist-filled cabinet was expected to easily pass its ratification vote within the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Legislative Council Monday.
Meanwhile, fresh poll results published at the weekend again showed the Palestinian Arab public continues to fully back its new blood-soaked Islamic leaders and their policies.
The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research asked a representative sampling of Arab adults in Judea, Samaria and Gaza if Hamas should, in accordance with international demands, "recognize or not recognize the state of Israel." Over sixty percent responded in the negative.
A 44.5 percent majority said reconciliation and peaceful coexistence with a sovereigh Jewish state and its people "is not possible ever."
Well over 50 percent of "Palestinians" support continued attacks "against Israeli civilians inside Israel," and 66.9 percent believe such violence has been beneficial to the "Palestinian cause."