A Two State Solution, of sorts...
Gentlemen,
When I was driving in to work today, I heard a stoy on NPR about these events. Apparently Hamas has pretty much taken control of the Gaza Strip, but Fatah is still in charge of the West Bank. They were interviewing a Palestinian on the West Bank, and he said sarcastically, "Well, they've been talking about a two state solution for a few years now. But this isn't what people had in mind." Or words to that effect.
I wonder if people will be allowed to vote with their feet, assuming any Palestinians want to flee Gaza. If Hamas maintains sovereignty in Gaza, it seems inevitable there will soon precipitate fighting between them and Israel. I'd expect some people would want to get the hell out of there. I know I would.
Abbas Dissolves Palestinian Government
14 June (late breaking) Washington Post - Abbas Dissolves Palestinian Government by Scott Wilson.
Quote:
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Palestinian unity government Thursday and declared a state of emergency as the surging Islamic forces of the rival Hamas movement nearly completed their military conquest of the Gaza Strip.
In a presidential decree, Abbas fired Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and suggested he would "return to the people" with new national elections in the future. His decision ends the four-month power-sharing arrangement between his Fatah movement and Hamas, the two largest Palestinian political parties. Sami Abu Zouhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said, "In practical terms these decisions are worthless."...
The Coming of the Second Masada
From MSNBC: 6/15/07:
-and the headline reads:
"Hamas takeover shows failure of Bush's vision"
Gotta' luv that take on it (as if Bush ever thought there would be a nation called Palestine). Here's hamas in control of Gaza with the sea to their back, Egypt to the South that certainly does not want hamas' influence and ideology coming into Egypt and all around them are Jews and the watchdog IDF/Shin Bet and on the other side through all them Jews is the West Bank, new home of the legitimate Palestinian authority. Sort of a reverse Masada, isn't it? So now that hamas has their Masada, let their supporters revel in the quality of life they are now going to have. A spokesman for the hamas militia was recently quoted as saying that a new era of justice and Islamic rule had just started. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, baby, the real fun is just starting.
Preparing for the Next Battle of Gaza
Israel doesn't want to allow Hamas to build up the kind of strength Hezbollah did in So Leb
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1942918.ece
Quote:
ISRAEL’s new defence minister Ehud Barak is planning an attack on Gaza within weeks to crush the Hamas militants who have seized power there.
According to senior Israeli military sources, the plan calls for 20,000 troops to destroy much of Hamas’s military capability in days.
The raid would be triggered by Hamas rocket attacks against Israel or a resumption of suicide bombings.
Barak, who is expected to become defence minister tomorrow, has already demanded detailed plans to deploy two armoured divisions and an infantry division, accompanied by assault drones and F-16 jets, against Hamas.