Hamas

A poll of 1,200 Palestinians has results that bode well for peace — a population that trusts in the peace process, prefers its moderate leadership and a majority of whom reject terrorism against Israel.

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According to the ABC, some weapons from the Libyan rebels have found their way into Gaza. So, basically, good news all round.

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This petition asks that Ahlam Tamimi, the Sbarro restaurant bomber, including Australian Malki Roth, not be released as part of the Gilad Shalit exchange deal. Tamimi committed a heinous act, one of the worst during the Second Intifada, but why should she stay in jail, while others who have committed crimes just as bad, or indeed worse, go free? I don’t think I can sign a petition where there is an exception made for one prisoner from one bombing, because the snowball effect could end up derailing the entire swap deal and Shalit may never come home. Having said that, I don’t begrudge Mr Roth for making the petition or anyone who signs it. These are impossible questions with impossible answers.

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Ha’aretz reports: Eli Yishai of Shas said Israel should consider releasing Jewish terrorists who carried out attacks against Palestinians. “It’s the right thing to do as part of the balances in Israel’s society,” Yishai said, adding that such a move would not “undo the releasing of hundreds of [Palestinian] prisoners, but it may sweeten the bitter pill.” Releasing Palestinian terrorists is wrong and an abomination and inexcusable, they say, but if we’re going to do it, why not also release some of our own to even the score, and let them run wild, ‘do their thing’ and wreak some havoc?

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Bibi has announced that Gilad Shalit will be “will be returning to Israel in the coming days,” in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. I think that more than 1,000 prisoners is quite a price to pay. The way I look at it, this is a win for Hamas — it’s what they always wanted, scores of prisoners released for just one.

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How does Hamas respond to the unilateral declaration at the UN? AP: “[Hamas] can’t publicly oppose the idea of statehood, but they are wary of giving a boost to their West Bank rival, internationally backed President Mahmoud Abbas. They also don’t want to appear to recognize Israel, as the move implicitly does by calling for a state only on territories captured in 1967.” This could be an opportunity to wedge Hamas and drain them of their support in Gaza.

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No pun intended: There is literally a one-hour time difference between Gaza and Ramallah. How bizarre.

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The Guardian has produced a photo gallery of scenes from a burial in Israel following Thursday’s horrific terror attacks, and Israel’s subsequent response in Gaza.

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Daniel Levy has an excellent analysis in Foreign Policy on the UN bid for statehood in September. The US, in figuring out policy with the rest of the Quartet, appears to be trying to pull a swifty — working with Jerusalem to try to put in language unfairly favourable to Israel, and even removing the UN as a legitimate tool to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something very inconsistent with the role the UN should be taking.

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What a wonderful bunch of people they are in Gaza. The Hamas government in Gaza has begun enforcing a law introduced last year banning men from cutting women’s hair. Until now, the law had not been enforced, but this week at least one male hairdresser in Gaza was arrested. Male hairdressers for women are regarded by many Muslims as against Islamic tradition. The move is seen as an attempt to [...]

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