Hamas establishes force to stop rockets launched at Israel..

[JEDIYoda]

You really think Hamas wants peace.....I could not find a whole lot about this but on the face of things it looks legit..........



http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl.../articles+(The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles)

Finally, some great news from the Middle East. Days ago, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Hamas established a force “whose sole task is to prevent the firing of rockets into Israel.” While some seek to paint Hamas as a monolithic terrorist group that cannot be negotiated with, this development makes clear that the organization is taking concrete steps toward peace. “Interesting news from Gaza,” Israeli activist Gershon Baskin wrote, contrasting Hamas’ move with Israel’s “deepening and expanding the occupation.”

Haaretz observes, “Hamas, which has always championed jihad against Israel, is now using its authority to foil the firing efforts of cells from other organizations such as the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.” The force of 300 men operates “day and night, 24 hours, everywhere in the Strip,” according to a source in Gaza, “particularly near the borders with Israel."
Nic459869

A Palestinian family sits under a makeshift tent next to the rubble of houses which were demolished by Hamas security forces in the southern Gaza Strip. (Said Khatib / AFP / Getty Images)

Of course, those seeking to scuttle peace between Israelis and Palestinians will point to mere facts to belittle this hopeful news. The anti-peace camp will bring up that Hamas spokesmen Ihab al Ghussein and Fawzi Barhoum immediately denied the existence of this anti-rocket force calling the reports “Zionist propaganda.” They will cite the spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza, Abu Mujahid, who said recently that Hamas grants his group total freedom of action.

Rula Jebreal and Mustapha Tlili discuss the ‘chaos’ in the country.

The anti-peace camp will say it is hard to trust a regime that quashes human rights, imposes dictatorship and regularly arrests and tortures opposition activists. They will observe that Hamas leaders work daily to destroy Israel and incite genocide of Jews. They will explain that Hamas is confiscating the rockets of others for their own use. They will note that every single ceasefire to date has been used to regroup and rearm thus strengthening Hamas to fight the next battle.

Those same anti-peace folks will cite the fact that the founder and commander of this new unit is Hamas Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, a man who lauds Palestinian children, women and the elderly for forming “human shields.” And that he says, “The Jews have become abhorred and loathed outcasts, because they live off corruption and the plundering of the peoples—not only the Arab and Islamic peoples, but all the peoples of the world.” But who among us has not had a few slips of the tongue?

The anti-peace contingent will come up with pithy retorts to this welcome development like, “Hamas should get as much credit for stopping rockets as a serial arsonist would get for putting out the fires of other arsonists—and collecting their matches in the process.”

How unfortunate that many will try to drown out the great news about Hamas by using logic, reason, fact and sensibility. They are missing the point: Hamas may be stopping rocket fire and that cannot be bad. If Hamas wanted war, it would wage war. Can anyone think of an example when a regime bided its time waiting until the right moment to attack? Besides Germany in 1938, Japan in 1941, North Korea in 1950, the Soviet Union in 1956, Egypt and Syria in 1973, Iraq in 1990, Gaza in 2009 and a few hundred other cases, I can’t think of a single one!

Hamas desires peace no less than any other group that incites to genocide, calls for the destruction of a member state of the United Nations, imposes dictatorship, blows up cafes, uses human shields, denies women basic rights, destroys any semblance of freedom, arrests bloggers, tortures dissidents and wants to get all the credit for launching rockets at civilian targets.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diploma...oiling-rocket-attacks-against-israel-1.429297

 

[Dr. Zaus]

I hope this is true; because if Hammass makes a good-faith effort to stop terrorism and the Israelis continue to encroach upon the land they agreed to give the Palestinians (ie 'natural growth') the world will turn against the nation of Israel and they will be forced into peace.

How unfortunate that many will try to drown out the great news about Hamas by using logic, reason, fact and sensibility.

There are atrocities on both sides; if Hamas can stop the hate first Israel would be forced into concession. I hope to God that they figure that out...

 

[ManBearPig]

They wouldn't be forced into anything. If one side stops attacking, the other would stop retaliating.

 

[Rebel44]

They wouldn't be forced into anything. If one side stops attacking, the other would stop retaliating.

Agreed.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I can see this from multiple angles.

Hamas was whipped the last go around. They were terrified of what would happen if Israel went in on the ground. Hamas does not want that to happen again.

1) To the international community, they made a statement of peace and non-aggression from Gaza. They need to show that they are now responsible.

2) It becomes a powerplay with Abbas's group of responsibility/leadership as a followup to the above.

3) They are buying time to recover from the last fight and do not want any potential of triggering an Israeli response before they are prepared.

Lastly it could be some reaction to Egypt flooding the tunnels.

#1 or #2 would be best. If tensions can be ratcheted down progress can be made. Show maybe that they can be responsible enough to be a full state.

 

[Greenman]

You really think Hamas wants peace.....I could not find a whole lot about this but on the face of things it looks legit..........



http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl.../articles+(The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles)

Finally, some great news from the Middle East. Days ago, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Hamas established a force “whose sole task is to prevent the firing of rockets into Israel.” While some seek to paint Hamas as a monolithic terrorist group that cannot be negotiated with, this development makes clear that the organization is taking concrete steps toward peace. “Interesting news from Gaza,” Israeli activist Gershon Baskin wrote, contrasting Hamas’ move with Israel’s “deepening and expanding the occupation.”

Haaretz observes, “Hamas, which has always championed jihad against Israel, is now using its authority to foil the firing efforts of cells from other organizations such as the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.” The force of 300 men operates “day and night, 24 hours, everywhere in the Strip,” according to a source in Gaza, “particularly near the borders with Israel."
Nic459869

A Palestinian family sits under a makeshift tent next to the rubble of houses which were demolished by Hamas security forces in the southern Gaza Strip. (Said Khatib / AFP / Getty Images)

Of course, those seeking to scuttle peace between Israelis and Palestinians will point to mere facts to belittle this hopeful news. The anti-peace camp will bring up that Hamas spokesmen Ihab al Ghussein and Fawzi Barhoum immediately denied the existence of this anti-rocket force calling the reports “Zionist propaganda.” They will cite the spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza, Abu Mujahid, who said recently that Hamas grants his group total freedom of action.

Rula Jebreal and Mustapha Tlili discuss the ‘chaos’ in the country.

The anti-peace camp will say it is hard to trust a regime that quashes human rights, imposes dictatorship and regularly arrests and tortures opposition activists. They will observe that Hamas leaders work daily to destroy Israel and incite genocide of Jews. They will explain that Hamas is confiscating the rockets of others for their own use. They will note that every single ceasefire to date has been used to regroup and rearm thus strengthening Hamas to fight the next battle.

Those same anti-peace folks will cite the fact that the founder and commander of this new unit is Hamas Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, a man who lauds Palestinian children, women and the elderly for forming “human shields.” And that he says, “The Jews have become abhorred and loathed outcasts, because they live off corruption and the plundering of the peoples—not only the Arab and Islamic peoples, but all the peoples of the world.” But who among us has not had a few slips of the tongue?

The anti-peace contingent will come up with pithy retorts to this welcome development like, “Hamas should get as much credit for stopping rockets as a serial arsonist would get for putting out the fires of other arsonists—and collecting their matches in the process.”

How unfortunate that many will try to drown out the great news about Hamas by using logic, reason, fact and sensibility. They are missing the point: Hamas may be stopping rocket fire and that cannot be bad. If Hamas wanted war, it would wage war. Can anyone think of an example when a regime bided its time waiting until the right moment to attack? Besides Germany in 1938, Japan in 1941, North Korea in 1950, the Soviet Union in 1956, Egypt and Syria in 1973, Iraq in 1990, Gaza in 2009 and a few hundred other cases, I can’t think of a single one!

Hamas desires peace no less than any other group that incites to genocide, calls for the destruction of a member state of the United Nations, imposes dictatorship, blows up cafes, uses human shields, denies women basic rights, destroys any semblance of freedom, arrests bloggers, tortures dissidents and wants to get all the credit for launching rockets at civilian targets.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diploma...oiling-rocket-attacks-against-israel-1.429297

I'm having a very off morning, so please forgive me if I've missed something here, but it sounds to me like one small faction out of many want to quit firing blindly into Israel, and the other factions either don't care or want to keep firing off missiles. Does that about sum it up?

 

[JEDIYoda]

I'm having a very off morning, so please forgive me if I've missed something here, but it sounds to me like one small faction out of many want to quit firing blindly into Israel, and the other factions either don't care or want to keep firing off missiles. Does that about sum it up?

I would not call Hamas a small faction...

“Hamas, which has always championed jihad against Israel, is now using its authority to foil the firing efforts of cells from other organizations such as the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.” The force of 300 men operates “day and night, 24 hours, everywhere in the Strip,” according to a source in Gaza, “particularly near the borders with Israel."

 

[EagleKeeper]

I'm having a very off morning, so please forgive me if I've missed something here, but it sounds to me like one small faction out of many want to quit firing blindly into Israel, and the other factions either don't care or want to keep firing off missiles. Does that about sum it up?

As JediYoda stayed Hamas is not small. They are easily the dominant force in Gaza.

The fact that Hamas is now supposedly active in stopping attacks rather that as before, turning a blind eye or informally assisting the faction is a good sign.

A concern is that this may not be a forward looking policy if there is division in the Hamas and/Palestinian ranks over it.

 

[Oyeve]

I am concerned about those that oppose Hamas goodwill and just try to scuttle what could potentially be an historic occurance.

 

[Craig234]

I am concerned about those that oppose Hamas goodwill and just try to scuttle what could potentially be an historic occurance.

It's long been observed that those who oppose violent resistance are rewarded with absolutely nothing - just more abused and ignored.

The successor to Arafat has been 'Israel's darling' in being much more compliant to them, and it's done nothing to ease the repression, stop the settlemants, he's just ignored.

The natural expectation here would be the same - if this is 100% successful at stopping all rocket launches, the opression and settlements aren't going anywhere as a result.

Rather, whatever violent resistance there is is just useful for justifying those things.

This is typically the case with opposing factions - The Chechnyans have legitimate complaints against Russian oppression, Russia can point to Chechnyan terrorism.

I call it the Hatfield and McCoy issue where both sides can justify further acts of violence by pointing at the history of the other side's acts of violence.

 

[Jaskalas]

Craig, the Palestinians want land. To get it they can choose violence, and in return be met with violence.

Rocket launches demand retaliation. You speak down on Abbas as "Israel's darling" who has "done nothing" but if he stops the rocket launches then he stops the violence. He stops Israel from killing Palestinians. Is that not a worthy goal? Certainly it is not something to be speaking badly of.

 

[Craig234]

Craig, the Palestinians want land. To get it they can choose violence, and in return be met with violence.

What land do they want? Their own, that's being taken from them bit by bit. They're not invading Israel. There are no Palestinian settlements taking land from Israel's citizens.

Rocket launches demand retaliation. You speak down on Abbas as "Israel's darling" who has "done nothing" but if he stops the rocket launches then he stops the violence. He stops Israel from killing Palestinians. Is that not a worthy goal? Certainly it is not something to be speaking badly of.

You're missing my point, that when the Palestinians are 'compliant', Israel simply continues to oppress them and take more of their land. That's not a good thing.

Sadly, Israel 'rewards' the violence, many argue.

Where is the situation where Palestinians launch no rockets, and Israel recognizes the Palestinian state, stops building a wall on their land, and more settlements, etc.?

Israel does not seem willing to do that. So what can Palestinians do?

That's not a rhetorical question to say they should launch rockets, it's a question, and 'Israel will do all that on their own' is not an answer that's correct in my opinion.

BTW, have you seen the oscar nominee 'five broken cameras'? Might be useful.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Where is the situation where Palestinians launch no rockets, and Israel recognizes the Palestinian state, stops building a wall on their land, and more settlements, etc.?

Israel does not seem willing to do that. So what can Palestinians do?

That's not a rhetorical question to say they should launch rockets, it's a question, and 'Israel will do all that on their own' is not an answer that's correct in my opinion.

BTW, have you seen the oscar nominee 'five broken cameras'? Might be useful.

At what point in time (since this year) have the Palestinians / proxies not shelled Israel?

Now that Hamas has possibly matured and is going to show Israel that it can be responsible; Israel can reciprocate.

Up to this point; Israel has the track record of the Palestinian leadership which in itself is fractured.

Now the question is, is Hamas leadership so fractured that one will sabotage the other and allow Israel to say "I told you so" or not.

Are they becoming concerned about the people or their political power?