Netanyahu said that Abbas “chose Hamas and not peace. Whoever chooses Hamas does not want peace.” Indeed. But this is nothing new. Mahmoud Abbas said on March 15, 2013: “As far as I am concerned, there is no difference between our policies and those of Hamas.”
And what are those Hamas policies?
“Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it” — Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna, as quoted in the Hamas Charter
“Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah” — Hamas’s Al Aqsa TV
“Hamas, Abbas’s PLO announce reconciliation agreement,” by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters, April 23:
GAZA (Reuters) – The Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) agreed on Wednesday to a unity pact, both sides announced in a joint news conference.
The move, coming after a long line of failed efforts to reconcile after seven years of internal bickering, envisions a unity government within five weeks and national elections six months later.
“This is the good news we tell our people: the era of division is over,” Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said to loud applause at a Palestinian press conference also attended by representatives of the PLO.
Israel said after the announcement that Abbas had chosen Hamas over peace, and canceled a session of U.S.-brokered talks with the Palestinians that had been scheduled for Wednesday night in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office that Abbas “chose Hamas and not peace. Whoever chooses Hamas does not want peace.”
Along with the United States and the European Union, Israel views Hamas as a terrorist organization, and says Abbas’ efforts to unify with the group show he is not serious about extending the troubled negotiations.
The talks, aimed at ending its decades-old conflict with the Palestinians and establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, are scheduled to end on April 29.
Palestinians have long hoped for a healing of the political rift between the PLO and militant Hamas, which won a Palestinian election in 2006 and seized control of the Gaza Strip from forces loyal to Western-backed Abbas in 2007.
But reconciliation dreams have been dashed repeatedly in the past. Since 2011, Hamas and Fatah have failed to implement an Egyptian-brokered unity deal because of disputes over power-sharing and the handling of the conflict with Israel.
Hamas has battled Israel, which it refuses to recognize, while Abbas’s Fatah party has remained in control of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and pursued years of fruitless talks with Israel.
Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki told reporters in the West Bank the unity deal did not interfere with Abbas’s efforts to reach a peace deal with Israel.
“There is also an understanding with Hamas that the president has the mandate to negotiate with Israel on behalf of all the Palestinian people,” al-Malki said.
“When the president reaches an agreement with Israel…(there will be) a referendum where the Palestinian people will decide whether they support such an agreement or not,” he said….
Paul Traynor says
The last time these clowns got together they were tossing each-other off of tall buildings.
miriam rove says
they will soon do it again.m
livingengine says
Haniyeh, Marzook, andBrennan One picture speaks a thousand words.
John C. Barile says
Astounding! We are thoroughly compromised here, bedded down with the Ikhwan!
mortimer says
Islamic terrorism looks identical wherever it is the ideology.
Salah says
Netanyahu said that Abbas “chose Hamas and not peace.”
I’am a 100% supporter of Israel in this conflict. Having said that, I’d rather look at the other side of the medal (and I could be wrong.)
I would rather say that it’s Hamas who chose Abbas instead of the Muslim Brotherhood.
After the spectacular defeat of the MB in Egypt, Hamas, an offshoot of the MB, realized that terrorism won’t pay anymore and chose to align itself with Abbas, thus avoiding a possible war with the powerful Egyptian army.
If this new alliance leads to a halt of Hamas’ terrorist activities, then Israel will be the first winner.
As I said, I could be wrong.
bill says
It shows remarkable understanding and forgiveness considering that after the defeat of the PLO in the civil war that broke out after Israel generously but unwisely gave back GAZA to the Palestinians, Hamas executed their surrendered Palestinian brothers in cold blood.
duh_swami says
Not too complicated…Once an Abu Mazen always an Abu Mazen.
‘Leopards don’t change their spots’…
Mirren10 says
These creatures are *beyond* evil.
God bless Israel, and keep her safe.
Am yisroel chai !
gravenimage says
Hamas, Abbas’s PLO announce reconciliation agreement
…………………………..
As several posters have already touched on, Hamas *slaughtered* Fatah members after their takeover of Gaza.
Hamas members threw Fatah members off buildings, they shot out the kneecaps of those trying to flee so they could kill them off more slowly, they pursued their victims *into hospitals* in order to finish them off.
Fatah members *fled to Israel* to escape savage Hamas members. They came to the Jews for sanctuary against their fellow homicidal Muslims.
But—notably—they had the gall to criticize Israel for checking for weapons and explosives before letting them through the checkpoints.
And now Fatah is getting into bed with the same people who massacred them just a few short years ago. And why? Because hatred of Israel and the Jews and the desire to destroy them *trumps everything*.
And just as Israel was criticized for having a thought for her own self preservation when saving Fatah from their vicious coreligionists, the same will happen now—Israel is pulling out of peace talks, because she knows that Hamas has no desire for peace. Of course, neither does Fatah, but those Taqiyya artists would pretend to go through the motions on occasion.
Just as before, it is likely Israel that will be blamed for this. Madness.