Hamas to Govern Alone, Open to Peace With Israel

[sonz]

GAZA, March 17, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – It became almost certain Friday, March 17, that the Islamic resistance group Hamas would rule alone after Fatah declared its rejection to join a national unity government with Hamas planning to finalize its cabinet Saturday, as its PM-designate reiterated the group's hope to reach peace with Israel.

"The government will be ready tomorrow with its formation and its ministers but we will not announce the government before we hand it over to the president," Reuters quoted Hamas spokesman Salah Al-Bardaweel as saying.

Bardaweel said "only some independents and a Christian will be joining the new cabinet", according to Agence France–Presse (AFP).

"Foreign affairs, interior, finance and education portfolios will all go to Hamas," another party official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

Hamas sources said Mahmoud Al-Zahar was expected to be appointed foreign minister.

Another Hamas leader, Saeed Seyam, will reportedly become interior minister, giving him control over three Palestinian security agencies, the sources added.

Hamas is expected to submit the list of cabinet members to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas when he visits Gaza for talks Saturday, March 17.

The resistance group, which swept the January Palestinian elections, has failed to agree with other Palestinian factions on forming a national unity government.

The Fatah group said the movement's ruling Central Committee decided late Thursday, March 16, not to join a Hamas-led government.

Western diplomatic sources said Monday, March 13, that the Bush administration had warned the Palestinian Fatah movement and other parties of strict restrictions on contacts and assistance if they joined a Hamas-led government.

Khalil Abu Lila, member of Hamas’s politburo, told IOL that a new government of technocrats was ready and only waited the go-ahead from the Palestinian President to announce it if other Palestinian parties remain adamant to join a coalition government.

Ready for Peace

"We are not bloodthirsty people. We want to stop the bloodshed," Haniya said. (Reuters)

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniya, a Hamas prominent leader, said his group hoped to reach peace with Israel, AFP reported.

Asked in a television interview with CBS News if he could imagine a day when he would be asked to come to the White House to sign a peace accord with Israel, Haniya said replied: "Let's hope so."

Haniya, a pragmatist who led the "Change and Reform" list of Hamas candidates to the January stunning victory, has been officially asked by the Palestinian President to form the new government.

The United States and European Union have threatened to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas disarms, "renounces violence" and recognizes Israel.

Asked what Hamas would require to renounce violence and recognize Israel, Haniya said Israel must first recognize the rights of the Palestinian people.

"That depends on Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state within the boundaries of Gaza, the West Bank, and Al-Quds (Occupied East Jerusalem)," he said.

"Only then can there be room for talks."

The Palestinian PM-designate was asked what he would say if one of his children told him he wanted to be a martyr.

"We are not bloodthirsty people. We want to stop the bloodshed," Haniya replied.

"I've never sent anyone on a suicide mission," he said.

"If one of my sons came to me and asked me that, I wouldn't even consider giving him my blessing."

Haniya had told the Washington Post in February that Hamas did not harbor animosity towards Jews and could establish "peace in stages" with Israel if the latter withdraws to its 1967 borders and recognizes the inalienable rights of the Palestinians.

[Knut Hamsun]

"

We are not bloodthirsty people. We want to stop the bloodshed,"

I hope he is sincere.

Haniya had told the Washington Post in February that Hamas did not harbor animosity towards Jews and could establish "peace in stages" with Israel if the latter withdraws to its 1967 borders and recognizes the inalienable rights of the Palestinians.

Oh really? lol! Do the "inalienable rights..." include the right of return? if so he is not serious about peace b/c the whole world knows that Israel won't accept that.

[Trumble]

Asked what Hamas would require to renounce violence and recognize Israel, Haniya said Israel must first recognize the rights of the Palestinian people.

"That depends on Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state within the boundaries of Gaza, the West Bank, and Al-Quds (Occupied East Jerusalem)," he said.

"Only then can there be room for talks."

Room for real hope there, I think. The previous policy has been that Hamas would not recognise Israel under any circumstances. I just hope it is a genuine change.

[rav]

PM-designate reiterated the group's hope to reach peace with Israel.

Right... we want peace, but we do not recongnize you as existant or as a right to live.

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[Kidman]

Right... we want peace, but we do not recongnize you as existant or as a right to live.

"Before you came and forcefully took the land and were living side by side with us we lived peacefully just fine"

[kudusyolu]

Let's Meet in Free QUDS


www.KudusYolu.com

[rav]

"Before you came and forcefully took the land and were living side by side with us we lived peacefully just fine"

Really? May I point you to the Arab riots of 1920-1921, many years before the Holocaust, and the State of Israel:

What happened during the Arab riots of 1920-1921?

The first Arab riots of the Mandate period took place in Jerusalem in the intermediary days of Passover, in March 1920 ("Bloody Passover"). They were instigated by Arabs acting on unfounded rumors of Jewish actions against Arabs. The British military authorities did not intervene in the Arab attacks, while Vladimir Jabotinsky and other Jews were arrested for organizing a self-defense league. In April 1920, Joseph Trumpeldor and others were killed in the defense of Tel Hai, a settlement in the Upper Galilee. These developments led to the founding of the Haganah on June 15, 1920.
Haj Amin al-Husseini emerged as one of the leaders of the 1920 Arab riots in Palestine and incited the masses to murder Jews and loot their homes. While only in his late twenties, he became the youngest ever Mufti of Jerusalem in 1921, supported by the British.

May 1921 brought new violence in Jaffa followed by large-scale attacks on Rehovot, Petah Tikva, and other Jewish areas. The death toll among the Jews was 47 with 140 wounded. Yosef Hayyim Brenner, the distinguished socialist pioneer and author, was among those murdered. Arab casualties of 48 killed and 73 wounded were almost entirely due to British military action. The main lesson was the power of the Arab masses and the relative ineffectiveness of the Jewish defense.

Sir Herbert Samuel, The High Commissioner, yielded to the demonstration of power: he ordered a temporary halt to Jewish immigration and began negotiations with the Arab Executive Committee. The outcome of these negotiations was the June 1922 White Paper issued by Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill.

The riots were investigated by the Haycraft Commission, who said in their summary report:

• The racial strife was begun by the Arabs, and rapidly developed into a conflict of great violence between Arabs and Jews, in which the Arab majority, who were generally the aggressors, inflicted most of the casualties.

But then the Commission rationalized the cause of the attack, in a pattern that is still seen in the 21st Century:

• The fundamental cause of the riots was a feeling among the Arabs of discontent with, and hostility to, the Jews, due to political and economic causes, and connected with Jewish immigration, and with their conception of Zionist policy as derived from Jewish exponents.

This pattern repeated itself over the decades: Arab riots with Jewish casualties, British official inquiry, followed by appeasement of the Arabs.

Right, living in peace? What is your definition of peace? Killing a few Jews once in a while?

[Ninth_Scribe]

Right, living in peace? What is your definition of peace? Killing a few Jews once in a while?

Both these children have behaved very badly. I've never seen so many seals break... but the Covenant still stands. You're all related and you all resepct the same laws. It's just that your experiences (histories) and teachers were different, so your traditions vary. But this is window dressing! It means NOTHING!

So, you're ALL stuck with each other. Deal with it! I'm sick of hearing about these stupid disputes. They intrude on my dreams:

January 14th, 2007:

I stood atop my roof. I was tempted to go back inside the house because the air was so cold, but I recalled the cold – it was merely recognition since I was free from my flesh as it slept safely inside. I spread my wings wide, stretching them to their full span, and I took flight. It was an effortless flight to the Tomb of Ezra. No more than a hop, skip and a jump. Despite the on-going war, this area was actually serene. I settled into a northern position and summoned the souls who created the duality, concerning it. To the left, the Shia offered veneration. To the right, the Sunnis offered condemnation. I saw into their hearts and souls and found nothing to be concerned for so I lifted each of them on my wings and took them for a ride. Each of them did try to pull my wings down, so for one split second I dropped them both to cause my being to plummet. They didn’t like that and hung on for dear life, so I raised my wings once more to support them. That is the Rope of Allah, to hold on to the wings for dear life. I returned them to their homes and found myself at the Tomb of Ezra once more. This time I was smiling. I knew what they needed. In this case it became so simple! My heart became so lifted I broke down into a shimmer of giggles and, like Tinkerbell the fairy, I flew circles around the tomb, sprinkling showers of lights onto the grounds until the polarity it contained dissolved completely. There was no North or South or East or West. They were replaced with my orbit. When I finished, I looked upon the grounds and I became very pleased with myself. I summoned Azrael and he arrived in accordance with my will. He looked at my work and the expression on his face was priceless! He was amazed!

Azrael: What have you done?

Sheila: Do you like it? Isn’t it just beautiful?

What did I do? It was all so simple. I transformed a “raised grave” into a beautiful open garden that cascaded downward toward the river. I even designed a small-scale aqueduct to feed a fountain. The selection of flowering vines and shrubbery were spectacular choices. I got the idea from something Azrael had told me in an earlier dream. I was worried about this tomb and asked him: What if he blows it up? Azrael said: "Then the sun will shine upon the land once more. Maybe some flowers will grow there instead..." and it was an awesome idea! I would personally dare any scholar to whine about a garden!

Translation: Don't tell me all these silly issues you have accumulated between you (holds up a fistful of wrinkled papers), cannot be resolved!

I refuse... REFUSE... to believe humanity is that helpless!

Ninth Scribe

[Kidman]

Really? May I point you to the Arab riots of 1920-1921, many years before the Holocaust, and the State of Israel:



Right, living in peace? What is your definition of peace? Killing a few Jews once in a while?

There's always going to be drama among different people. Different ethnicities, color of skin, etc... But when you support a group that support these injustices, then you are doing wrong as well. As for the Arab riots, from the knowledge i gathered, i support them as much as I support the Zionists of Israel...

Everywhere it is the same way... you live side by side your neighbor, and sometimes something goes wrong and you get into a fight, but after that everything goes back to normal again...
Yes, a riot is more than a little fight, but i'm sure there were other Arabs that were peaceful and against the riot, like there are Jews that are against Zionists also and who actually help out the displaced palestinians.

See, the mentality you have is wrong. Where if you get hit in the face or something, you feel threatened to the point that you will bomb the persons house, then set up a system where you control the family and friends every move, build a barrier around them, punish them for any excuse, make it hard for them to survive, force them to move from their home so "you are not threatened by them anymore"... then wonder why people are against you.

Kidman