by Khaled Abu Toameh, GATESTONE INSTITUTE • July 14, 2020
- By courting Hamas, Abbas and Fatah are emboldening an Islamist movement that seeks to extend its control from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. Hamas’s declared goal is to replace Israel with an Iranian-style Islamist state.
- Abbas may also be using his renewed ties with Hamas as a way of pressuring the international community into providing him with more financial aid.
- Hamas evidently wants to use the West Bank as a launching pad for carrying out terrorist attacks against Israel.
- Hamas also does not appear to be headed towards recognizing Israel’s right to exist. As such, Abbas seems to be handing Hamas the noose that eventually will be tied around his own neck.
After renouncing all agreements and understandings with Israel and the United States, including security cooperation, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his ruling Fatah faction are now cozying up to their rivals in Hamas — a move that may prove to be counterproductive and pave the way for the resumption of massive anti-Israel violence.
By courting Hamas, Abbas and Fatah are emboldening an Islamist movement that seeks to extend its control from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. Hamas’s declared goal is to replace Israel with an Iranian-style Islamist state.
Abbas may also be using his renewed ties with Hamas as a way of pressuring the international community into providing him with more financial aid. The message he is sending to Western donors is: “If you don’t fully support us and exert pressure on Israel, I will throw myself into the arms of Hamas.”
“Hamas …not …recognizing Israel’s right to exist.”
Why does the Jewish state need its right to exist recognized by some terrorist organization?
Why does Israel need its right to exist recognized by ANYONE (except by the Almighty – and by the term “Almighty” I don’t mean the United States)?