Israel Matzav

Israel goes after Hamas; ignores coddles Fatah

The headlines this morning make it clear that Israel is going after Hamas with a vengeance. During the night, IAF jets went after money changers in the Gaza Strip who funnel millions of dollars to Hamas every month from Syria and Iran.

Also late Wednesday night, the IAF bombed a money-changing office in Gaza, as well as other businesses in the Gaza Strip responsible for transferring money to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

According to the IDF, the money-changers have transferred millions of dollars from Syria and Iran to the two groups in recent years. The money was used to finance anti-Israel terror activity, including the manufacture of Kassam rockets - 200 of which were fired over the past week-and-a-half.

Palestinians reported that two people had been lightly wounded in the strike.

Also during the night, Israel arrested more than thirty Hamas 'activists' in Judea and Samaria. That would be nothing new - Hamas activists terrorists are arrested nightly in Judea and Samaria - which is why Hamas is insisting that it wants any cease fire hudna to include Judea and Samaria. What was different about last night is that the terrorists include some very senior members of Hamas:

In total, the IDF said it had arrested 33 Palestinians, the most senior of which was Hamas Education Minister Nasser al-Shaer. Other detainees included three parliament members, the head of the Wakf in Nablus, a top official in the PA Interior Ministry, the mayors of Nablus, Kalkilya, Bidya and El-Bireh, and 21 Hamas operatives and other officials.

Haaretz adds:

It was the second time Shaer was arrested in a roundup of Hamas members in the past year.

Soldiers also arrested former cabinet minister Abdel Rahman Zeidan, legislators Hamed Bitawi and Daoud Abu Ser, the mayors of the towns of Nablus, Qalqiliya and Beita - Adli Yaish, Wajih Qawas and Arab Shurafa - as well as the head of the main Islamic charity in Nablus, Fayad al-Arba.

Troops also searched for Ahmed Haj Ali, a Hamas legislator in Nablus, but didn't find him at home, neighbors said.

And Arutz Sheva reports that the army also went after Hamas' media outlets:

In addition, five Hamas broadcasting stations were closed near Jenin and Shechem, three more in Ramallah, and two south of Jerusalem.

Over the past few days, the IDF and the Civil Administration have closed several Hamas broadcasting stations, including five in Shechem and one in Kalkilye. Computers, transmitters and even the stations' archives were confiscated. "Hamas is engaged in copying its data network from Gaza to Judea and Samaria, and is using its government authorities and mechanisms to encourage and support terrorism," the IDF reported.

All of this - and the constant refrain that 'no one' in Hamas is immune - has Hamas on the run:

Israel's threat to target senior Hamas leaders in response to the Kassam rocket attacks from Gaza has prompted the group to agree to a unilateral cease-fire with Israel, Palestinian Authority officials said Wednesday.

"Hamas wants to stop the Kassam rockets. They are especially worried about reports that Israel may assassinate [PA Prime Minister] Ismail Haniyeh and [Hamas chief] Khaled Mashaal," the officials told The Jerusalem Post.

The officials were speaking shortly after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Haniyeh met in Gaza City to discuss the possibility of declaring a unilateral truce with Israel. Journalists were not allowed to cover the meeting, which was held under tight security.

"At first, Haniyeh did not want to attend the meeting because of Israeli threats to kill him," said one PA official. "The venue and time of the meeting were only agreed upon at the last minute for security reasons. Hamas is taking the Israeli threats very seriously."

And I thought Haniyeh wanted to be a 'martyr.'

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas attended the funeral, which turned into a large show of force in solidarity with Hamas. He urged the Palestinians to remain committed to the strategy of "resistance" against Israel, saying Israel's threats would not deter the Palestinians from achieving their goals.

"We will continue with the resistance until we are either martyred or triumphant," Haniyeh said. "We don't care about our jobs and seats. They are not worth the shoe or drop of blood belonging to a Palestinian child."

I would be pleased with all this, except that Israel is continuing to perpetuate the myth that Hamas is bad and Fatah is 'good.' 'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen learned his lessons well from Yasser Arafat. He gives Hamas free rein because it gives him 'plausible deniability' every time there is a terror attack. He pretends that his own Fatah's 'al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' don't exist or that he has no control over them. But the 'al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades' - which is sometimes called the 'armed wing' of Fatah - is every bit as dangerous and hates Israel just as much as Hamas does. For example, on Monday, women affiliated with the Brigades held a 'press conference' to declare their willingness to become suicide bombers (picture by Hatem Moussa of al-AP at top left):

Female Palestinian militants from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who claim they are willing to be suicide bombers, hold weapons during a news conference in Jebaliya, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, May 21, 2007. The women, who are part of the militant group with ties to the Fatah Movement, vowed to 'be human bombs'in the way of the Israeli army if it decides to invade Gaza. The Arabic on headband reads 'Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.'

Now note that if you ask the government, if the IDF goes into Gaza it will be to go after Hamas, not Fatah. Apparently, the 'Palestinians' don't see it that way. It's time for Israel to stop deluding itself that there's a difference between Fatah and Hamas. They are both the enemy and should be treated as such.

Instead, this morning, Israel has granted permission for Abu Mazen's Presidential Guard Force 17 to train near Jericho:

Israel agreed to extensive training of members of the Presidential Guard of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in areas near Jericho, in the Jordan Valley.

The Palestinian Presidential Guard is undergoing similar training in Egypt. The training of units can reach battalion size formations, even though during their operations in the territories - in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank - the Presidential Guard is unable to operate in such formations.

The request for Israel to permit such extensive training was made through the Americans. Prior to this, Israel agreed to the transfer of thousands of rifles and ammunition to Abbas' Presidential Guard. The serial number of each weapon was registered in order to maintain at least minimal control over the weapons. On the other hand, Israel refused to approve another Presidential Guard request for the transfer of weapons of larger calibers than rifles, including heavy machine guns.

Unfortunately, Israel's lenient treatment in Fatah is likely to come back and hit us in the face. Just like it did when Yasser Arafat was in charge.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:23 AM