Israel Matzav

Is anyone really surprised?

It's been two months since Hamastan was born, and it has quickly become the repressive police state everyone thought it would be. AFP reports today that a pro-Fatah demonstration was brutally suppressed by baton-wielding Hamas fighters terrorists.

Black-clad members of Hamas's Executive Force, the paramilitary group that has acted as police since the Islamists overran the territory in mid-June, shot into the air and beat demonstrators who had gathered in central Gaza City, an AFP correspondent said.

The protesters -- members of rival factions including president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party -- refused to disperse and after about half an hour the Executive Force allowed the demonstration to continue, although it confiscated Fatah flags.

"Hamas! What is happening in Gaza is not acceptable!" chanted the demonstrators. "What has happened to security and human rights? We want security!"

At least three people were arrested by the Hamas forces as a result of the clashes, the AFP reporter said.

A journalist from Al-Arabiya television said that Executive Force members later raided the local offices of the Dubai-based station and confiscated videotapes of the scuffles.

The Hamas force also prevented photographers from taking pictures and confiscated cameras from some of them.

Hamas had earlier announced it was banning demonstrations without its authorisation in the territory it has ruled for nearly two months.

"In the interest of the general public, to preserve security and with an eye to the law, all demonstrations are categorically forbidden without the official authorisation of the Executive Force," spokesman Saber al-Khalifa told AFP.

"This measure aims to preserve security and will guarantee that gunshots will not be fired. Above all, it will permit us to protect these demonstrations with our patrols," Khalifa said.

At the Corner, Noah Pollak says that this all portends a 'horror show' with Gaza becoming an 'Iran without the oil revenues.'

I don't see Gaza ending up like Iran for one reason: With all its repressive policies, Iran is a functional state. Hamastan is anarchic with clans that are bound to start coming out of the woodwork again once they see Hamas has more than they can handle and with Fatah likely to be in open rebellion before long. I also have a sense that Hamas are much more true believers in the Islamic screed than is Ahmadinejad who is willing to use it but doesn't really believe it, and the Mullahs who believe it and are willing to enforce religious edicts but seem to care less about keeping Ahmadinejad in power.

But give the 'Palestinians' a state reichlet and all of this will be solved.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:07 AM