Talal Okal, a political science professor at the Fatah-dominated Al Azhar University in Gaza City, wrote this column titled “Important Messages from Hamas” in the Palestinian daily Al Ayyam. It echoes much of what I’ve been arguing here:
Important messages from Hamas
The messages that Hamas has been sending to different regional entities are important because they reflect the mode of behavior that this party is engaging in after it took control of Gaza:
1- The messages sent by Hamas regarding the state of calm and stopping the launching of rockets onto Israel indicate Hamas’ seriousness in not giving Israel a pretext to attack Gaza.
2- The message pertaining to the release of Alan Johnston states that what Abu Mazen has failed to do, Hamas has achieved with honors.
3- The message that Hamas has been sending regarding its lack of interest in the establishment of an Islamic Emirate in the Gaza Strip is meant to calm the Egyptians who are apprehensive about Hamas’ intentions on their border.
4- The fourth message, regarding Hamas’ readiness to make a deal for Shalit after their success in the Johnston affair is meant to show the Palestinian people that Hamas is capable of releasing huge numbers of prisoners at a time that Abu Mazen has not been able to release even the 250 promised to him by Olmert at Sharm al Sheikh.
Al Quds, in its editorial, asked:
We hope that the whole trend of kidnappings will become a thing of the past. However, the main question that comes to mind is why Hamas did not exert pressure on the kidnappers earlier.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Lewis // Jul 5, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Hamas’ short-term goals are peace and rebuilding. Which is good. But one must be wary of the long-term goals (while still appreciating the short-term ones), especially given its militant nature, and its links to Syria.
2 Ahmad Masri // Jul 5, 2007 at 9:37 pm
“Important Messages from Hamas” in the Palestinian daily Al Ayyam. It echoes much of what I’ve been arguing here:”
You dont make your position clear Chales are you a proponent for Hamas or a journalist reporting on events from Gaza?
3 Benjamin // Jul 6, 2007 at 9:52 am
You don’t make your position clear Ahmad Masri. Isn’t there anything happening in Gaza? Something more complex than good vs. evil? Being a bit realistic doesn’t hurt.. and it’s much more efficient in order to actually combat evil.
4 stick // Jul 6, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Quite correct Lewis… Ahmad, the world isn’t black and white. Why the anger? The beauty of forums such as this is that it offers individuals the opportunity to engage in rational public discourse. Rationality requires civility.
5 Ahamd Masri // Jul 6, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Stick, you do protest a litle too much!? There is nothing uncivil in me pointing out the obvious, that there is a pro-Hamas bias to Charle’s reporting. Charles is not totally blinkered - I grant tha. However its a bit rich to desribe Hamas as the Party of “law and order” a week or too after having reported on how Hamas activists were throwing people off the 15th floor of buildings and dragging them bound or beaten to the main city squares of Gaza and shooting them at point blank range with submachine guns. By that token one can also say that the Nazis were the party that brought “Law and Ordrer ” to Germany. Thats was true but it was Facist Law and Facist Order - not too differnt in kind to the Facist Law and Order that Hamas has now brought to Gaza.
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