Haniyeh's moment
Haaretz
Senior figures in Gaza suggested yesterday that Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh may use the abduction of Corporal Gilad Shalit as a chance to serve as a mediator and to bring about the soldier's release in exchange for the release of prisoners - to establish his status as a can-do leader.
Despite Israeli declarations that there will be no negotiating with kidnappers, these sources believe the Israeli government will not be able to withstand public pressure to bring the soldier home.
Haniyeh, who has said a number of times that he does not fear for his own life, is the only one who can broker a deal, as the kidnappers do not trust PA chair Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah people.
If the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service cannot locate and free Shalit using military means - there will be no alternative to negotiations, and the Palestinian premier is the only person to turn to in such a case.
There is no doubt that Haniyeh is interested in this possibility. Since his election, Ismail Haniyeh has been trying to present himself as the prime minister of the entire Palestinian people and not just a representative of Hamas. He behaves just like a seasoned diplomat, speaking cautiously. Yesterday his spokesman, Dr. Ghazi Hamad, asked the kidnappers to safeguard the life of the soldier, but did not demand his release.
There were already early indications yesterday of appeals to Haniyeh by various entities including senior Egyptian and Jordanian officials, who had until now either expressed doubts about or totally ignored the Hamas government. It was reported last night, for instance, that Egyptian deputy intelligence chief Mustafa Buheiri is coming to Gaza to deal with the problem and he will have choice but to approach Haniyeh.
Yesterday's attack was announced by a young masked man known as Abu Obeida, a well-known spokesman for Hamas military wing Iz al-Din al-Qassam, who acted according to the Hezbollah "model" and said no information on the kidnapped soldier would be provided for free.
This operation will have an important influence on internal Palestinian politics. Although Abbas, through aide Nabil Rudeineh, expressed concern about the IDF's reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, journalists in Gaza reported satisfaction among the masses, who had been calling recently for revenge in light of the recent assassinations of residents of the Gaza Strip.
One associate of the Hamas leadership said yesterday that movement's military people, who are controlled by Khaled Meshal in Damascus, had almost no choice but to carry out a harsh military operation against Israel.
During the recent election campaign, Hamas activists promised the electorate they would act on two fronts: first, it said it would fight Fatah's corruption and waste, and second, unlike Fatah, it determined that "opposition" fighters working against the occupation would not be arrested. After the recent IDF assassinations of civilians, including children, many in Gaza have asked the Hamas leadership: Where are you? How can you sit quietly in the face of the killings and the slaughter of children?
Against this backdrop, it is likely Hamas' political status is gaining strength. The movement did make some concessions to Abbas on some clauses of the "prisoners' document." But its way back to popularity was effected through yesterday's operation. Link
Senior figures in Gaza suggested yesterday that Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh may use the abduction of Corporal Gilad Shalit as a chance to serve as a mediator and to bring about the soldier's release in exchange for the release of prisoners - to establish his status as a can-do leader.
Despite Israeli declarations that there will be no negotiating with kidnappers, these sources believe the Israeli government will not be able to withstand public pressure to bring the soldier home.
Haniyeh, who has said a number of times that he does not fear for his own life, is the only one who can broker a deal, as the kidnappers do not trust PA chair Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah people.
If the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service cannot locate and free Shalit using military means - there will be no alternative to negotiations, and the Palestinian premier is the only person to turn to in such a case.
There is no doubt that Haniyeh is interested in this possibility. Since his election, Ismail Haniyeh has been trying to present himself as the prime minister of the entire Palestinian people and not just a representative of Hamas. He behaves just like a seasoned diplomat, speaking cautiously. Yesterday his spokesman, Dr. Ghazi Hamad, asked the kidnappers to safeguard the life of the soldier, but did not demand his release.
There were already early indications yesterday of appeals to Haniyeh by various entities including senior Egyptian and Jordanian officials, who had until now either expressed doubts about or totally ignored the Hamas government. It was reported last night, for instance, that Egyptian deputy intelligence chief Mustafa Buheiri is coming to Gaza to deal with the problem and he will have choice but to approach Haniyeh.
Yesterday's attack was announced by a young masked man known as Abu Obeida, a well-known spokesman for Hamas military wing Iz al-Din al-Qassam, who acted according to the Hezbollah "model" and said no information on the kidnapped soldier would be provided for free.
This operation will have an important influence on internal Palestinian politics. Although Abbas, through aide Nabil Rudeineh, expressed concern about the IDF's reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, journalists in Gaza reported satisfaction among the masses, who had been calling recently for revenge in light of the recent assassinations of residents of the Gaza Strip.
One associate of the Hamas leadership said yesterday that movement's military people, who are controlled by Khaled Meshal in Damascus, had almost no choice but to carry out a harsh military operation against Israel.
During the recent election campaign, Hamas activists promised the electorate they would act on two fronts: first, it said it would fight Fatah's corruption and waste, and second, unlike Fatah, it determined that "opposition" fighters working against the occupation would not be arrested. After the recent IDF assassinations of civilians, including children, many in Gaza have asked the Hamas leadership: Where are you? How can you sit quietly in the face of the killings and the slaughter of children?
Against this backdrop, it is likely Hamas' political status is gaining strength. The movement did make some concessions to Abbas on some clauses of the "prisoners' document." But its way back to popularity was effected through yesterday's operation. Link
posted by exoplanet at 1:56 AM
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