Talk about not reading what you cite! let’s take some snippets from the paragraphs you brought up:
However, the movement did not waive its security control of the Gaza Strip.
A source in the Hamas leadership explained that the movement would not give up control over the Gaza Strip with such ease and speed, and that its influence will continue…
Hamas has the security services, according to the Cairo agreement,
, but we are still in control without being in power,
Every single citation you offered mentioned how Hamas was still in control.
so what if now there is a “reconciliation” in principle. In practice, Fatah has virtually no presence in Gaza, and Hamas controls the security forces (the ones that you were horrified that Israel attacked). If you get on the wrong side of Hamas, you have no protection, as they are the law in Gaza, and everything you’ve cited suggests that.
As for Gaza’s poverty, the issue isn’t “is Gaza functioning,” it’s “Is Hamas in control of this dysfunctional entity.” and as poor as Gaza is, as dsyfunctional as it is, as starved as it is, within it’s borders, Hamas is in control. this whole issue arose with you declaring that Hamas can’t control groups like Islamic Jihad. None of the things you’re saying about poverty or blockades demonstrates that. so to summarize:
Gaza sucks
Israel is to blame for big part of that suckiness
Hamas is in control of Gaza, and it contributes to another big part of that suckiness.
I have sympathy for the people of Gaza, I have none for Hamas, and less for Hamas’ enablers in the West. Have you read Hamas’ Charter? It’s goal is not liberating Gaza, it’s destroying Israel. It refuses to accept peace with Israel on any terms. And for all the problems in the West Bank, things there are much better than in Gaza, and Israel is far less despotic. So what is the difference between the two? Hamas. the blockade in Gaza would disappear if Hamas did, and Israeli bombings would stop if rocket attacks did. There is a conflict; it’s absurd to look at a situation in which rockets are flying in two directions, and conclude that only one party has the power to end it, especially when Hamas’ entire raison d’etre is destroying Israel.
I have sympathy for all people.
I don’t wish to beat a dead horse, so I’ll finish with this post.
From the Jerusalem Post Israel’s Finance Minister Lapid speaks out:
- “Hamas Is Weak And Crumbling”
Lapid would not comment on the next steps in Operation Protective Edge, but said in a separate interview with Army Radio that “Hamas is weaker than ever” and that Israel is examining scenarios of its decline and the power vacuum that would follow.
Meanwhile, another Israeli Official called for more collective punishment of civilians AND hinted at the real reason Israel’s right wants more war:
They want to take back Gaza and build more illegal settlement.
Arutz Sheva
“I am turning to the government to back the military operation with the decision to stop supporting Gaza’s electrical and water systems, and financially disengage from the region. Nine years after the disengagement from Gush Katif, it is important to remember that Hamas terrorism is the result of that abominable act of disengagement.”
The former head of the Israeli Security Agency blames Israel:
“illusion that Israel’s frustrated Arab citizens will not at the end of the day take to the streets over the lack of response to their problems and the containment of the Palestinians in the West Bank, and will not react despite their frustration and the worsening economic situation.”
"The illusion that ‘price tag’ attacks are just a few slogans on the walls and not really racism; the illusion that everything can be solved with a little more force; the illusion that the Palestinians will just accept all that we are doing in the West Bank and not respond, despite their rage, frustration and worsening economic situation; the illusion that the international community will not impose sanctions on us; that Israel’s frustrated Arab citizens will not ultimately take to the streets over the lack of treatment of their problems; and the Israeli public will keep submissively
You slay me, you really do. You cite as evidence of Hamas weakness an Israeli minister talking about the impact of a military campaign? You might as well say that in the beginning of April 1940, Hitler was weak because Neville Chamberlain said he was, or in January 1968 the Vietcong were weak because the US said so. At any rate, you again confuse issues. Hamas can be “weakened” and still be in control of Gaza, simply by virtue of the fact that weakened as they may be, there is no one to challenge them. You might as well say that in January 1945 the Nazis were weakened–they certainly were, they were losing a war, losing the confidence of their people, the economy was collapsing, etc–but they were still in control of Germany. There is no contradiction.
As for Hotovely, you say “they” want to take back Gaza–who is this “they?” She is a right wing member of the Knesset and deputy transport minister or some such thing. She does not represent most Israelis, or even most of Likud.
As for Diskin, I never said Israel didn’t play a part in exacerbating the situation–my whole point is there are multiple antagonists. If you read as carefully as you pretend to, however, you will notice that in his summary, there is no discussion of Hamas. He discusses Israeli Arabs, he discusses West Bank Palestinians, but nowhere suggests that Hamas is responding to any particular Israeli actions, because of course, Hamas is not interested in Gaza and the West Bank, it’s interested in destroying Israel, and, in fact, if you recall the '90’s, it launched suicide attacks through the peace process precisely because they don’t want a negotiated peace deal.
I’ll believe you have sympathy for Israelis when you can bring yourself to speak a word of criticism for an organization that oppresses Palestinians, murders Jews, and calls for the destruction of Israel–Hamas.
