(Times of Israel) Avi Issacharoff - Hamas announced on Sunday that it would dismantle its government in Gaza, hold general elections, conduct negotiations with PA leader Abbas, and form a national unity government. Later this week, Abbas will meet with President Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. How will Abbas' agreement to form a national unity government with a terror group be perceived, especially if he speaks about reconciliation with Hamas in his UN address? It would be odd for Abbas to talk up a Palestinian state after agreeing to share power with a group that calls for the destruction of Israel. Hamas' new political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, understands that, with little hope on the horizon, the severe economic crisis in Gaza can end in one of two ways: war with Israel, which could decimate the movement's leadership and turn the population against it, or a "Gaza Spring" that would have similar results.
2017-09-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive