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Hamas' War

(Washington Post) Editorial - * Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh charged Friday that Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip is aimed at overturning his government. If it is, Israel would be entirely justified. * When Cpl. Gilad Shalit was abducted by the military wing of Mr. Haniyeh's Hamas movement last weekend, his administration faced a choice. It could behave like a civilized government - and work to free the hostage - or align itself with a terrorist operation. It chose the latter. Hamas government officials endorsed the militants' demand that Israel release Palestinian prisoners it has legally arrested in exchange for a soldier who was attacked while guarding Israeli territory. * Hamas justified this position by citing the terrorist movement Hizballah, which has extracted prisoners from Israel in exchange for hostages. Fair enough. But if Hamas wants to be equated with Hizballah or define itself as at war with Israel, then Israel has every right to try to destroy the Islamic movement's military capacity, to capture its leaders, and to topple its government. Isn't that what happens in war? * Mahmoud Abbas, who has been trying to draw Hamas' political wing into an alliance with his secular Fatah movement, needs more help than he is getting from Egypt, other Arab states, and the UN. These actors ought to be demanding that Hamas - and its sponsors in Damascus and Tehran - stop their acts of terrorism and war.
2006-07-03 00:00:00
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