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Will Hamas Torpedo Israeli Disengagement?

Danny Rubinstein (Ha'aretz) - * The leaders of Hamas had an agreement with PA Chair Mahmoud Abbas, reached at the beginning of the year in Cairo, that Hamas would join the cease-fire and the PA would hold elections for the Palestinian parliament. * The results of the elections, which were supposed to take place on July 17, were to set a key to the balance of political power in the Palestinian community - and according to this key they would form a government, distribute jobs, and decide how the large land assets evacuated by Israel will be divided. * Hamas sees itself as having kept the agreement - having held its fire. Abbas was the one who violated it when Fatah and its leadership decided to postpone the elections, without setting a new date. * This means that those who are currently in power - who are seen as corrupt by the Palestinian public - will do as they wish with the assets evacuated by Israel and not share with Hamas the fruits of the victory. * Hamas is by no means ready to accept this. This is one of the reasons for the renewal of the attacks. There does not seem to be a solution at present and Hamas is expected to continue and even intensify terror attacks and firing at Israeli targets. * If all the fruits of the victory in Gaza fall into the hands of corrupt PA leaders, Hamas doesn't mind making the Israeli withdrawal difficult, or even torpedoing it.
2005-07-18 00:00:00
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