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Why a Humanitarian Ceasefire Will Bolster Hamas

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Khaled Abu Toameh - Jerusalem Center Fellow Khaled Abu Toameh told the JCPA War Room zoom briefing on November 5, 2023: A so-called "humanitarian ceasefire" means that only Israel will stop fighting. This would only serve to bolster Hamas. A humanitarian "pause" would benefit Hamas and allow them to regroup. How can you declare war on a terrorist organization and then grant it a humanitarian pause? Arab states express "brotherhood and solidarity" rhetorically while rejecting Palestinian refugees in reality, rationalizing their decision by saying that Gazans should hold their ground no matter what the consequences. The international community has not condemned these Arab states' refusals. Any prisoner exchange with Hamas would boost their popularity and give them more public credibility, emboldening and empowering Hamas and its leader, Sinwar, making them heroes who secured the release of security prisoners. Not all Palestinians in Gaza support Hamas, though many do. Many are afraid to speak out but express dissent in private. Palestinians who condemn Hamas need to be empowered and engaged. PA leader Mahmoud Abbas is eating the bitter fruit of his own radicalization of his West Bank populace. As a result, Abbas empowered Hamas and pushed West Bank residents into their hands. The West assumes that the PA are the "good guys" while Hamas are the "bad guys," but when examined, their rhetoric is nearly identical. Khaled Abu Toameh is an awarding-winning Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer, and documentary filmmaker. Watch the full video.
2023-11-08 00:00:00
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