7,000 Palestinians join largest Hamas rally in years at Israeli-controlled area of Hebron

[Alamuti Lotus]

7,000 Palestinians join largest Hamas rally in years at Israeli-controlled area of Hebron

Hebron – Ma’an – More than 7,000 Palestinians marched in an Israeli-controlled area of Hebron in the largest Hamas demonstration in the West Bank since the Islamic movement won Parliamentary elections nearly three years ago.

Hamas chose to stage the demonstration in the H2 area of Hebron, which is heavily patrolled by the Israeli military, after the Palestinian Authority refused to allow the march in the H1 area, which it controls.

According to medics at Muhammad Ali Hospital in H2, 20 demonstrators were treated for injuries after Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd with rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas.

The march left the Wasaya Rasoul Al-Allah Mosque after the noon prayer. Angry protesters denouncing the Israeli invasion of Gaza marched towards the flashpoint Ibrahimi Mosque, where Israeli soldiers are stationed and right-wing Jewish settlers maintain a presence.

After a half hour of marching, Israeli troops attacked the demonstrators on Tareq Bin Zyad street, before they could reach the Ibrahimi mosque. Demonstrators threw stones at the soldiers.

[anonymous171]

1. Israel played right into Hamas's hands. nt

[Alamuti Lotus]

3. "In warfare, the greatest mistake is to do what your enemy wants you to do."

A particularly insightful quote I have seen from particularly insightful posters lately.

What is interesting to consider is stated intentions of actions, compared against their likely outcomes. In a speech made in the recent election campaigning, Livni has indicated that Israel is fighting this war in defense of "Arab moderates", apparently as their current champion; "moderates" such as the brutal dictator Hosni Mubarak, the Playstation King of Jordan and his mukhabarat, and various Fatah gangsters such as Dahlan, Abbas, Rjoub, etc.. Not that any of the above mentioned goons really rely on public approval, their fortunes looking somewhat dim at this time and not by any means giving any sign of improving (the Hashemite has the only positive spin control program in motion, making the occasional condemnation in between his mukhabarat raids on pro-Gaza demonstrations).

[Crunchy Frog]

6. That's exactly what I've been thinking. Played Israel like a finely tuned violin.

[azurnoir]

2. This is the predictable result of the current conflict

a quote from an earlier thread

In Nablus, on the West Bank, long-time Fatah stalwart Abdel Ghani Marmash vowed to switch sides. "I was arrested 19 times by the Israelis ," he said. "But at a time like this, all Palestinians are Hamas. Today I'm honoured to follow the Hamas flag."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x242667

The support for Hamas amongst Palestinians has only increased and I must ask did the Israeli government not know before hand that this would be the result? And now there is word of installing Abu Mazen as Leader of the Palestinians just what is the end game here?

[Alamuti Lotus]

4. End game? Plans? Silly concepts..

If those election-thingys that some folks are so fond of were to be held today, who would fare well? Granted, any Hamas member to publically campaign would probably be shot, but we have set a precedent (Missouri, of all places!) of electing the dead in favour of the more nauseating living.

The unfortunate fact is that regarding those other elections, what choice is there? The 'hammer' of Livni/Barak, or the 'anvil' of Netanyahoo. Some other prospects for the future are looking pretty dim considering that..

[azurnoir]

5. Silly concepts perhaps but Israels supposed plan

if implemented would surely lead to another Palestinian civil war, perhaps the best thing Abu Mazen could do for "his" people would be to step down and elections could be held when Israel pulls out as it where my bet is that either one of the Barghouti's either Marwan or Mustapha would win

[madeline_con]

7. It's the level playing field I admire.

"Israeli forces opened fire on the crowd with rubber-coated metal bullets ..."

"Demonstrators threw stones at the soldiers."

[aquart]

8. You think the demonstrators should have had guns?

Where I'm from, a peaceful demonstration does NOT include rock throwing.

So, how many were killed out of the 7,000 since Israel is so interested in Arab genocide?

[Taitertots]

15. Where I'm from

a "peaceful demostration" doesn't advocate terrorism and genocide.

[Recursion]

21. I agree with Gandhi

"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest"

[Taitertots]

9. More terrorist supporters

A 7,000 terrorist demonstration and all Israel can muster is rubber bullets.

[AnOhioan]

10. Your post says an awful lot about you...none of it good

[Taitertots]

14. Your post says a lot of nothing

I guess how can you defend terrorists other than vague personal insults.

7,000 people got together to support a pseudo-governmental terrorist organization bent on the destruction of Israel. If 7,000 people were protesting my right to exist I would want my government to do something about it.

[AnOhioan]

16. Oh please

Hamas no more threatens Israel than Iraq was threatening the US. The Israeli gov't is just like Bush...they like to throw their weight around.

I suppose you though going to Iraq was right as well.

[Taitertots]

17. Hamas threatens Israel

as its openly stated goal. They are a terrorist organization with the stated goal being the destruction of Israel. That they lack capacity to meet their goals doesn't make it less actionable to keep them from having that capacity. When 7,000 people meet for a rally for the destruction of Israel (Hamas), they pose an obvious threat.

I guess terrorist rocket attacks don't threaten anyone in Israel either.

Iraq didn't fire rockets at our cities. The main political party didn't actively fund terrorism in America. Saddam wasn't elected on the destruction of America platform. So no, Iraq is totally different.

[EFerrari]

18. Israel has no one to blame for Hamas but itself.

Just as Saddam was a creature of our own making. Blowback can be very expensive.

[Taitertots]

22. Who created Hamas?

What created Hamas is the belief that the people of Palestine own Israel. The unprovoked aggression against Israel being a function of this belief. Hamas exists as a manifestation of this belief. Israel created Hamas by continuing to exist. Any actions to protect themselves being tauted as more reasons Hamas exists.

Are you of the camp that believes Israel by existing is creating a just grievance against the Palestinians?

Terrorist attacks against Israel have Blow back too, just look at Gaza.

[EFerrari]

23. You might do some digging around on the rise of Hamas and Israel's role in it. n/t

[AnOhioan]

11. Is anyone really surprised??

The Israeli gov't is a virtual recruitment poster for Hamas.

[ohio2007]

12. It shows the average Palestinian citizen has nothing to fear from Israel. Why else would they dare

hold protests ?

hell,
Israel even allows "gay pride day parades". The only country for a thousand miles around to allow that I think.

I could be wrong....

[AnOhioan]

13. There would be no need for protests at all if

Israel was not building illegal settlements, was not blockading Gaza, was not treating the Palestinians as something less than equal...and...was not involved in the deaths of 800+ Palestinians in a matter of days.


:eyes:

[EFerrari]

19. No kidding. I wonder what our own terrorism guys are thinking right now

about the threat level. Thanks, Olmert!

[Recursion]

20. Israel's hope for a "3-state solution" has just failed miserably

They were really, really hoping to draw off the WB from Gaza and have Fatah on the one hand and Hamas on the other to play off one another.

In the end, they have only done Hamas's work for them and signed Abbas's death warrant.

And yet somehow the supporters of this invasion accuse me of "hating Israel"; I'm not the one encouraging that nation take this suicidal course of action.

[bemildred]

24. Well, probably.

We could still do some urban combat first. But I don't expect that will change the outcome, so OK.