Hamas to blame, MPs told

[oberliner]

South African MPs had an intensive lesson on the intricacies of Middle East diplomacy on Thursday as they listened to the Palestine ambassador, Ali Halimeh, heap blame for the situation in Gaza on the divided leadership of Hamas.

Halimeh frankly admitted to Parliament's portfolio committee on foreign affairs that Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip by force and drove the government - the Palestinian National Authority - out.

He told the committee members that the Hamas leadership made "a strategic mistake" when it refused to extend the truce with Israel which expired last month, and that "the Palestinian people in Gaza are paying the price for it".

Attempting to head off a possible suggestion that because Hamas was democratically elected they should be entitled to make such decision, Halimeh said: "Just because they are democratically elected doesn't mean they practice democracy."

http://news.iafrica.com/sa/1446320.htm

[GoesTo11]

1. That must have been a Fatah speaker

The ambassador from PA has a position to present from his government. I have the feeling that the PA doesn't really approve of Hamas. Unclear whether that's just due to little turf battles or real ideological differences.

[oberliner]

2. Probably a bit of both

It will be interesting to see what happens between Fatah and Hamas once this conflict is over.

[ohio2007]

3. "Just because they are democratically elected doesn't mean they practice democracy."

was a good quote

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Hamas has never pretended to be democratic

[pelsar]

4. fatah despises hamas....

its far more than a mere turf battle..add to that, the westbankers look down upon gazans as not being as intellectual as themselves etc..and add to that, that hamas has plans on taking over the westbank and that fact that hamas tossed out fatah from gaza....its far deeper than mere politics its the identity of their struggle and their future (shari law?)