Report: Hamas wants to try Fayyad over Haaretz interview

[oberliner]

Hamas on Saturday called for Palestinian Authority President Salam Fayyad to be put on trial for comments he made in an interview with Haaretz published one day earlier, Army Radio reported.

Fayyad said that he expects a Palestinian state to be established in 2011 and that Palestinian refugees would be absorbed by the new state.

Hamas officials accuse Fayyad of giving up the right of return within the 1948 borders for Palestinian refugees.

"Fayyad is a person without legitimacy, who has stolen control in the West Bank and whose hands are contaminated with the suffering of thousands of martyrs in the West Bank," the officials said.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1160749.html

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Yes, that's Hamas, still murdering after all these years. n/t

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Much of what Hamas says is true. Fayyad has no authority whatsoever.

[oberliner]

3. Which parts are not true?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

4. How about you answer a few questions first?

You don't get to excavate my thoughts until you share a little about yourself other than your support for the Geneva Initiative.

[oberliner]

5. I'm happy to share my thoughts on any I/P topic you'd like to ask about

Please feel free to ask any such questions.

As for your statement regarding "much of what Hamas is saying" being true, is there any portion of the Hamas statement that you believe is not true? Or are you in complete agreement with that statement?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. First let's parse where you stand vis-a-vis the AIPAC position on settlements.

Do you call for a complete settlement freeze.

A simple yes or no will do.

[oberliner]

7. AIPAC doesn't have a position on settlements

A complete settlement freeze would be great. I would completely support that action.

[Violet_Crumble]

21. Meaning AIPAC have never spoken out against the settlements...

There's so much to dislike about AIPAC...

[azurnoir]

8. AIPAC's carefuly parsed position sound familiar

As in any relationship, there will be times of tension and disagreements. The best way for the
United States and Israel to work through their differences is to communicate directly, privately
and with an eye to the overall value of the relationship that they share.
•While the announcement regarding housing construction in Jerusalem made during Biden’s recent
trip to Israel was a deeply regrettable incident for which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu quickly apologized, the public nature and harsh wording of the criticism and demands
placed on Israel by the administration are unlikely to serve to advance the peace process or efforts
to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.
• In fact, such public pressure could have the opposite effect. It further solidifies the Palestinian and Arab refusal to enter into direct talks with Israel, while they wait instead for the United States to press Israel to make concessions.
The U.S.-Israel relationship transcends the daily ups and d


http://www.aipac.org/Publications/AIPACAnalysesMemos/AIPAC_Memo_-_Close_U.S.-Israel_Ties_Key_to_Forging_Middle_East_Peace.pdf

http://www.aipac.org/PC2010/lobby.asp

seems pretty clear to me

[ProgressiveMuslim]

11. YOu mean (OMG IRAN!) that AIPAC (OMG IRAN!) hasn't come out (OMG IRAN!) against

Israeli (OMG IRAN!) settlement?

[azurnoir]

13. If you read carefully they seem to support Israeli settlements

or whatever Israel wants IMO

eta I had to shake my head at the "Iran connection" too

[oberliner]

14. AIPAC does not take a position on what the Israeli government should or should not do

They only speak out about the US and what policies they think the US ought to pursue with respect to Israel.

They are on the record as supporting US sanctions against Iran as you have indicated.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Seems like Hamas just don't want any possible solution

It is long past time for Israel to abandon the Occupation and let Palestinians have a state; and Fayyad is proposing measures that *might* finally force this; but Israel is not just going to disappear, and if Hamas refuses to accept any solution short of that, they, and more sadly the Palestinian people, will be waiting a long day.

Both the Israeli and Palestinian RW parties are altogether to inclined to treat anyone working for a peaceful solution as a traitor. But where the Israeli right tend to confine themselves to smearing their Israeli opponents as 'antisemites' and 'suffering from the Jew flu', etc., the Palestinian right seem to want to put their opponents on trial.

'Fayyad is a person without legitimacy' - who does have legitimacy? Hamas aren't popular either.

[shira]

10. gee, you think?

As for the Israeli RW, they're the ones who actually negotiated CD with Sadat successfully and got out of Gaza in 2005. In fact, Israel's LW cannot make peace. Only Israel's RW can do so, just as only Israel's LW is allowed to go to war (as Bibi can't get away with it as easily as his LW political counterparts).

[ProgressiveMuslim]

12. LB. Get real. Hamas was elected in free and fair elections. Even the incredibly pro-Palestinian

source Wikipedia (sarcasm) points out the obvious:

Fayyad was "reappointed on 19 May 2009. His first appointment, on 15 June 2007, was justified by President Mahmoud Abbas on the basis of "national emergency", has not been confirmed by the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian Authority's parliament.<1><2> Fayyad has also been the finance minister from 17 March 2007 and previously held the post from June 2002 to November 2006."

His position has no legitimacy. "Moving forward" while half the nation sits in a concentration camp is a travesty.

[oberliner]

15. His position actually has legitimacy among a third of Palestinians

About a third feel that his government is legitimate, a third feel that the Hamas-led government is legitimate, and a third feel that neither government is legitimate.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

16. What people "feel" means nothing. Abbas' term has expired. There is no legal legitimacy to this

crap.

Time for new elections. Period.

[oberliner]

17. I am definitely with you on the call for new elections

Incidentally, who do you think is the legally legitimate Palestinian Prime Minister?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

18. Elections were due in January. Do you support free and fair elections in Palestine?

[oberliner]

19. Absolutely

And now that I have answered several of your questions, would you consent to respond to the one that I initially asked you in this thread?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

20. I agree with Hamas that it is obscene to move forward with a plan to create a state (in the WB only?

while Gaza is under siege, while there is no clear leadershp or national referendum.

Neither Fayyad, nor Abbas, nor Hanniyeh has any legal authority at this point in time.

Now, are you trying to educate yourself about the opinions of Palestinians and pro-Palestinian people? Or are you looking to "trap me" for supporting Hamas? Somehow I think it's the latter. Please confirm.

[oberliner]

24. Here's what I see as a problem

If neither Fayyad/Abbas nor Haniyeh have any legal authority at this point in time, whom is Israel expected to negotiate with? Were the Israeli side interested in a comprehensive peace agreement is there anyone on the Palestinian side who could sign such an agreement that would make it legally binding on Palestinians?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

25. Talks need to be sidelined. Hopefully both Israel and the US have decided that

bypassing the democratic process in Palestine really isn't the answer.

The goal isn't "TALKS." The goal is a just peace. There can be no just peace while half the population of Palestine is in an open air concenprision.

Time to hold, and honor, free and fair elections. Don't you agree?

[oberliner]

27. You say the goal isn't talks, but can there be a just peace without them?

Do you have another suggestion for how a just peace can come about without any talks?

I'd also love to know what a concenprison is. Have you coined that word as a prison-concentration camp combo?

And, as I said earlier, I agree with your call for elections.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

28. Would love you to read this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x309582

[IndianaGreen]

22. Didn't we have some posters that claimed that Hamas was willing to compromise?

Strange definition of compromise that is. Hamas is not to be trusted. Hamas is still holding Gilad Shalit hostage.

[ConsAreLiars]

23. If holding someone prisoner is a basis for being considered not "willing to compromise"

then Israel is 100's or 1000's of times more fitting of that characterization. What makes his one case different that that of thousands captured and held without trial or even charges by Israel. There is only one difference, and I think you are honest enough to know what it is.

(edit grammar)

[ProgressiveMuslim]

26. What does Gilad Shalit have to do with the price of eggs in China?

Are you aware how many kidnapped Palestinians Israel is holding?