Hamas Exploiting Ceasefire To Make Rockets, Rearm, Israel Says

[Herschel]

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200307%5CFOR20030707c.html

"The Palestinian Authority is allowing Hamas to use a temporary ceasefire agreement to rebuild its terror arsenal, a senior Israeli security source said on Monday.

Despite a temporary ceasefire agreement with the PA, the militant Islamic group Hamas is manufacturing Kassam rockets and rearming itself in the belief that the temporary ceasefire won't last for long, the source said.

Israel and the U.S. both voiced the concern that the hudna -- a temporary ceasefire between the PA and militant groups announced nine days ago -- would be used only as a pause to regroup, rebuild and rearm the terror groups' battered forces."

Should we be surprised?

[plurality]

1. and I'm sure Israel isn't rearming and stocking up

for any eventual breakdown in peace either?

[Herschel]

2. Hamas is a terrorist organization

Hamas targets and kills innocents. Are you saying they should not be dismantled?

[plurality]

4. I don't think they should kill civilians

but they are also the only force that has any chance to stand up to the IDF within the territories. Expecting them to let their guard down during this time is just as foolish as to think that the IDF wouldn't be preparing for a return to hositilities as well. Maintianing one's ability to fight doesn't neccesarily mean one intends to return to fighting, it simply means they don't want to be unprepared if circumstances require fighting to continue.

[Herschel]

5. I ask you again

Hamas targets and kills innocents. Are you saying they should not be dismantled?

[plurality]

6. If they continue to abide by the cease fire, no

If they break it, then yes. Any attempt to supress Hamas in the current situation would lead to civil war and more chaos, not what's needed. They must be given the opportunity to stop these acts on their own, which they have done.

[Herschel]

7. So then

For all of Hamas' murdering, you say they can remain, so long as they honor the ceasefire. If they break it, you say, then dismantle them. It seems their long history of killing is not reason enough for you to favor their dismantling. But dishonoring the latest ceasefire would be. Strange. When they dishonor it, and they will, I will hold you to your statement.

[plurality]

10. hold me to it, if they break the cease fire I'll be right out front

But until then, they like everyone else needs to be given the opportunity to make peace work. We've seen where revenge and 'eye fo an eye' has led everyone, into oblivion.

[Herschel]

11. Giving murderers a chance to make peace work?

Have it your way.

[plurality]

14. there are some in Palestine

who would say the same thing about Israelis, but that's the only way peace will happen.

[Herschel]

15. So coddling Hamas

is the road to peace. Oh, my.

[plurality]

16. Hey everyone has to take a bite of the shit sandwich someday.

Doesn't mean we have to like it.

[Herschel]

17. I say

We throw it out itstead. Hamas seeks the destruction of Israel, not peace.

[plurality]

18. many in Palestine would say

Israel seeks the destruction of Palestine, not peace. Anger and distrust exists on both sides of the fence, but if peace is ever going to be achieved everyone needs to put their fears aside and do what they can to achieve it and quit expecting the other side to break it.

[Herschel]

19. I am afraid

History is a great teacher where Hamas and the other terrorists are concerned. Try peaceful resistance.

[plurality]

20. peaceful resistance doesn't always work

I know Gandhi is everyone's favorite example that peaceful resistance is the only way, but those people neglect the context of that situation. Gandhi succeeded because Britain was a crumbling empire, they no longer had the ability to keep India and any resistance movement would have sent them packing. What would have happened had Gandhi tried his resistance 100 years earlier? Easy, the British would have crushed him like every other resistance movement that developed then.

And I know, history says that Hamas should not be trusted, but given the current circumstances if the current cessation of hostilities is to continue they have to be trusted. That doesn't mean Israel should let their guard down, but for the IDF or the PA to go in and smash them would certainly destroy the peace process, while the current situation could go either way.

[Herschel]

21. Smash Hamas

And advance the peace process. They are dedicated to the destruction of Israel. What else can be said?

[Darranar]

23. Agreed...

Destroy Hamas. They are terrorists. They want the destruction of Israel. They don't care about targeting innocent civilians for no reason. They don't care about causing grief and destruction for no good reason. THey are not resisters or freedom fighters. They are terrorists with blood on their hands. Annihilate them if you want peace.

[plurality]

24. so start a civil war for peace?

Because a civil war is without a doubt what you're going to get if you make a move on Hamas. Give them the chance to stop, the quit terrorism for the time being, if they start again then go after them, but if you go after Hamas now without them breaking the cease fire everyone will blame Israel for breaking the peace.

[Darranar]

25. War must come before peace...

in this situation. Hamas is a group of murderers. They have teh blood of innocent Israelis on their hands.
Anyway, if Israel removes the settlers, and cooperates with a for-peace PA to provide security, the support for Hamas among the Palestinians may evaporate.

[plurality]

26. that's a big if

And don't forget there are plenty of Palestinians who believe Israelis are murderers with the blood of innocent Palestinians on their hands, it doesn't matter if it was intentional or not. Best to give peace a chance and leave vengeance to your deity of choice. I believe we've seen enough war.

[Darranar]

27. I agree...

that we've seen enough war. But Hamas hardly seems to have any interest in keeping the cease-fire for long, and if they kill more Israeli civilians, should Israel ignore the violence?

[plurality]

28. no, if they break the cease fire

Israel is well within it's rights to respond, but my take on the situation by people bringing Hamas rearming up, is that many feel Israel shouldn't trust Hamas to hold to the cease fire and should go in and take them out now, before Hamas has done anything. (within the current cease-fire context that is)

[Darranar]

29. Like Hamas is going to keep it...

How do you know Hamas is not behind any of this violence taking place in Israel during the cease-fire? Do you seriously believe that if the Israelis keep this cease-fire the terrorists will?

[plurality]

30. there are plenty of Palestinians

that think there's no way the Israelis will keep the cease-fire and that they should attack Israel before they break it. The whole point of a cease-fire is to let cooler heads prevail and try and set the frame work for peace. Granted there are problems and that's to be expected. You can't keep every individual from fighting, but what you can do is stop the fighting between the major parties and deal with problems as they come up. Peace will never be achieved if either side lets its distrust of the other get the best of them. I'm not a Hamas member and I don't know any Hamas members so I can't say for certain whether they will live up to the cease-fire. Butat the moment they have said they will live up to it and all appearances are that they are so they should be given the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise.

[Darranar]

31. Sorry...

But I have problems letting murderers run around unpunished because of a cease-fire. Hamas is not a "cooler head." They are terrorists. They support the destruction of Israel, and to get that goal, they brutally slaughter Israelis. They are using this cease-fire to rearm.

[plurality]

32. so you support breaking the cease fire?

[molly]

33. Hamas is NOT an Army - they are paid assassins

they would not have a "job" if there were peace. We not talking a defending army here, we are talking blowing up innocents. They have lots of money from Saudi Arabia, why not fight like men?

[plurality]

34. what pray tell is the Palestinian army?

And fight like men? You can't seriously believe that killing from the saftey of high altitude jets and highly armoured tanks is fighting like men. If either side were to fight like men they'd send their warriors into an arena armed with clubs to determine the outcome.

and on edit: Israel is funded by American subsidies, so using your analogy that would make the IDF paid American assassins, care to rethink that inane foolishness you just spewed?

[Darranar]

36. If the Palestinians...

were firing upon the Israeli soldiers, fine. They aren't. They are also killing innocent civilians. There is no excuse.

[Violet_Crumble]

35. Soldiers are paid assassins too...

Whether they're members of an irregular armed force or the army of a nation, they're all paid assassins in the long run. If yr implying that cease-fires can only happen between armed forces of whatever nations they might be agreeing to a cease-fire, and not between a nation and groups like Hamas, GAM, etc, yr wrong...

Violet...

[Darranar]

37. Paid assasins...

is not literally correct, but I understand your point. "Paid killers" would be better.

[Darranar]

40. Exactly...

A terrorist organization that killed hundreds of innocent civilians is hardly a worthwhile campaigner for peace.

[leftwingnut]

8. why doesn't the USA ...

...give the same kind of military and financial support to the Palestinians as they do to the Israelis??

[Herschel]

9. Read this article as an example

The PA will not dismantle terrorist organizations in their midst. Israel is a consistent and close democratic ally. There is no comparison. When the PA performs, perhaps more aid will come. For now, it is Israel's.

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. For starters

They aren't our allies and have sided repeatedly with our enemies. Israel IS our ally.

How's that?

[Herschel]

13. So simple

Yet so true.

[madrchsod]

3. the idf

has been destroying more palestinian land since the ceasefire..nobody is going to stop this war ,are they...

[Darranar]

22. Why do you speak of the IDF...

as some independent institution? It defends Israel, and it is a tool of the Israeli government. It is NOT composed of terrorists, like Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, and others.

[StevenLee]

38. would we even be talking about.....

a Palestinian state ....if there were never any Terror groups? Are these groups not born from oppressed people? (no really I'm asking)....

[Darranar]

39. Yes, we would...

if the Palestinians had resorted to nonviolence and not attacking innocents. They would have had it already if not for terrorism.

[Aaron]

42. The Palestinians or SOME Palestinians?

You wrote:

"...if the Palestinians had resorted to nonviolence and not attacking innocents."

I'm not entirely clear on if you mean to suggest that Palestinians as a whole are attacking innocents or if you mean that some Palestinians attack innocents. Do you mean to attribute the actions of some Palestinians to represent Palestinians as a whole?

[StandWatie]

41. wow..

India says Pakistan trying to conquer the world.

Taiwan says China trying to overrun them.

Pakistan says India trying to ethnic cleanse the Muslim population.

Russia says Chechen rebels are conspiring with Al-Queda to expand war to Europe and N. America.

Every African nation accuses their rivals of supporting terrorism and contributing to war crimes.

Let's file this in the duh category.