Opinion  Guy Bechor
Hamas in deep trouble
Guy Bechor
Published: 27.01.12, 00:43
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75 Talkbacks for this article
1. There is another option
Nomad   (01.27.12)
Change the charter, renounce terror, accept Israel right to exist and have your own country.
2. Very interesting article
John ,   NZ   (01.27.12)
I pray that Hamas's trouble increases daily to the point they no longer can commit terrorist acts.
3. Pompous Persian sugar daddy is low on $'s. They are paying
PETER SM ,   AUSTRALIA   (01.27.12)
& providing snipers in Syria to kill demonstrators( their brothers) according to news reports. Ditto for Hezballa.
4. pure madness
real vision ,   usa   (01.27.12)
It is pure madness for any nation to give money to support the leadership of hamas. Hamass has done nothing to better the lives of people in gaza.../just stolen their past present and future
5. As foretold!
John Prophet   (01.27.12)
Israel, it is so sad to see the events unfold as prophesied knowing you had the power and the knowledge to end this long ago. Yet, you put your faith in others who will ultimately sell you out in hopes of global economic peace. As it is written you will be/are alone, and now the beast has you surrounded and soon will have atomics. Who will be blamed for the next holocaust? Israel, it will be Jews themselves for once against showing passivity in the face of horror.
6. SOMETIMES, it's nice to sit on the bank, and watch your ...
DAV ZEE ,   ATLANTA, USA   (01.27.12)
SOMETIMES, it's nice to sit on the bank, and watch your dying enemy float by...and not say anything...
7. To Guy Bechor: I really appreciated
Robert Haymond ,   Edmonton   (01.27.12)
this article full of new (to me) information with its transparent writing and clear analysis. You are one of the handful of Ynet writers whom I always look forward to reading.
8. Life's a bitch
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (01.27.12)
And so is every member of Hamas.
9. Jordan would be mad to take in Hamas
rebecca ,   Modiin   (01.27.12)
They know that they are a state of 70% "Palestinians". How soon would Hamas turn on them?
10. You know ....
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.27.12)
Just as Israel can see into Gaza, Gaza can see into Israel. We know what Israel's looking at in Gaza. What the Gazans see when they look over at Israel is a stable society, a healthy economy, and a thriving agriculture that is more than capable of sustaining its people. The Gazans don't have that. They live under a brutally repressive and murderous regime; those fancy cabanas and beachfront hotels are beyond the reach of the ordinary Gazan; their food and other basic needs must be trucked in from Israel to the tune of several thousand metric tons a week. Any hopes they may have had of taking over the lovely hydroponic farms and greenhouses which Israel very graciously left intact were dashed when Gaza's so-called "leadership" blew them up in favor of building terrorist training centers. Any hopes they may have had of moving into the beautiful homes vacated by departing Israelis -- also left intact -- were dashed when those very desirable properties were snapped up by Hamas' terrorist leadership and their toadies. The average Gazan does not have a very happy existence. They survive on the largesse of Israel. Money which comes to Gaza, whether via NGOs, charitable organizations and the foolish EU is siphoned off rather quickly and goes to line the pockets of Hamas' corrupt "leadership" and to the effort to secure weapons to use against Israel. Billions have been lost when Israel successfully counters the efforts to smuggle weapons into the Strip. Perhaps the ordinary people of Gaza need to take meaningful steps to break the chains which bind them. No need to look to the Arab world -- they have enough problems of their own. But the people of Gaza can initiate their very own "spring." It is just possible that they will find support and assistance from an unexpected quarter.
11. Turkey
American Maccabee ,   New York, USA   (01.27.12)
Bechor is generally right, but let's not forget that Hamas will now get more support from Egypt "when it needs it" (i.e., during an IDF operation in Gaza), and also that Hamas has gained a new friend in Turkey.
12. SARAH are you sure the greenhouses were blown up?
DAV ZEE ,   AMERICA THE BEAUTIUL   (01.27.12)
I thought they were completely looted first, then vandalized, then when there was absolutely nothing left, the pigs made killer camps out of them... so much for the Israeli/EU/USA 14 millions wasted on these swine. z
13. No 10 What you say is so true
Emma ,   London   (01.27.12)
However, it will not happen because the people who call themselves Palestinians have never face up to their own responsibilities and to just who is to blame for their predicament. Much easier to blame all their woes on the evil Zionists so things will never change.
14. #10 sarah, #12 dav
solomon ,   bklyn   (01.27.12)
The Europeans paid Israel for the greenhouses so they could be used by the “Pals”. Abbass and others made a big deal about this being the start of an industry that would show the world how great “Palestine” could be. As soon as Israel withdrew, the greenhouses were looted, vandalized and trashed. The vacated homes were demolished by Israel; why leave the “Pals” another gift? The new homes of the Hamas leadership were built with the first building materials to enter Gaza.
15. oh
(01.27.12)
not deep not shallow it lives the case >>like evry one here
16. hamas dilemma
jameel ,   gaza   (01.27.12)
ISRAEL AS AN OCCUPATION FORCE HAS BEEN DEPENDING GREATLY ON THE LATE MUBARAK AND HIS REGIME , NOT DAYS NOR DECADES CAN CHANGE THE ARAB ATMOSPHERE IN ORDER TO BEGIN TO MARSH TO FREE PALESTINE FROM THE OCCUPATION AND NOT HAMAS ALONE WILL BE THE KEY FIGURE TO DO SO BUT THE ARAB SPRING IS ONLY A STEP TOWARD THIS GOAL WHEATER YOU AGREE OR NOT MONEY IS ESSENTIAL BUT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR PAST LEADERS THAT THERE IS THINGS ARE MORE PRECIOUS THAN LIFE AND THINGS ARE WORSE THAN DEATH
17. To: Solomon at No. 14
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.27.12)
The vacated homes were not demolished by Israel. The only structures that Israel demolished were military installations. Israel even carted the rubble away!
18. To: No. 11
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.27.12)
Hamas will not get any support from Egypt. For one thing, Egypt is broke. For another, the EU and the United States, Egypt's principal supporters, consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization. Egypt would not survive without U.S. and EU support, and that support would be instantly withdrawn should Egypt interfere in any Israeli operation in Gaza. Hamas has not gained a new friend in Turkey. Turkey has (foolishly) thrown cast its die with Iran. Egypt has opened the Rafah crossing, but they are not happy about it. Despite much Egyptian ballyhooing to the contrary, goods and services do not flow between Egypt and Gaza, and very few people are actually permitted to cross into Egypt. Moreover, Egypt has a vested interest in keeping Israel happy (which is to say, if Egypt cannot stop terrorism and smuggling, they had better keep it to a level tolerable to Israel, lest Israel take steps to solve the problem itself.
19. #17 sarah
solomon ,   bklyn   (01.27.12)
Vacated homes and military installations were bulldozed by Israel. Synagogues and the greenhouses were not. The arabs destroyed the synagogues and vandalized the greenhouses. As our memories can fail us, I did the research. You might want to do the same. Peace.
20. To: No. 19
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.27.12)
Don't need to do research; I was in Israel at the time of the Israeli withdrawal. You should google earth and focus in on the homes in the former Israeli settlements in Gaza. Do they look like Arab-style homes to you? Have you ever seen Arab-style homes?
21. To: No. 16
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.27.12)
Get a grip. Israel is not going anywhere. Have seven decades and six wars taught you nothing? Your entire history is a fiction, and you have no identity apart from that which you co-opted from the Jews, who are the TRUE Palestinians. You people are going to go the way of the woolly mammoth, and you have only yourselves to blame.
22. to no 21 sara
jameel ,   gaza   (01.28.12)
HHHHHHHHHHHH YOU LIVE IN THE U S A I ASSUME NOTHONG WILL CHANGE THE FACT THAT ISRAEL IS A FORCE OF OCCUPATION BY THE WAY WE ARE NOT MAMMOTH NOR PARASITE NOR NIL WE LOVE LIFE AND PEACE BIT NOT WITH THOSE WHO USED ALL THE MEANS TO DESTROY THE OTHERS AND WE WILL GET OUR RIHGTS AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU (RACIST) WILL HAVE NO PLACE UNDER THE SUN
23. #14 - the EU didn't pay for the greenhouses
William ,   Israel   (01.28.12)
It was a Jewish philantropist who I believe worked closely with the US govt who paid the $3 mm to keep the greenhouses intact, and ready (with training) for the Gazans who had a built-in market next door. The Gazans looted it. It's like inheriting your father's working, profitable business, then breaking it apart to sell the bricks individually. STUPID!
24. #16 - Hamas' approval rating in Gaza is 22%
William ,   Israel   (01.28.12)
and that's after the prisoner swap, because of all the things Guy Bachor and Sarah B. have mentioned. Your racist ilk have been saying its the end of Israel since 1948...way before Mubarak ever showed up, and Israel still kicked your ass and built a great society. As we can see, no one is rushing to help you because: 1) they have their own problems, and 2) you're not worth helping. You're a liability to everyone! Now, since Israel has left its historic Jewish land in Gaza in 2005, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has opened Rafah to you, there is no such thing as "occupation". Your argument dies upon arrival. SO go cry to Cairo if you have an issue. Israel owes you nothing, especially not electricity, water, food, or employment.
25. Fatah is even worse than Hamas.
Chaim ,   Israel   (01.28.12)
Bechor has it right about Hamas. However, let's not pretend Fatah are "peace partners" and friends. A tleast, Hamas is honest about it's plans to destroy Israel. Fatah, on the other hand, speaks about it's genocidal plans mostly in Arabic. Fatah has also maimed and murdered far more Jews than Hamas. Fatah is even worse than Hamas.
26. #16
(01.28.12)
let me remind you in case you forgot: egypt, yes, egypt, was the country that occupied you between 1948-1967. i wonder if you felt as a "palestinian" that you were under arab occupation then? i guess you didn't and never complained about this egyptian occupation for 19 long years, where your arab brothers kept you caged in gaza under severe condition, gave you no citizenship and relegated you to a non entity. yet, you didn't complain then. i know why. because you palestinians are basically arabs. you have no identity except arab identity and this is why you all didn't mind the severe egyptian occupation. the same goes for the "plestinians" in the west bank, which jordan occupied under the same miserable conditions you guys experienced while under egyptian occupation. in the west bank they really didn't mind because most of jordan is palestinian anyway. yet, all arab nations didn't want you, suppresed you and used you as propaganda and cannon fodder and human missiles in the form of shahids and suicide bombers (fedayiin back then operating in gaza against israel) against the jewish state of israel. why don't you take the same complain and address it to both egypt and jordan which still keepos you in refugee camps for eternity and will never themselves recognize you as citizens meriting aid and acceptance. shame on them for using you all like this. not the muslim way at all. you know very well that you only complain about israel because it is not arab and it is jewish and you can't stand that jews are not second class citizens under islam any longer and are not afraid of you at all like they used to be when they lived under muslim rule for many centuries. your definition as palestinians only surfaced after 1967 when israel captured the lands under egypt and jordan after a war foisted on it by you and your cohorts in the arab umma. if you guys didn't initiate a war, you would still be under egyptian and jordanian occupation that kept you in refugee camps, threw you out whenever they felt you were a disaster to them and basically denied you any morsel of humanity here on earth that others enjoy. just look at the good life of israeli arab citizens to know how poorly your arab brothers treat you compared to those arab that chose to stay in israel since 1948, given citizenship by the JEWS and where they strata of living condition is 100% better than any arab in any arab land. you are the one to complain? but not to israel....to your arab overlords that hate you even more than the israelis and use you even more. hameed aboughaze, iranian
27. Might not make sense, but bear with me.
Henry from New York ,   USA   (01.28.12)
Humus has spread themselves far too thin upon the Palestinian pita; the taste won't be as good for them anymore.
28. To: No. 22
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.28.12)
1. I divide my time equally between the United States and Israel. 2. Israel is not an "occupying" force. You idiots were stupid enough to start six wars, and now you must pay the consequences of having lost all six. That's not occupation, that's victory. You are a vanquished people, as a result of wars which you started. Deal with it as best you can. You don't get a second, third, fourth bite at the apple. Sorry. 3. I'm not a racist. I am a realist. I also happen to have a very good understanding of international law. You people should have taken the deal in 1947, and the twice since that it has been offered. But no, you chose war, violence, intifadas and terror instead. You have sown the wind; you lose the right to complain when the time comes to reap the whirlwind. Hasn't worked out all that well for you, has it? Chuckle. 4. You lost all your "rights" when you chose war, violence and terror over peaceful co-existence with Israel, which is all Israel ever wanted. Now you have to live -- or die -- with the consequences of your poor choices --- the wars just haven't worked out well for you; neither has the seven decades of unremitting terror. Too bad for you, but -- they were YOUR choices; not Israel's. You have only yourselves to blame. And everyone is getting very, very tired of your constant whining and moaning. You really need to learn to take responsibility for your stupid acts. There is no putting toothpaste back into the tube.
29. To: Henry at No. 27
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (01.28.12)
Why, Henry! That was actually quite clever. I particularly like the play on "Hamas"-"hummus." Good job!
30. #22 jameel
solomon ,   bklyn   (01.28.12)
You "love life and peace" yet you want to destroy Israel, Israel that has NOT "used all means to destroy" you. Had it, you would not be able to post. Please send your email to every web site you can. It would tell the world what kind of "people" Israel is dealing with. Your mask will be removed.
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