by Khaled Abu
Toameh January 4, 2016
- Instead
of wishing Palestinians a happy and prosperous New Year, both Fatah and
Hamas are asking their people to prepare for increased violence and
"resistance," including suicide bombings, against Israelis.
- Fatah's
armed wing used the occasion to issue yet another threat: "We will
continue in the path of the martyrs until the liberation of all of
Palestine."
- Masked
Palestinians in Bethlehem attacked several restaurants and halls where New
Year's Eve parties were supposed to take place. The assailants, eyewitnesses
reported, were affiliated with Abbas's Fatah faction, not Hamas.
- Hamas
banned Gazans from celebrating New Year's Eve, saying such parties are
"in violation of Islamic teachings." Hamas does not want young
Palestinians enjoying their time in restaurants and cafes. Instead, Hamas
wants them to join its forces, armed and dressed in military fatigues,
preparing for jihad against Israel.
After
failing to offer their people any hope for the future, Fatah and Hamas are now
telling Palestinians that they should expect more violence and bloodshed during
in 2016.
In
separate messages to the Palestinians on New Year's Eve, the two rival
Palestinian parties pledged to pursue, and even step up, "resistance"
attacks against Israel. Needless to say, the messages did not make any
reference to peace, coexistence or tolerance.
Instead
of wishing Palestinians a happy and prosperous New Year, both Fatah and Hamas
are asking their people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank to prepare for
increased violence and "resistance" attacks against Israel. The two
parties have nothing to offer the Palestinians besides more bloodshed and
despair.
Hamas,
which has been in power in the Gaza Strip for almost 10 years, is even reported
to be preparing for a new wave of suicide bombings against Israelis. The last
time Hamas launched suicide attacks in Israel was during the second intifada,
2000-2005, which wrought havoc and destruction to Palestinians.
Various
reports have suggested that
Hamas was now considering activating its West Bank "sleeper cells,"
in preparation for resuming suicide bombings against Israelis. Hamas, according
to the reports, is also planning to target Israeli security and political
figures.
Hussam
Badran, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, painted a grim picture of
what awaits Palestinians during 2016. In a message to
Palestinians, Badran announced that the current wave of terrorism, which he
referred to as the "Al-Quds Intifada," would escalate during the
coming year. He also hinted that Hamas was indeed considering resuming suicide
attacks against Israelis: "The year 2016 will witness a development and escalation
of the intifada and all forms of resistance operations."
His
message, like those of many Hamas officials, did not contain any reference to
the harsh living conditions of Palestinians under the rule of Hamas in the Gaza
Strip. When Badran and other Hamas officials talk about waging "all forms
of resistance" against Israel, they are actually referring to plans to
launch suicide bombings and other terror attacks against Israelis.
The
Hamas New Year's messages do not offer Palestinians in the Gaza Strip any hope
that their leaders are working towards ending their misery and state of
despair. There is no promise to help solve the problem of unemployment or
poverty in the Gaza Strip. Nor is there any promise to help solve the crisis
with Egypt, one which has resulted in the closure of the Rafah border crossing
between Gaza and Egypt for most of 2015.
As if
that were not enough, Hamas last week banned Palestinians
in the Gaza Strip from celebrating New Year's Eve. Hamas security officers
warned owners of restaurants and hotels against holding New Year's Eve parties,
saying that this practice is "alien to our traditions and values and in
violation of Islamic teachings." Hamas also justified the ban by arguing
that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip must show solidarity with their brothers in
the West Bank, who have been waging a campaign of stabbing and vehicular
attacks against Israelis since early October.
By
banning New Year's Eve celebrations, Hamas is following the example of other
Islamist terror groups such as the Islamic State, which have denounced such
parties as "un-Islamic." These groups consider New Year's Eve
celebrations as being part of the same Western culture they are seeking to
replace with extremist Islam and Sharia law.
Hamas
cannot tolerate scenes of Palestinians rejoicing and celebrating the arrival of
a new year. It does not want to see young Palestinians enjoying their time in
restaurants, cafes and hotels. Instead, Hamas wants young Palestinians to join
its forces and prepare for jihad against Israel. Hamas prefers to see young
Palestinians dressed up in military fatigues and carrying weapons. It wants the
young men, instead of celebrating and rejoicing, to participate in digging more
tunnels under Gaza's borders with Israel and Egypt.
Similarly,
President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction in the West Bank, which this
week celebrated the 51st anniversary of its first armed attack against Israel,
is hoping that 2016 will witness more violence. Several Fatah officials and
groups marked the anniversary by vowing to
step up "resistance" against Israelis and urging Palestinians to join
the "struggle" against Israel.
Fatah's
armed wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, used the occasion to issue yet
another threat to launch terror attacks against Israelis. "We remain
committed to the option of an armed struggle," the group rote in a leaflet
distributed in the West Bank. "We will continue in the path of the martyrs
until the liberation of all of Palestine."
President
Mahmoud Abbas, who is also head of Fatah, also had nothing to offer his people
on New Year's Eve, other than more messages of hate and defiance towards
Israel. In a messageto
his people, Abbas once again justified the current wave of violence by saying
it was the "result of the continuation of occupation and settlements, and
the desecration of our holy sites." He added: "Our people won't
capitulate, surrender or accept humiliation."
As Abbas
was addressing his people, masked Palestinians in Bethlehem attacked several
restaurants and halls where New Year's Eve parties were supposed to take place.
Eyewitnessessaid that
the masked men opened fire at the restaurants, halls and vehicles, to prevent
Palestinians from celebrating. The assailants, eyewitnesses reported, were
affiliated with Abbas's Fatah faction, not Hamas.
The leaders
of Fatah and Hamas have once again shown they have nothing to offer the
Palestinians other than violence, destruction and death. These leaders want
their people to remain in a combatant mood in order to pursue the fight against
Israel. As such, the year 2016 does not look very promising for Palestinians
under the current leadership of Fatah and Hamas.
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