Tens of Thousands of Judea and Samaria Hamas Loyalists Have Launched the Third Intifada
print
tell a friend
Photo Credit: Issam Rimawi/Flash90
By allowing Hamas to celebrate its 25th anniversary in Judea and Samaria, the Palestinian Authority leadership is paving the way for a third intifada against Israel.
In fact, in the past few days, the third intifada has already begun, as violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have increased in various parts of Judea and Samaria.
Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters have taken to the streets of Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron and Tulkarem to celebrate the event, the first of its kind since the Islamist movement expelled the Palestinian Authority from the Gaza Strip in 2007.
Since then, in Judea and Samaria, the Palestinian Authority had been cracking down on Hamas, arresting hundreds of its supporters and members and closing down dozens of institutions belonging to the movement.
In recent weeks, however, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has apparently decided to endorse a new strategy towards Hamas. He now considers Hamas a political ally rather than an enemy.
The change came immediately after the Israeli military offensive against Hamas in mid-November.
The rapprochement between Abbas and Hamas reached its peak before and after the UN General Assembly vote in favor of upgrading the Palestinians’ status to non-member observer state in late November.
Both Abbas and Hamas see the two events — the war in the Gaza Strip and the UN vote — as “historic achievements” and military and political victories over Israel.
Emboldened by the “victories,” Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal recently reached a secret agreement on the need to launch a “popular intifada” against Israel in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources in Ramallah revealed.
The two men believe that such an intifada at this stage would further isolate Israel and earn the Palestinians even more sympathy in the international arena, the sources said.
Abbas and Mashaal are aware, the sources noted, that the Palestinians are now not ready for another military confrontation with Israel — neither in the West Bank nor in the Gaza Strip.
That is why the two men agreed that the best and only option facing the Palestinians these days is a “popular intifada” that would see Palestinian youths engage in daily confrontations with Israeli soldiers and settlers, especially in Judea and Samaria.
Abbas and Mashaal want an uprising similar to the first intifada, which erupted in 1987, when Palestinians mainly used stones and firebombs against soldiers and settlers, and refrained from launching terror attacks inside Israel.
Yet Abbas and Mashaal seem to disagree on the ultimate goal of the “popular intifada.”
While Abbas is hoping that daily clashes between Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli soldiers will force Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 lines, including east Jerusalem, Mashaal and his Hamas movement are hoping that the uprising would lead to the “liberation of all Palestine, from the Jordan river to the sea.”
Abbas and Hamas have decided for now to lay their differences aside and work towards escalating tensions on the ground, particularly in Judea and Samaria. Representatives of the two parties have been holding “reconciliation” talks in Cairo during the past few weeks in a bid to agree on a new strategy against Israel.
Their goal is to drag Israel into a confrontation with Palestinian civilians — one that would embarrass the Israelis among the international community and force them to capitulate.
This article was slightly edited and originally published at the Gatestone Institute.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Khaled Abu Toameh, an Arab Muslim, is a veteran award-winning journalist who has been covering Palestinian affairs for nearly three decades.
You might also be interested in:
You must log in to post a comment.
No Responses to “Tens of Thousands of Judea and Samaria Hamas Loyalists Have Launched the Third Intifada”
Loading ...
It's clear to see that the Israeli government still doesn't get it. You don't allow the Palestinians to celebrate in Judea and Samaria. This land should have never been Palestinian to start with and if anything the Knesset should take actions to annex it back to Israel where it belongs. I really don't understand Israel's mentality. To me, the governments decisions and actions wind up hurting Israel not helping them. In government, as in other parts of life, if you act too generous, it does make you out to be forward thinking and modern, it makes you out to be a fool. I learned this the hard way in my personal life. I am a giver by nature and take more pleasure in giving than receiving. In more than one occasion, I ended up being taken advantage of by others. This is a painful lesson to learn but one that must be in order for these situations from taking place and causing hurt and disappointment. It's hard to break old habits but one not only individuals must learn but nations as well. A big reason for this problem in terms of Israel is because the moral gap between Israel and the Arabs are so large, it's incomputable.This doesn't mean that Israel has to descend to the level of Arabs. But, Israel must learn to stop doing things like this. Otherwise, Israel will always be taken advantage of at their own expense.
it is my opinion that israel should immediately execute every woman, child arab…..NOW……….these ho's will just breed like the simian's in the usa and the children are weapons''''''''HEY……if i would have someone trying to hurt me i would just fight back..not, talk b.s………….napalm works wonders……………..oh yea……then deny you did anything
It is unfortunate that the Jewish Press does not limit comments like this one.
Jewish should mean ethical not criminal.
The murder that Mr. Kerner advocates includes the author of this article Khaled Abu Toameh.
Nazi values are not Jewish values.
I agree with Lawrence Kauderer although I don't see how Israel could have prevented the celebrations in those cities controlled by the Palestinians. Nevertheless, Israel needs to be proclaiming it's right to Judea and Samaria, not facilitating it's takeover by inaction or tacit approval. The Palestinians have been trained to believe that no Jewish nation should ever exist on any inch of territory that they, the Pali's, claim.
Reuven Kerner — Your statement is vile. I gather the only thing Jewish about you is your name.
Jean Pierre Katz You are correct but you have to assume that Reuven Kerner is an antisemitic false-flag provocateur whose name s not really Reuven. That's what I assume.
Jean Pierre Katz You are correct but you have to assume that Reuven Kerner is an antisemitic false-flag provocateur whose name s not really Reuven. That's what I assume.
Lawrence, well said. As a Judeo Christian I am a Hawk, it is necessary for Israel to walk lightly here. Then boot the Islamic element and the others out of the area. The Hamas will continue to send rockets into Israel at a small rate, then again start an all out attack AGAIN. Iran and others are involved with this by sending this missiles and Rockets to the Hamas. You are correct when I saw the PM back off in the Gaza, they should have finished right then and got it over with. I hope Israel will be safe from Syria's DEADLY weapons, and the world takes care of Iran. The situation is totally out of hand, Iran will have the NUKES to use shortly, our Moron in the White House will continue to distance us as a Nation from Israel, this is a total crime in and of itself. We must stand with Israel at all times, they are surrounded by 600 million Islamic Muslims who hate them.
Nothing that a few M60 and M61 cannot deal with.
The problem is the suicidal cowardliness of Israel's military-political appeasement pushers, who are imbibed with all sort of foreign ideas opposite to Torah, and who are compassionate to cruel people, hence cruel to the compassionate.
These people. What can you do about these ignorant people and their designs to destroy the Jewish state and every Jew in the world.
John, we must be there for Israel, I hope public cry will force the Muslim in the White House to act. Before we act Israel may be in the fight for their lives.
These people. What can you do about these ignorant people and their designs to destroy the Jewish state and every Jew in the world.
Agreed. Israel has bent over backward to try to appease everyone, and in doing so has appeased no one. Hopefully they've learned you cannot deal with the devil. Stand firm and tell all your critics to go butt a stump. IT IS YOUR LAND. Now is the time to keep that land. What do you have to loose? Whatever you do, SOMEBODDY isn't going to like it, so do what's best for the country of Israel.
Ya know, when the weeds get tall, it's time to mow em' down. That always happens in the Spring. Just sayin'.
All they have left is stones. And yet they still resist the armed invasion of their lands.
Gotta respect balls like that.
All Israel has to do is get back behind the '67 borders & obey International Law like the rest of us. Is that so hard?
You clearly have no concept of history Chris or the punitive nature of the continually restricted '67 borders which left Israel almost impossible to defend. How about we agree to the 67 borders and you agree to live there, proudly flying the flag of Israel over your house? After all, all they have left are stones….
Chris 'thegoth' Wilcox
n no no no, the arabs need to populate the lands that belong to them. why dont you give up your back yard to an arab muslim family and let them blow you to pieces you ingnoramous
In 1967 Israel won all the land in a decisive war in six days. But Moshe Dayan the Commie Jew gave all the land back. Sometimes the Jews are their own worst enemies. I think the Jews need values clarification therapy. The PLO were surprised that the Jews gave land for peace. the Six Days War was made into a Pyrrhic Victory, and the entire future of Israel may be lost. There won't be another miracle, only many big bloodbaths. Commie Atheist Jews , and the Oral Tradition, are all part of a complex vision of Mystery Babylon, but the Zionists don't seem to comprehend their need for Jesus Christ.
If u know Jesus Christ, why don't u know his teachings? There will be a few more miracles. The nations that rise against Israel will be defeated by God miraculously. Ane the House of Israel (whom u call commie atheist jews) will be saved by Jesus. It's all in the Bible. So remember, these were, are, and always will be his chosen people. As believers in Christ, he say we've been adopted in, which is a great honor. But if there were no parent family, there could be no Savior and no adoption. The Jews are our brothers and deserve our respect, help, prayers and love.
Don Mcglaun
christ is dead and gone, dust and bones, get over it already, hes one dead jew and hes not coming back to save a soul !! idiot
Unfortunately Israel is not in control of anything now! By turning back to the Creator and Master of the world and licking egyptian/western pots, they become like the dust in the wind.
It is all already seen many times before, and written in our holy jewish text for warning in the future…but unfortunately it seems that liders of the nation still dont get the lection…so we will see the repetition. Repetitio est mater stupidorum
You mean to report that Palestinians wish to protest and resist occupation, regimentation, subjugation? Isn't that what human beings have always done, including Jewish human beings? Do Israelis and their very brave racist U.S. cheering section think themselves exempt from human nature? Or are they so intoxicated by the novelty of Jewish military hegemony that they can't add two and two and get four? No, they get five, or three, or any other result that makes them think the Palestinians are going to be ethnically cleansed from their homes in the West Bank.
It makes all the difference in the world that there never has been an Arab Palestine, there is not one now, that there could have been one if the point needs to be proven, and that there s no posiive agenda to create one but nly a negative agenda to prevent the Jews from living and ruling the land that the Arabs stole from them following the Roman occupation.
Now that this entity called 'palestine' has been given its 'blessing' by that esteemed body, the United Nations, we can deal with it the way any other country would deal with a country that is attacking it….by going to war against it and defeating it totally.