Hamas is a force
Reader comment on item: Don't deal with terrorists

Submitted by Al Ramey (United States), Jan 25, 2006 at 23:58

Dear Mr. Pipes,

I read your take about Hamas participation in the elections with great interest. If only we could make your script happen! ...
Clearly, Hamas showed that they have a surprisingly (not to me) following mainly because of the renowned corruption and gangsterism of the PLO.

Any visitor to Gaza or Nablus can state without equivocation that 40 years ago one saw fewer women robed and masked with the hideous costumes of Arabia. Most men were seen outside their homes in light pyjamas (so I recall-1956), Primarily the Bedouine women were all covered. The Islamization, the penetration of radical Islam into the population became very effective due to lack of culture, values and visible leadership. The PLO was busy in overseas conferences, unable to administer to the needs of the population.

To this day, Arafat's wife,a young Christian woman is residing in the Parisian luxury of a fine hotel suite paid for with money she kept from his private account. The so called first lady has not been seen since his mysterious departure.

I recall years ago knowing a fella fixer for the media, supporting Hamas, whose father died after serving time in prison, his family sought help from the Arafat agents in Gaza and were denied and ignored. Shortly thereafter, Hamas came to the rescue in a small
way and he and his entire family became great supporters. This is not a unique story. T

Sadly the Shin Beth helped in a way to prop up-Hamas-in Gaza in he 80's as a tool to counter the Fatah fighters.In the early 80's they had no idea what was their true ideology and their roots with the Moslem Brotherhood because in the early days they were organizing their infrastructure with under the veneer of social works much of it undertaken from within the United Nations offices and schools in Gaza.

The Israelis, missed the whole preparation and in 1987 it backfired and they got a blowback. Much like the genius Zibigniev Brezezinski, who romanced the Talibans. I need not complete this sentence?

Somehow, Israel, the PLO and the Islamic Jihad will have to work it out. Otherwise, it will be an all out armagedon. The PLO cannot rule, have no moral compass to guide them and are totally compromised. Go to Gaza if you wish and see the unbelievably posh villas the big fundis built with your U.S dollars. They are unfit to rule. For American audience I could only offer an example of having a marriage between the boys from the Cosa Nostra and the sinister crowd throwing bombs on abortion clinics. Hard to imagine, this is what it is.

Unlike many of your contributors, since 1956 I have been in nearly every town and road in the so called occupied areas and I saw a few things over the years.

Al Ramey

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