A news item in the Jerusalem Post tells us about the continuing effort to ‘bolster’ (they always use this word) Fatah:
Israel has agreed to let Russia deliver 25 armored vehicles to Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Friday – a move meant to bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his struggle with Hamas.
Russia had proposed shipping the armored vehicles to Palestinian security forces two years ago, but Israel initially balked, fearing the cars would fall into Hamas’ hands. Later, the deal was bogged down by Palestinian plans to mount the vehicles with guns – something Israel refused to approve.
Of course, we can be certain that the Palestinians will not install guns on them once they get them, can’t we?
But never mind, here’s another item from the same source:
Fatah officials have agreed to Yemen’s reconciliation initiative and are prepared to sign it, while Hamas officials requested additional time to discuss the initiative with the group’s leaders, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi announced on Saturday.
According to a Yemenite news agency, talks between the rival Fatah and Hamas are continuing to take place in Yemen, after a crisis in talks occurred on Thursday in which Fatah representatives threatened to return to Ramallah.
“Hamas is not declining the Yemenite initiative which aims to resolve the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah,” Ahmed Youssef, adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
Does this say something to us about the advisability of arming Abbas “in his struggle with Hamas”?
Why doesn’t it say the same thing to Israeli PM Olmert or the architects of the “fight Hamas with Fatah policy”, the US?