Bad just got worse:
President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led unity government and declared a state of emergency Thursday after four days of fighting that has left Hamas in control of much of Gaza.
Hamas has seized control of all Palestinian Authority security installations in the territory.
Shortly before midnight (5 p.m. ET), Hamas sources told CNN, the presidential compound also fell.
If confirmed it would mean all Abbas-controlled security installations are under Hamas control.
Fighters loyal to Hamas, led by Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, waved their green banners from atop the headquarters of the Preventive Security Service in Gaza City and took numerous prisoners from Abbas’ Fatah party.
“In Gaza, a military coup attempt has taken place against the Palestinian Authority,” Abbas aide Tayeb Abdel Rahim said.
Under the state of emergency, Abbas will have the authority to replace the current Hamas Cabinet with his Fatah allies. The temporary Cabinet would have to be approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council after 30 days.
Currently, there is no government control in Gaza, according to Palestinian legislator Saeb Erakat.
“Gaza is now officially out of our control as the Palestinian Authority,” said Erakat, who is aligned with the Fatah party.
He blamed a “renegade force” in Gaza for staging a “major coup d’etat.”
Ralph Peters blames the Arabs.
The Boston Globe says, “yes, yes – but what about the Jews?” Because, you know – they occupied Gaza. Before giving it back.
Me?
I’m somehow reminded of Yeats.
I used to think (and pretty much still do) that I was an expert at moping, and brooding, and being grumpy and contrary.
I must yield the prize for that kind of thing to those Gaza boys, not being willing to murder people to claim it.
I was reading more about this earlier and the Hamas guy’s were literally removing and executing Fatah defenders in the streets to the screams and cries of their families. Most of the area has been without power or water for days, including hospitals.
It’s difficult to understand why in these situations.
Oh, yeah.
This caught my attention in the editorial:
“Arafat may be remembered today for his many failings, but the cardinal rule of all his exasperating deceits and maneuvers was to avoid precisely this sundering of the Palestinian national movement.”
Yeah, and under Hitler the trains ran on time. So what?
Only a Boston newspaper could consider people as victims for getting what they asked for, good and hard, and consider tyrrany with order a superior set of affairs.
– Max
Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Max. I’m pretty sure that the New York Times and the Washington Post could FUBAR that one too.
Point taken, HomeFront. The more I read these newspapers the happier I am I don’t live near population.
– Max
Not being an Arab nor a Jew, I probably just don’t understand these events, but PLEASE help me understand this: Why were the Jews the “bad guys” for occupying Gaza and after they “traded land for peace” and therefore departed, they’re the at fault again?
I understand that the Arabs believe this is their land anyway, after all they’ve been living there for a thousand, or two, years. Of course, they don’t mention that a guy named Moses was leading a group of Jewish folks there at the behest of Our Father, more than 3-5,000 years ago.
Was Sharon the “Lion of the Desert”? Many wonder what Israel will do now, with Hamas on the one side and Hezbollah on the other… not to mention Syria. Testing times, that’s for certain.
What of Yeats’ words: “the centre cannot hold, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world… everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned.
“…revelation is at hand…the Second Coming is at hand… And what rough beast, it’s hour come round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?”
That’s saying a whole bunch, Lex! What is the meaning of your referencing Yeats? How applicable do you feel his words are for today’s scene?
My wife asked, just then, “what about our trip to Rome on the 24th?”
Palestinian state:
Terrible. Not beautiful. Stillborn.
In an earlier comment I said it was going to be hard to pin the blame for this carnage on Israel. I guess someone figured out a way… Fatah is an “American-Jew Army”, indeed. Unfortunately, I do remember hearing a couple of weeks ago that the U.S. sent a shipment of weapons to the Fatah branch of the Palestinian Authority.
Like the last post on same subject I view the whole situation with…well…zero empathy. Notice how quiet the Israelis have been?
About the Armageddon thematic of Yeats which I can’t “process”- I’ll go one step further-If’n I’m “Left Behind”..so be it. I’ll still feel no empathy.
b2
There was a book that’s highly regarded within the military called “Once an Eagle,” written by Anton Myrer. The title of the book comes from a poem written by Aeschelus. The gist of the poem is that an eagle was flying, and was shot by an arrow. Regarding the feathers of the shaft piercing its side, the eagle remarked, “now by our own hand we are undone.”
Regarding the Gaza Strip, the Isaelis offered it back to the Egyptians after the six day war as part of a peace offering. The Egyptians wanted no part of it.