Arlene Kushner on American-Born Palestinian Shot by IDF While About To Throw A Molotov Cocktail

From Arlene Kushner:
October 26, 2014

Tough

The word “tough” has different meanings, and I am actually using it in more than one sense in this posting.  The first meaning – difficult to deal with – applies to the video directly below.  From “Jewish Voices on Campus,” it is exceedingly important and I ask you all to take the time to see it:

~~~~~~~~~~

The second meaning I want to apply is slang, as in “You don’t like it? Tough.” 

Orwa Abd El-Wahab Hammad, from the village of Silwad near Ramallah, was killed by the IDF on Friday.  Arab sources said he was 14, the IDF says he was 17.  Born in America, he has lived in Arab villages in Samaria since he was a small boy.  He was shot because he was about to throw a Molotov cocktail into on-coming traffic on Highway 60.  A Molotov cocktail is a home-made incendiary device, serving as a fire bomb, that can set its target on fire. Thrown at a car, it could be lethal and might cause multiple deaths.

Explained an IDF spokesman: “The forces fired immediately to neutralize the danger....”

Hamas and Hezbollah: Imitation Is The Sincerest Form of Terrorism

Hamas continues to emulate their terrorist comrades in Hezbollah

• Hezbollah kidnaps Israeli soldiers--Hamas kidnaps Gilad Shalit.
• Hezbollah builds extensive underground bunkers--Hamas builds underground installations in Gaza.
• Hezbollah bombs Israel during its war--Hamas figures it can bomb Israel forever.

And now Haaretz reports that Hamas wants to employ the 'Hezbollah model' in Gaza:

MEQ Spring 2008: Fatah's Embrace of Islamism

The following by Ido Zelkovitz is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Fatah's Embrace of Islamism

by Ido Zelkovitz
Middle East Quarterly
Spring 2008, pp. 19-26

Many U.S. and European diplomats contrast Fatah's Palestinian nationalism with Hamas's Islamism. At a November 28, 2007 press conference, U.S. national security advisor Stephen Hadley praised Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and cited President George W. Bush's argument that "Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda [are] different faces of the same evil: a radical ideology seeking to impose its world-view throughout the Middle East and beyond."[1] But, while Fatah, the core of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), may have its roots in the revolutionary, secular-oriented ideologies of the 1960s and 1970s,[2] Islamist discourse is also integral to the movement.[3] Indeed, even as Western diplomats seek to bolster Fatah's Abbas as an alternative to Hamas, they underestimate the degree to which Palestinian nationalism now intertwines itself with Islam.[4] Since the 2000 Palestinian uprising, Fatah has fused national and religious symbols in order to use Islam as an instrument of mobilization.[5]

Video: Fatah Celebrates 48 Years Of Terrorism!

With Hamas celebrating 25 years of terrorism, I suppose it's only natural that Fatah would get jealous.

Ynet News reports Rockets, rifles and axes in Fatah rally

A video posted online shows dozens of veiled men taking part in a march marking 48 years since Fatah's inception. The men are seen marching at the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem carrying knives, axes, clubs and rifles.

Two men were also seen carrying a rocket model. Palestinian security forces were not present at the scene.

The march was a rare sight in the West Bank which has seen very few Fatah rallies in the past few years.

It is possible that the Palestinian security forces were aware of the march but decided to "turn a blind eye." In the past, the forces prevented similar rallies both by Fatah and Hamas.

Yeah, let's give them a state.
Oh wait -- that's exactly what the UN is trying to do!

You'll note that Fatah was founded in 1964, before the 1967 War, an indication of what they consider "occupied territory" and what their goal really is.

Here is a picture of Abbas with a map of what he considers his "Palestinian" state in the background.
Hey Abbas, if you really think your "Palestinian" state will encompass all of Israel  -- Don't. Hold. Your. Breath.

After All Of The West's Investment In Abbas Regime, It Is Being Swallowed Up By Hamas

The enemy of my enemy is not my friend. It is entirely possible for two parties to hate each other, but to agree they hate you more. And so it is in this case. Hamas and Fatah are not opposite ends of some mythical Palestinian political spectrum – they are merely different approaches to the same end.
Shoshana Bryen

The West has persisted in the fantasy that Fatah and Hamas were opposite forces in the search for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. To sustain such a myth of course requires that one believes that Abbas really is a moderate and that he seriously can be convinced to sit down and negotiate with Israel.

Shoshana Bryen writes that not only is Fatah not the polar opposite of the Hamas terrorists, but instead Fatah is in the process of Converging Toward Hamas:

If #Hamas and #Fatah Reunite, Does Everything Else Fall Apart?

Jackson Diehl writes about the uncertainty of the Hamas-Fatah deal

But one thing is sure: If Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moves forward with the reconciliation with the Islamic Hamas movement, it will mean he has written off the Obama administration and the peace process it has tried to broker, once and for all.

Actually, the one sure thing is that the left will now come out with all manner of explanations as to why this is the last, best chance for peace (read: unilateral Israeli concessions).

More importantly, if this reunification is for real, the end of peace talks may be least of the problems:

According to reports Wednesday, it probably will mean the end of the West Bank administration headed by Salaam Fayyad, a technocrat highly respected by both Americans andt Israelis. If so, Congress will almost certainly suspend $400 million in annual U.S. aid. It could mean the reorganization of Fatah’s U.S.-trained security forces, which have worked with Israel to keep the peace in the West Bank for the last several years, and their eventual integration with the cadres of the Iranian-backed Hamas.

So bottom line, if this "reconciliation" lasts, it will be one more source of concern for Israel in a Middle East overrun with change. Leave it to the Palestinian Arabs to go in the opposite directjon of the rest of the regjon and solidify 2 corrupt regimes.

  

The Enemy of My Enemy

The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend
Arab Proverb

That may be a popular saying, but it's no way for a country to run it's foreign policy.
But that won't stop Israel., which seems convinced that Abbas is the enemy of Hamas and therefore a friend of Israel--a 'moderate' to be supported.

Israel prepares to allow Palestinian troops into Gaza

Israel is on the brink of a policy U-turn that would authorise 1,500 armed Palestinian soldiers based in Jordan to move into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

While Israel sees the move as a way to counterbalance the growing power of Hamas, such a policy shift could worsen the internecine violence between rival Palestinian factions which has claimed scores of lives this year.

It reverses years of strict military sanctions imposed by Israel on the territories because of fears that weapons provided to Palestinians would end up being used for attacks on Israeli targets.

The United States, which is behind the initiative, hopes that the arrival of the troops, trained and equipped to relatively high standards by the Jordanian armed forces, will restore badly-needed order in the occupied territories.

So despite the real danger that extra arms--and soldiers--provided to Fatah may be used against Israel, the Israeli government is responding favorably to the US 'initiative'.

There may be truth to the adage that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' but that does not apply when both of them are Israel's mortal enemy as well.

As Fatah's website helpfully reminds us, according to their constitution, one of Fatah's main goals--and the first one mentioned--is:

Article (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.

Israeldoes not have the luxury of picking its enemies, but she should be more careful picking her friends.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Fatah and Fateh and Hamas and US.

Hamas Has To Face The...Duet?

The Astute Bloggers links to an article from Haaretz that implies that just as Israel has to deal with pressure from the West, Hamas--in its new role as a 'legitimate' government has to deal with pressure of its own:

Qatar on Tuesday presented the leaders of Hamas and Fatah with a plan for a new Palestinian unity government, which would accept international demands on the recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence and compliance with previously signed interim accords.

...Egypt threatened Meshal that if an agreement for prisoner release is not reached by the end of Ramadan - the Muslim month of fast that ends October 22 - the Hamas leader would be held responsible for a wide-scale Israeli military attack in the Gaza Strip.

Technorati Tag: Hamas.

Pity Hamas: They Picked A Fight With "Terrorists"

According to Haaretz, it appears that "Hamas lost the war for Palestinian public opinion, something that Israel can identify with":

At the end of "Black Sunday," as the day of clashes between Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip was described in the Palestinian media, Hamas succumbed to public opinion and withdrew its gunmen first, even though they may have scored greater victories against Fatah fighters.

...Hamas wanted a confrontation for two reasons. First, it wanted to send a message that the Hamas-controlled government would no longer accept unruliness on the part of the security forces in the Gaza Strip, which undermined its government and created the impression that Hamas has lost its power. Second, it was a way of pressuring Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to resume negotiations for a government of national unity - because if the Hamas government falls, there will be a bloodbath in the Gaza Strip.

Gee, this sounds familiar:

The Hamas victory on the tactical battlefield came at a public - but also a military - price, which is in Fatah's favor in the West Bank. A few hours after the outbreak of fighting, the prime minister's offices in Ramallah, as well as Hamas offices throughout the West Bank were set ablaze; Hamas officials were shot at and beaten. Fatah's supremacy in the West Bank proved to be overwhelming.

...On the public front, Hamas emerged the greater loser. As Palestinians finished their meals after a day of Ramadan fast, they turned on their televisions and saw scenes that reminded them of 1996 and clashes between armed Palestinian security officers and unarmed protesters. Except this time it was Hamas gunmen attacking unarmed protesters, killing a few bystanders, including a 15-year-old. Recognizing the negative impact of his order to confront the Fatah demonstrators, Interior Minister Saeed Seyam ordered Hamas fighters off the streets.

The idea was that by being elected, Hamas would learn to act as a responsible government and not as a bunch of terrorists.

Who knew how successful the lesson would be.

Crossposted at Israpundit

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hamas and Fatah.

A Thought About Bush's 'National Strategy for Combating Terrorism' and Hamas

It's after 1am in the morning, and I cannot begin to figure out the nuances of Bush's new "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism" as he described it on Tuesday.

Austin Bay has scanned parts of the document, posts some of the content and has some thoughts.

Personally, when I read stuff like...

Deny terrorists the support and sanctuary of rogue states. The United States and its allies and partners in the War on Terror make no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor terrorists. Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has chosen to be an enemy of freedom, justice, and peace. The world will hold those regimes to account. To break the bonds between rogue states and our terrorist enemies, we will work to disrupt the flow of resources from states to terrorists while simultaneously working to end state sponsorship of terrorism.

and

The United States currently designates five state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba. We will maintain sanctions against them and promote their international isolation until they end their support for terrorists, including the provision of sanctuary. To further isolate these regimes and persuade other states not to sponsor terror, we will use a range of tools and efforts to delegitimate terrorism as an instrument of statecraft. Any act of international terrorism, whether committed by a state or individual, is reprehensible, a threat to international peace and security, and should be unequivocally and uniformly rejected. Similarly, states that harbor and assist terrorists are as guilty as the terrorists, and they will be held to account.

...I naturally think of Hamas, Fatah, and the PA.

News such as...

Palestinian terror organizations are currently training in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to carry out operations aimed at kidnapping Israeli soldiers, said a terror leader whose group in June abducted Israeli Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

...not to mention of course the firing of Kassam rockets at Israeli cities from areas directly under the control of Hamas--who was behind the kidnapping of a soldier--does seem to fall under the category of "terrorism as an instrument of statecraft."

I've read some positive reviews of Bush's speech, but in just over a month, on October 15, will be the 3rd anniversary of the murder of 3 Americans by Palestinian Arabs terrorists when they blew up a US diplomatic convoy in Gaza. To date, the murderers are free.

If all of Bush's talk has no practical application for Palestinian Arab terrorists, then Bush need not have bothered.

Technorati Tag: Israel and President Bush and Palestinians and Hamas and Fatah and Palestinians.

Is Abbas Finally Fulfilling Phase One Of The Road Map?

According to Haaretz: Abbas weighing dissolution of Hamas gov't

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is considering to dissolving the Hamas-led government should the security situation deteriorate ahead of his proposed referendum over a peace plan calling for the implicit recognition of Israel, a senior Palestinian official told Ynet.

Would this be considered as the beginnings of phase one of the Road Map:

Rebuilt and refocused Palestinian Authority security apparatus begins sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure. [emphasis added]

While all along the Palestinian Arabs have claimed all along that following the Road Map would lead to civil war, wouldn't it be ironic if civil war would lead to the Palestinian Arabs following the Road Map?

Wishful thinking, of course.

Abbas himself provides another example of wishful thinking:

The officials ruled out the possibility that the dissolution of the Hamas-led government will spark off violent clashes between the Islamic group and its Fatah rival, saying PA security forces will do a good job in maintaining peace and order.

Considering the "good job" they've been doing so far, who could blame them for thinking that...

New York Times: Violence Erupts Between Fatah and Hamas

Hundreds of Palestinian security personnel loyal to the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, went on a rampage Monday night in the West Bank town of Ramallah, attacking the parliament and cabinet buildings controlled by his rivals in the Hamas-led government.

The attack by forces from the Fatah faction loyal to Mr. Abbas, who fired bullets at the buildings and set them on fire, came after Hamas gunmen attacked the Gaza headquarters of the Fatah-dominated security forces with rockets and grenades.

Apparently the same thinking that created the Hamas definition of "truce" also created the Palestinian definition of "peace and order."

Technorati Tag: Israel and Abbas and Hamas and Road Map and Fatah.

9 Israelis Randomly Murdered

Today a Palestinian terrorist randomly murdered 9 Israelis.

Arutz Sheva points out:

The Islamic Jihad terror group and the Al Aksa Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah party, have claimed responsibility for the attack. Fatah is the party of PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) leader Mahmoud Abbas, and his predecessor, PLO terrorist chieftain Yassir Arafat.

In 1993, Israel signed the Oslo Accords and ceded control of heavily populated Arab areas to the Palestinian Authority. When the accords were signed, the PLO and its largest component, Fatah, pledged in writing to refrain from carrying out terrorist attacks or from using violence of any kind against Israel.

Not that the West seems to notice or care.

ZOA has a list of promises broken by the PLO/Fatah--from the Oslo Accords in September 1993 to December 2001--including The Gaza-Jericho Agreement, Oslo II, The Hebron Accord, The Wye Memorandum, and The Tenet "cease-fire", among others.

There wasn't much outcry about that either.

Meanwhile, the terrorists are doing what they can to make it easier for the West to keep their moderates. Captain's Quarters refers to the 'triangle offense', where radical groups such as Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Brigades carry out the terrorist attacks, allowing Fatah to appear moderate and Hamas to avoid blame now that it holds the reins of power--and now has received funding from Iran (some of whose citizens are not too happy about the contribution--hat tip LGF) and Qatar, each contributing $50 million.

The result is the lulling of the West. Condemnation of terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians is given lip service--even as Israel is castigated in no uncertain terms when accidental Palestinian civilian occur when she retaliates. The tired old faux-condemnation by Abbas--the "moderate" whose Fatah Party's Constitution still declares its goal to destroy Israel--continues, while Hamas and its friends sing the praises of Palestinian self-defense. The script by now if very familiar, where there is no shortage of words, but an eerie lack of action. Israel is condemned to this Groundhog Day as long as Palestinian Arabs are protected against the consequences of their actions. This is not a conflict; it is a war--and the time is long overdue for Israel to stop bombing empty buildings.

Following the terrorist attack, AP is reporting that Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman has come out saying that:

recent statements by the Palestinian government, Iran and Syria "are clear declarations of war, and I urge each and every one of you to listen carefully and take them at face value."

It is unclear that anyone in the West is going to listen, especially now that cracks are appearing in the heretofore united front to cut off funding to Hamas. On the other hand, according to the New York Times, Europe is looking at bolstering its surveillance and prosecution powers, and beginning to realize they are facing a problem that goes beyond criminal law. But if Israel is really going to call this a war, then it is up to her to act like she means it.

The Times article has a quote that is indicative of what may be a slow turning point in Europe:

"We always think about the rights of the terrorists," said August Hanning, Germany's deputy interior minister and a former intelligence chief. "But if there is an attack that you could have prevented, you also have to be able to look into the eyes of the relatives."

That is not going to help Israel--and Olmert needs to realize that he must look into the eyes not only of relatives, but of World Jewry as well.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hamas and terrorism and Fatah.

Civil War: The Iraqi and Palestinian Models

Apparently, it is now important to consider defining the killing over in Iraq as a civil war--or not as a civil war. I agree with Charles Krauthammer when he writes that "this whole debate about civil war is surreal"--but then he loses me when he continues:

What is the insurgency if not a war supported by one (minority) part of Iraqi society fighting to prevent the birth of the new Iraqi state supported by another (majority) part of Iraqi society?

But isn't what he is describing an insurgency, which is defined as, "an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict."

And then Krauthammer turns around and writes:

As I noted here in November 2004: "People keep warning about the danger of civil war. This is absurd. There already is a civil war. It is raging before our eyes. Problem is, only one side " -- the Sunni insurgency -- " is fighting it." [emphasis added]

Well, if only one side of an insurgency is fighting an insurgency--that is an insurgency, isn't it?

The whole think is pretty ridiculous, when you think about it. We live in an age when the word 'terrorist' has been completely corrupted, and now we're all supposed to agree on a straightforward definition of what a civil war is?

Meanwhile, what about the Palestinian civil war? No not the civil war in 1947--according to HistoryCentral.com:

During the period between the end the UN vote on partition and the end of the British mandate, Civil War broke out between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. Most of the battles during this period were won by the Jews.

From the moment the United Nations voted to partition, civil war erupted in Palestine. [emphasis added]

That is an interesting way of putting it, but no, when people talk about the Palestinian civil war they are referring to the currenting in-fighting among Palestinian Arabs, the one that is not generally talked about--except as something to be avoided by Israel making concessions to prop up the PA.

But something is definitely going on there. Back in January, following Hamas' victory, you had Hamas clashing with security forces, Palestinian police storming the parliament building, and Fatah gunmen posting a picture of Arafat and firing their guns in the air--and things were pretty lively over in the West Bank as well, with more clashes just last week.

Isn't that a civil war?

But while the fighting and killing in Iraq is over the direction Iraq will take, the clashes in Gaza and the West Bank are over jobs and political positions that are going to be lost, as well as an intense rivalry between Hamas and Fatah. Basically, it boils down to a gang war. It is a far cry from what Dennis Prager prescribes in Only a Palestinian civil war will bring peace:

A significant percentage of Palestinians do not want peace with Israel; they want peace without an Israel. If these individuals and groups are not fought by those Palestinians who want peace with Israel, peace is impossible.

This fundamental difference between the political war going on in Iraq and the turf war between Palestinian Arab groups is why in Iraq, Hussein loyalists who opposed the January 2005 election were, by December, urging their fellow Sunnis to vote and warned Al Qaeda to stay away--while Hamas, which is careful not to welcome Al Qaeda with open arms, has no grudge with them.

Al Qaeda knows that Iraq is a real country and a real democracy in the making, while Hamas is a kindred spirit--another terrorist group that will not play the games that Fatah did under Abbas, making sounds of peace.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hamas and Al Qaeda and Fatah and Iraq and Civil War.

Hamas "Coup Attempt"

“I say to you in the name of the president that we (Palestinian factions) have no way other than dialogue. Our cause is one.”
Tayeb Abdel Rahim (senior aid to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas)


The Washington Post reports that apparently the one cause may not be big enough for both Hamas and Fatah:

Hamas legislators voted on Monday to revoke all decisions made by the previous Palestinian parliament at its final session last month, including laws that gave President Mahmoud Abbas wider powers to appoint some judges.

The move was seen as a challenge to Abbas, whose once-dominant Fatah faction suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Hamas in parliamentary elections on January 25.

A senior Abbas aide accused Hamas of attempting to oust the Palestinian president.

"We see this as a coup attempt to change the regime and they (Hamas) have to seriously reconsider their decisions," said Tayeb Abdel-Rahim.

For now at least, the 'coup' amounts to nothing more than playing legislative games:

In the final session of the previous parliament on February 13, majority Fatah members pushed through an amendment to an existing law, giving Abbas power to appoint judges to a constitutional court without seeking legislative approval.

..."The law is very clear. It gives us the right to endorse or reject the resolutions or the decisions of that session," senior Hamas lawmaker Mahmoud Ramahi told Reuters before the annulment vote was taken.

Of course, it's not as if Fatah is standing pat and ready to share power either. They are trying to get around some of the measures that Hamas wants as well:

The Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council was forced to postpone a session scheduled for Saturday in Ramallah after Fatah gunmen threatened to storm the building and beat the newly-appointed speaker, Aziz Dweik.

A new session has been set for Monday, but sources close to Hamas said it too could be delayed because of increased threats by Fatah gunmen.

On Thursday some 20 gunmen belonging to Fatah's armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, arrived at the PLC compound and fired extensively into the air. The gunmen shouted slogans against Dweik, accusing him of trying to dismiss some Fatah- affiliated employees of the council.

It was the second time since the new parliament was sworn in two weeks ago that Fatah gunmen had threatened to harm Dweik, who was appointed by Hamas.

Considering the fact that we have here two terrorist gangs fighting for power, as opposed to the situation in Iraq, if there is going to be a civil war breaking out in the Middle East--this is where it's going to be .

Update: The Jerusalam Post has some more detail on what laws were revoked:

o Abbas' power to revoke laws
o Abbas' power to dissolve the PLC
o Abbas' power to appoint a 9-man constitutional court (Fatah affiliated) without legislative (Hamas) approval
o The court would have the power to veto legislation
o The court would arbitrate disputes between Abbas and the Hamas controlled cabinet and parliament
o A law making it possible to appoint a new secretary general from Fatah for the council to oversee the administrative management of the new parliament.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hamas and Fatah and Palestinians and Abbas.

Fatah Knows Best

The New York Times carried an article on Tuesday about the supposed plan to withhold funds from Hamas and ultimately force a reelection. Near the end of the article, we read how Fatah actually could have won the election:

The United States and Fatah believe that the Hamas victory was far less sweeping than the seat total makes it appear, said Khalil Shikaki, a pollster and the director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.

In an interview in Ramallah, Mr. Shikaki said that if Fatah had forced members to withdraw their independent candidacies in constituencies where they split the votes with official Fatah candidates, it might have won the election. Half of the 132 seats were decided by a vote for a party list, and the other half by a separate vote for a local candidate.

Hamas won 44 percent of the popular vote but 56 percent of the seats, while Fatah won 42 percent of the popular vote but only 34 percent of the seats. The reason? "Fatah ran a lousy campaign," Mr. Shikaki said, and Mr. Abbas "did not force enough Fatah independents to pull out."

If only 76 "independent" Fatah candidates had not run, Mr. Shikaki said, Fatah would have won 33 seats and Hamas 33. In the districts, Hamas won an average of only 39 percent of the vote while winning 68 percent of the seats, Mr. Shikaki said.

"Fatah now is obsessed with undoing this election as soon as possible," he said. "Israel and Washington want to do it over too. The Palestinian Authority could collapse in six months."

Apparently there is more to democracy than making promises you cannot keep.
A knowledge of math is helpful too.

Meanwhile, in Congress, the House of Representatives has voted to withhold aid to the PA unless Hamas "revokes" their call for the destruction of Israel.

That seems like good news, but:

1. Has the PA learned their (math) lesson?

2. Will the withholding of funds just put Hamas in a more sympathetic light? After all, Hamas killed their own people in 2 "work accidents" towards the end of last year, tried to blame it on Israel, and no one cared.

3. Will other Moslem countries come forward to make up the US shortfall?

4. If "revoking" their call for the destruction of Israel, refers to changing the Hamas Covenant--which logically would seem necessary--how much more likely is Hamas to do this than Arafat, who never actually made the change? And is the West serious enough about the change to actually insist on it--or will they settle for some vague public announcement that will be meaningless.

Technorati Tag: Hamas and Fatah and Abbas and Palestinians.