Why Fatah Is A Bigger Threat Than Hamas

David Hazony makes an interesting point--quoting Betzelem and the Shin Bet--that despite the fears after Hamas came to power, the year 2007 was a relatively quiet year in terms of successful terror attacks.

On the other hand, those terror attacks that actually were successful--such as the recent murder of 2 Israeli hitchhikers--were committed by Fatah.

The explanation? Hazony writes:

Israel’s ability to fight terror is, like it or not, inversely proportional to the amount of international pressure, especially American pressure, put on Israel to restrain itself. The election of Hamas horrified the West, and Israel got a green light to defend itself. Israel stepped up operations, especially precision ones such as that which took out the Jihad’s military chief in Gaza last month, making the running of terror cells much more difficult. Unable to send suicide bombers across the border into Israel, Hamas and Jihad resorted to terrorizing by lobbing homemade flying IEDs into the town of Sderot — horrible for those who have to endure it, yet a far cry from the bus-bombings of a few years ago. Clarity about the enemy, it seems, is a key to effective self-defense.

And what about Fatah? Same logic, only in reverse. Because it is seen as moderate and the partner for peace, Israel has far less freedom to take out its terror groups, which continue every day to organize attacks on Israelis, just as they did under Arafat. It is true that Fatah under Abu Mazen’s leadership takes public positions that are significantly more measured than are those of Hamas. Yet as the IDF operation in Nablus over the last few days proves, their record in fostering terrorists in their midst is little better than Hamas. And it is unclear whether they have any more political freedom to stop the “resistance” in the West Bank than does Hamas to stop it in Gaza. [emphasis added]

Unfortunately, international pressure continues to trump clarity.

Crossposted at Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Israel and Fatah and Hamas.