In the initial letter of warning sent by Shurat HaDin on behalf of victims of Hamas terror attacks to the PMO [Prime Minister's Office], Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner wrote: "The currency of record in the Gaza Strip is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS)." Most of the financial activity in the Gaza Strip runs on a cash basis, using the NIS. Tens of thousands of Hamas terrorists and governmental official get their salary in Israeli currency -- in cash. Thus, the transfer of large sums of cash into the Gaza Strip is, by definition, an act that directly fuels the terrorist activity of Hamas and is therefore a violation of the Terror-Funding Act of 2005 and the domestic and international laws against money laundering."Read the whole thing.
The warning letters from Shurat HaDin also note that a portion of the cash funneled into Gaza by Israel is used to replace Israeli currency in Hamas' coffers that has physically deteriorated and another portion serves the international money laundering trade, most notably the money "smuggled" by Hamas from Iran via the Egyptian border. Without these criminal acts, Hamas' financial hold on the Strip would collapse and thus these measures are directly responsible for shoring up the Hamas control over Gaza and its continued terrorist activity launched from the region.
The PMO's letter reveals for the first time, that the Israeli government allows and encourages the financial support for the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip - knowingly and willingly. In reaction to the PMO's letter Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner stated that "the government of Israel cannot fight against the Hamas terrorist organization with one hand, and continue to secretly finance it with the other. Hypocritically, the Prime Minister demands governments around the world isolate and and embargo the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and stop transferring funds to them while at the same time he authorizes the transfer of Israeli currency into the hands of the enemy. This government claims to be fighting against the smuggling of tens of millions of dollars and euro into the Gaza Strip via the Egyptian border, all the while participating in the laundering of this money by exchanging them for New Israeli Shekels."[emphasis added]
The problem with politicians who see no problem with the exchange of large sums of money in order to get things done--they think it is OK to give large sums of money to anybody to get things done.
Now, can we get rid of Olmert?
Listen to The Tovia Singer Show: Why is Olmert Funding Hamas?
Crossposted at Soccer Dad
Technorati Tag: Israel and Olmert.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments on Daled Amos are not moderated, but if they are exceedingly long, abusive, or are carbon copies that appear over half the blogosphere, they will be removed.