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Respectfully Disagree

Reader comment on item: No Disagreement between Hamas and Fatah

Submitted by Sheldon Tyber (Canada), Mar 17, 2013 at 19:25

Mr. Pipes,

I deeply respect your work, and regard you as one of the foremost thinkers / commentators on the Middle East. However, I completely disagree with this article.

Fatah may not be delivering the full amount of counter-terrorism that Israel would love to see. However, there is no question that Fatah works with Israeli national security organizations to: 1) prevent large-scale attacks that would otherwise emanate from the West Bank, 2) prevent the expansion of (more radical) Hamas' support in the West Bank, and 3) reduce the popular support in the West Bank for violent resistance. This situation starkly contrasts with that of Hamas. Suggesting that Fatah and Hamas are no different is a denial of objective facts.

It is hardly realistic to expect that, at this time, a Palestinian leader could move closer to your demands without completely jeopardizing their own popular support. If Abbas were to accede, I have no doubt that it would lead to the loss of the Palestinians least radical leader. If that were to occur, Israel's strategic position would become worse, not better.

The West Bank is (relatively) peaceful. Economic growth has been occurring for a few years. We should leverage those factors to convince Gazans that they, too, would benefit by dropping radicalism and violence. Demanding more of Abbas, right now, is not the most beneficial approach.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

You disagree, yet you wrote this passage:

It is hardly realistic to expect that, at this time, a Palestinian leader could move closer to your demands without completely jeopardizing their own popular support. If Abbas were to accede, I have no doubt that it would lead to the loss of the Palestinians least radical leader.

You make my case for me here. Palestinians are so hostile to Israel that one cannot expect their leader to accept the Jewish state. So, one is left with a Mahmoud Abbas who plays games.

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Reader comments (11) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1the common ground is Israel [136 words]mythMar 19, 2013 09:13204485
Snakes [15 words]JFKARMar 18, 2013 04:29204441
Respectfully Disagree [225 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Sheldon TyberMar 17, 2013 19:25204433
3So easy to resolve [125 words]Michael Hanni MorcosMar 17, 2013 18:25204432
1Hamas and Fatah powerless? [53 words]John in Michigan, USAMar 17, 2013 17:31204425
1Say it in Arabic! [16 words]Kenneth Duke MastersMar 17, 2013 19:31204425
That's just today's talking points [48 words]lord garthMar 17, 2013 16:20204423
1Lies identify Liars: Those that make them and those that accept them [52 words]Mark WerfelMar 17, 2013 14:49204420
3Visions of Hitler [92 words]John R PeacherMar 17, 2013 14:12204419
That particular Hitler analogy is cliche [63 words]John in Michigan, USAMar 17, 2013 23:59204419
Million Man Army Argument [109 words]John R PeacherMar 18, 2013 20:23204419

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