NationStates Jolt Archive

Disgruntled Palestinian policemen stormed a government building and blocked roads in the Gaza Strip, demanding that the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority pay their salaries. In its first major crisis since taking power last month, Hamas has not been able to pay the salaries of 140,000 government employees, which are two weeks overdue.

This has led to mounting frustration among poor Palestinians who live from paycheck to paycheck. The protesting policemen said if the Hamas government cannot pay salaries, it should resign.

Hamas is broke because the United States and European Union have cut off nearly a billion dollars in annual aid to the Palestinian Authority. The U.S. and EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization, and the new Palestinian government has rejected their demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

Palestinian analyst Bassam Eid says Hamas is facing a dilemma. It is committed to the destruction of Israel through jihad or holy war, but it is coming to realize that its radical Islamic agenda will not put food on the table.

"And Hamas must have to know that the Palestinian economy is based on the support that we are receiving from the international community," he said.

So Eid says after just two weeks in power, the Palestinian territories are facing financial collapse.

"If the international community already decided to impose a kind of a boycott, that means that the Palestinians already remain without any kind of economy," he added.

Palestinian officials accuse the U.S. and Europe of waging economic war against Hamas, but they say that will not force the government to make political concessions.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-04-15-voa21.cfm

Well done Israel.

You'd think they had no interest in a stable palestinian state wouldn't ya?

Yes, North America and the EU are trying to strangle Hamas to death, and for good reason. Maybe Hamas should find more self-sufficient methods of survival instead of depending on western whims.

Yes, North America and the EU are trying to strangle Hamas to death, and for good reason. Maybe Hamas should find more self-sufficient methods of survival instead of depending on western whims.It would be good news, if the fucking traitor in Moscow wouldn't be offering to pay the difference. What's he up to? Cold War II? :mad:

This is fine by me. Maybe forcing Hamas and the Palestinians in general to be more pragmatic and less idealistic will eventually result in peace. Extremism and terrorism don't feed the kids.

This is fine by me. Maybe forcing Hamas and the Palestinians in general to be more pragmatic and less idealistic will eventually result in peace. Extremism and terrorism don't feed the kids.

But voting in a relatively uncorrupt government that does a lot of privatre social work does. Unless someone tries to stop them...

But voting in a relatively uncorrupt government that does a lot of privatre social work does. Unless someone tries to stop them...
They're not just an uncorrupt government that does lots of social work. They're also a genocidal terrorist organization. Maybe if they're forced to choose between what's good for their people and trying to slaughter Israelis they'll choose to abandon violence and become a good, responsible government.

They're not just an uncorrupt government that does lots of social work. They're also a genocidal terrorist organization. Maybe if they're forced to choose between what's good for their people and trying to slaughter Israelis they'll choose to abandon violence and become a good, responsible government.

Agreed. Hamas is not all good, neither is it all bad. I have no trouble with their being forced to make that choice.
But they aren't. Cutting off their funds would happen whether they renounced violece or not (and they've been making some noises in that directon, the Israelis have not, to my knowledge responded).

Why oh why do the ones with the drive to fix a broken nation have to be the raving nationalists?

Meh ... if the US and the EU pull all its funding from Palestine, Iran will gladly step in and foot the bill.

Good for the protest, though. It's nice to see people still have the right to protest.

But they aren't. Cutting off their funds would happen whether they renounced violece or not (and they've been making some noises in that directon, the Israelis have not, to my knowledge responded).They most certainly haven't been making steps in that direction. The party leader made another statement about having to drive off the Israelis today. And the cutting of the funds, at least from the EU, is in response to Hamas' unwillingness to accept Israel's right of existence and renounce violence.

Meh ... if the US and the EU pull all its funding from Palestine, Iran will gladly step in and foot the bill.Russia already beat them to it.

heres an idea, hamas abandons all calls for the destruction of israel and tries to set up dialogue, disarms and then the west gives them money for aid and to run their government

pretty fair trade if you ask me

Russia already beat them to it.

Oh. Well there it is then.

heres an idea, hamas abandons all calls for the destruction of israel and tries to set up dialogue, disarms and then the west gives them money for aid and to run their government

pretty fair trade if you ask meThat's the idea behind the cutting of funding. They won't get it back until they renounce violence and accept Israel's right to exist.

But voting in a relatively uncorrupt government that does a lot of private social work does. Unless someone tries to stop them...
Religious extremism, gratuitous violence and racism are corruption in my eyes.

heres an idea, hamas abandons all calls for the destruction of israel and tries to set up dialogue, disarms and then the west gives them money for aid and to run their government

pretty fair trade if you ask me

The right to self-defence exchanged for money? That's asking a lot of trust. Trust I don't think they have.

They most certainly haven't been making steps in that direction.

Hmm, there was an article last week (Times I think) about a hamas minister saying stuff about it. Don't know when though.

The right to self-defence exchanged for money? That's asking a lot of trust. Trust I don't think they have.:rolleyes:
Terror attacks on civilians are not self defense, and I'm sure if Hamas stopped attacking soldiers too, there would be a lot less Israeli helicopters shooting missiles at their members.
Hmm, there was an article last week (Times I think) about a hamas minister saying stuff about it. Don't know when though.I saw the head of the party say otherwise on a very respectable German news program today.

:rolleyes:
Terror attacks on civilians are not self defense, and I'm sure if Hamas stopped attacking soldiers too, there would be a lot less Israeli helicopters shooting missiles at their members.
I saw the head of the party say otherwise on a very respectable German news program today.
Hamas offered a temporary truce, but has never changed it's mind about destroying Israel. It's their official policy.