PA Outreach to Hamas Prepares for Barghouti Release

Israel and PA Collude to Prepare Public

J4JP Release - July 2, 2005

Report:

Abbas' office confirms leader invited Hamas to join cabinet"

Sources:

Jerusalem Post, AP [copy of article below]

Setting the Stage for Barghouti

Reliable sources confirm that media reports of PA leader, Mahmoud Abbas' invitation to Hamas terrorists to join his cabinet, are part of an orchestrated plan coordinated with Israel, which continues to lay the groundwork for the release of convicted murderer and terrorist leader, Marwan Barghouti.

These reports emphasize the PA's need for a "strong leader" to "prevent chaos" in the aftermath of the Gaza pullout. Abbas, it is claimed, is "too weak". The Israeli government, as part of the orchestrated plan, has expressed alarm and strong opposition to the inclusion of Hamas in the PA cabinet. It is only a hop, skip and jump before Barghouti is suggested as the strong leader that the PA "needs" and then Israel will logically express a preference for Barghouti over Hamas.

Setting Barghouti Up As The Lesser Of Two Evils

The threat of Hamas participating in the PA government is intended to alarm the Israeli public and thus to prepare them for the appropriate moment that Israeli officials will present Barghouti as the lesser of two evils, and preferable to Hamas. They will, on cue, recommend that Barghouti be freed to become the leader that the PA desperately needs, and one that Israel can work with. This process has already begun; Yediot Achronot's Itamar Eichner reports that top Israeli officials have already filed a recommendation with PM Sharon recommending the release of Barghouti.

Barghouti is leader of the Tanzim militants who is serving five life sentences for murdering Israelis. Israeli government leaders have been secretly grooming Barghouti for leadership ever since he was taken into custody. They privately express the belief that in spite of his terrorist record, he is a leader they "can work with."

Israel will of course insist that Barghouti sign the usual papers promising not to kill any more Jews. Barghouti will gleefully sign, as thousands of terrorists before him have signed just prior to returning to murdering Jews.

Expect more of this type of spin in the days to come, where Barghouti, either explicitly or implicitly, becomes highlighted in the Israeli media as "the lesser of two evils" and therefore the better choice to shore up PA leadership.

Setting the Stage to Dump Pollard Again

Parallel to the government spin which continues to lay the groundwork for Barghouti's release, the public can expect many more seemingly unrelated statements and leaks to the media by Israeli officials about how it is impossible to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard.

These pronouncements about Pollard are meant to innoculate the Government in the days to come from charges that there is something immoral and downright disgusting about the freeing of Barghouti (a convicted serial terrorist and murderer), while Pollard (an Israeli agent who saved Israeli lives) continues to rot in an American prison for 2 decades. Sharon and his sycophants are already preparing their excuses in advance for why they cannot get Pollard.

When Barghouti - the man with multiple murders of at least 23 Jews to his credit and serving five life sentences - goes free, and Israeli officials make the case for his freedom by crowning him a leader (as they once did for Arafat and his ilk) remember, you read it here first.

See Also: Yediot (English): Government Officials Recommend: Free Barghouti


Abbas' office confirms leader invited Hamas to join cabinet

The Associated Press, The Jerusalem Post - July 1, 2005

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has asked Hamas to join his Cabinet to improve prospects of a peaceful takeover of the Gaza Strip following Israel's withdrawal this summer, Abbas' office confirmed Saturday.

Hamas' West Bank leader, Hassan Yousef, confirmed the group was considering the offer.

A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had first reported the offer on Friday.

The group, which wants to see Israel destroyed, is Abbas' greatest rival. But Abbas, a weak leader, cannot ignore Hamas' strong grass-roots presence in Gaza or the group's demand to help rule the area after Israel's pullout, which is to begin in August.

Israel and the United States have demanded that Abbas disarm Hamas and other groups, a step he has so far refused to take, fearing it would provoke bloodshed among Palestinians. He has chosen instead to co-opt militants.

Israel, which is afraid Abbas is too weak to prevent chaos in Gaza after the pullout, denounced the idea of Hamas' joining the Palestinian government.

"Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization responsible for countless acts of senseless violence against innocent civilians," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told The Associated Press. "Hamas is no partner for us in any sort of political process. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution."

Abbas made the offer earlier Wednesday after Hamas demanded a special Islamic committee be formed to oversee the transfer of powers in Gaza. Abbas invited them to join his Cabinet instead.

The Palestinian leader has promised a smooth handover in Gaza and a clampdown on militants who would fire on withdrawing Israeli soldiers and settlers.

But a fragile truce Abbas reached with Hamas and other militant groups at the beginning of the year has been unraveling as the pullout approaches. Militants agreed to abide by an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire declared in February, but their attacks on Israeli targets have increased in recent weeks.

Abbas first invited Hamas to join his Cabinet two months ago, but Hamas rejected the offer because it was conditioned on the group's agreeing to a delay in parliamentary elections. The July balloting was delayed anyway until the end of the year.

The Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Abbas told the group that if it joins his Cabinet now, elections would be held shortly after Israel completes its Gaza pullout in the fall.

Earlier this year, Hamas won municipal elections in several West Bank and Gaza districts.