Home » Levitt Letter » Levitt Letter Extra News

jnewswire.com
By Ryan Jones

Despite Hamas’ unswerving dedication to Israel’s destruction, the international community is ignoring Israel’s pleas to block the terror group’s participation in upcoming “Palestinian” elections and a subsequent diplomatic role in the “peace” process.

The European Union officially classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization, and will not conduct official ties with the group. But that has not stopped the Europeans from meeting with Hamas members who will be candidates in the Palestinian Legislative Council election, or who have already won local elections, Israeli diplomatic sources told Ha’aretz.

US President George W. Bush similarly sees Hamas as a terrorist organization, but has declined, as primary sponsor of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, to make Hamas’ participation in the Palestinian Authority a sticking point in negotiations.

Bush doesn’t “think [Hamas terrorists are] going to get elected” anyway, because, according to the president, “Palestinian moms want their children to grow up in peace just like American moms want their children to grow up in peace.”

In other words, the extent of Hamas’ political role will be left to Palestinian Arab voters — the same public from which Hamas so successfully recruits “suicide” bombers.

For its part, Israel says it would accept Hamas running for election if the group first disarmed, and if it annulled its charter which calls for the eradication of the Jewish state through armed violence.

Last month, PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas insisted that if Israel and the US truly believe in democracy they must accept Hamas as it comes.

“We believe in the principles of democracy. So if we want to build a democracy, we must accept the consequences of democracy” by allowing everyone to participate, Abbas told France’s La Liberation.

Hamas has repeatedly vowed it will not lay down its arms, will seek to slaughter as many Israeli Jews as possible in order to “liberate Palestine,” and will hold fast to its virulent charter.

The group’s participation in the January 21, 2006 PLC poll would violate Annex II, Article II of Israel’s Interim Agreement with the PA.

Israel Today

Israel’s Supreme Court has given a green light to the army to demolish 25 Gaza synagogues to prevent their desecration by Palestinian mobs. The court rejected an appeal by rabbis, who warned that destroying the synagogues is a violation of Jewish Law. “Even if they’re not praying there, these synagogues are holy,” said settler rabbi Haim Druckman. “It’s better for the Palestinians to desecrate them, than for Jews to do it.” The Cabinet will vote on demolishing the synagogues on Sunday. For the settlement movement, which is already reeling over the Gaza pullout, it’s another bitter pill.

Israel Today

Yasser Arafat’s doctor has renewed allegations that Israel poisoned the late Palestinian leader. “Israel gave Arafat the AIDS virus,” Dr. Ashraf al-Kourd told Israel’s Channel 2 Television. He was responding to published reports in Israel and the US that there is no evidence to back these allegations up. It’s “absolutely nonsense,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom. “They are just trying to damage Israel’s image.” The reports in the Israeli newspaper “Ha’aretz” and the “New York Times” said Arafat died of a stroke, but it’s not clear what disease led to the deterioration of his health. The mystery surrounding Arafat’s death remains unresolved, and that’s a sure-fire way to keep conspiracy theories alive.