Condemning Israel for settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the U.S. and European Union insist that building on a future Palestinian state remains counterproductive. Recent criticism of Israel ‘s use of deadly force to stop various civilian attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem shows that the Jewish State still suffers from virulent anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust in WWII, contributing to hate crimes in Israel and around the globe. No one’s more aware of the lingering anti-Semitic hate than 66-year-old Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, refusing to capitulate to Palestinian demands to stop building in “occupied territories.” Gaza’s 53-year-old Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh boasted today about rebuilding of Gaza’s elaborate tunnel system designed to strike Israel. Hamas’ tunnels were degraded during the 2014 49-day rocket war with Israel.
Before U.S. and EU leaders condemn Israel for settlement construction in the West Bank or East Jerusalem they should consider Israel has no peace partner in Gaza or the West Bank, controlled by 80-year-old Palestine Liberation Organization Leader Mahmoud Abbas. Unable to get concessions from Netanyahu, Abbas gave the green light to Palestinians Oct. 12, 2015 in the West Bank to kill Israeli citizens at will. Palestinian media routinely encourages Palestinians to “resist” Israeli occupation by killing Jews whenever possible. At war Hamas in Gaza and the PLO in the West Bank, there’s no reason for Israel to do anything that’s not good for Israel national security. Boasting about rebuilding Gaza’s e tunnel system, Haniyeh admitted that the intent was future war with Israel. “East of Gaza City, underground heroes build tunnels,” confirmed Haniyeh about preparing for battle.
No U.S. or EU officials can stop or put a halt to Haniyeh or Abbas two-pronged attack on the Jewish State. When both groups speak about “occupation,” they’re referring to Israel proper, not the Gaza or the West Bank. While Abbas concedes he wants Israel out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, his Hamas really wants Israel destroyed, wiped out of the Middle East. Making concessions on anything related of construction or commerce in Israeli controlled territories make no sense. Palestinians, under U.S. supervision, participated in past peace talks expecting Israel to “trade-land-for-peace,” like March 26, 1979, when Israeli returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in exchange for a peace treaty. More land was returned to Egypt, when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon returned the Gaza Strip Aug. 5, 2005, only to watch Gaza fall to Hamas June 14, 2007.
Haniyeh’s boast about rebuilding Gaza’s tunnel system comes after utter devastation in a wasteful, self-destructive 49-day war with Israel, killing some 2,310 Palestinian combatants and civilians, causing some $5 billion in property damage. “East of Gaza City, underground heroes build tunnels” next to the border with Israel to the West of Gaza Hamas “tests rockets every day,” admitted Haniyeh while attending a funeral at Gaza City’s Great Oamari Mosque for seven tunnel workers buried alive last week. Haniyech admitted the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, were preparigng “for any future clashes with the Zionist [Israeli] enemy.” No one lays out Palestinian plans better than Haniyeh, incapable of Abbas’ politically correct deception about seeking peace. Netanyahu knows that what joins Hamas and the PLO is their commitment to destroy Israel.
Violating the terms of the Aug. 26, 2014 U.N.-brokered ceasefire, Hamas continues to reconstruct its military tunnels, prompting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to destroy Hamas’ tunnels leading from Rafah border crossing to Egypt. El-Sisi knows that Hamas is part of Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group he toppled July 3, 2013 to stop the Islamic radicals from taking over Egypt. Closing the Rafah border crossing Oct. 16, 2015, el-Sisi knew that smuggling posed a danger to his Egyptian national security. Haniyeh complains about Egypt and Israel closing its border crossings to protect against militant infiltration. Gaza sells the border closings as a brutal crackdown, leaving Gazan’s imprisoned in its coastal enclave. Gaza and West Bank officials blame Israel and Egypt for a cruel blockade that causes Gaza’s and the West Bank’s economic misery.
Haniyeh’s feverish attempt to complete new tunnels into Israel offers hope to Palestinians that they’ll eventually defeat Israel. During the 49-day war, Haniyeh was told Gazans that victory over Israel was near, when Gaza was, in fact, laid to waste by Israeli firepower. Haniyeh picks-and-chooses when to go to war with Israel when his funds run out to run the Gaza Strip. Receiving billions from largely Gulf-state donors like the Saudis, Haniyeh prepares for the next rocket war with Israel. Like Abbas in the West Bank, Haniyeh whips Gazans into a perpetual state of war with Israel, ready to provoke Israel once Gaza runs out of cash. Rebuilding his rocket arsenal and tunnel complex gives Haniyeh more clout dealing with Israel. If Haniyeh gets lucky, he’ll abduct more Israelis to use as bargaining chips. A new rocket war against Israel remains a viable option.
