Hamas sets its agenda

The freely elected Palestinian government of Hamas has now officially laid out its agenda.

Hamas designated prime minister Sheikh Ismael Haniyeh transferred the document to Abbas,and it was made public on Saturday night, after being leaked to journalists.

These are the Hamas' founding principles. Let's take a look:


"To respect the blood of martyrs and sacrifices of the Palestinian people for the safeguarding of the national rights of the Palestinians, which cannot be given up, for the sake of carrying on the struggle to remove the occupation, and safeguarding the right of return, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as it capital. We announce that the founding principles of our government will be based on the following points.

By `martyrs', Hamas means homicide bombers and terrorists guilty of murdering innocent Israeli civilians. And you will note that this document refers a couple of times to `an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as it capital'. And there is no mention of a Jewish presence in even part of Jerusalem or of a Jewish State.

1. The expulsion of the occupation and the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Like I said, no mention of a Jewish State or any part of Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignity.

2. A commitment to the right of return of Palestinians to their homes and property. We believe that the right of return is a private and collective right that can't be given up.

In other words, Israel is to be flooded with hostile Arabs who claim to have resided in what is now Israel prior to 1948 and their decendants! And Hamas, of course, will not entertain the rights of return for Jews forced to leave their homes due to Arab ethnic cleansing after 1948.

3. Resistance in all its formed is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people in its path to put an end to the occupation and the reinstatement of its national rights.

In other words, all forms of violence and terrorism are fair game.

4. The start of a wide reform process in the Palestinian Authority's institutions. These institutions should be based on the principles of democracy, justice, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the principle of the separation of authorities and the guarding human rights and private property.

In other words, no more Arafat-style mafia. And human rights are all very well provided they don't conflict with the stated goal of Hamas of instituting Islamic sharia law. Hamas will undoubtedly look to its sponsors, Iran and Saudi Arabia as models of the types of `human rights' it plans to institute.

5. The Palestinian government will address the reality created following previous agreements between the Authority and the occupation and it is the right of the government to reassess these agreements on the basis of international law and in accordance with the rights of the Palestinians people.

In other words, Hamas will keep the agreements it feels like keeping, when it feels like keeping them.

6. The Palestinian government will protect the independence of the choice Palestinian people and its institutions, and will safeguard its sovereignty in this matter.

The good ol' green hats at Hamas are in charge, Bubba. Get used to it, or someone could get hurt.

7. The government will emphasize the Arab and Islamic character of the Palestinian issue and will act to enlist Arab and Islamic support for the Palestinian people in every sector.

Sharia law is coming your way. If you happen to be a Christian, I'd either get used to bowing in the direction of Mecca and wearing a burkha real quick, or make some travel plans.

8. The government will hold friendly and positive relations on the basis of mutual respect with Arab and Muslim countries and with the countries of the world.

We'll take aid from the Saudis, the UAE and Iran and continue to enlist the support of the Muslim world in the War Against the Jews.

9. In principle, we will be prepared to continue with the current calm, which is a path to obtain national goals, and not a goal. The calm does not mean a cancellation of the right to resist and the right to respond to Israeli violations. The calm is stipulated on the end of all Israeli aggression and the release of prisoners."

Hamas will keep a temporary `truce'-which doesn't preclude our using Islamic Jihad, al Aksa or other `martyrs' to make terrorist attacks or to shoot Qassam missles against Israel-for as long as we need to build up our forces for the next phase of the war...maybe until we get better, more accurate missles from our friends inIran. Enjoy it while you can.

PA Chairman Abbas is abroad just now, but Hamas said that they're expecting talks with Abbas to resume after the PA chairman returns. As if Abbas has anything to say about it!

The Road Map is a dead issue. And Israel had better start preparing for the next phase of this war. The emotionally satisfying fairy tale of `disengagement' may feel good, but it is not reality.