Anyone who has followed Debka.com, an Israeli website run by former Time Magazine journalists, knows that they have come up with more than their share of farfetched stories. But (with their apparent ties to Israeli intelligence) Debka has also been the most accurate reporter of the infighting among Palestinian factions and within the Israeli government over Gaza. It appears that many western governments were caught unawares by the victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections, but Debka had been detailing for months the unpopularity of Fatah and the Abu Mazen government.
Debka has a string of depressing articles on Hamas and its latest cautious embrace by European and Middle Eastern powers.
First, according to Debka, France has joined Russia in supporting overtures to Hamas and invitations to visit their capitals, without first insisting on Hamas renouncing violence:
France jumps into diplomatic row to side with Putin’s proposal to invite Hamas to Moscow. Turkey follows suit. . . .
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Denis Simonneau said: “As long as we stay within the framework of the objectives and principles that we have fixed, we think that this initiative can contribute towards advancing our position.” He added: “We share with Russia the goal of leading Hamas towards positions that permit reaching the objective of two states living in peace and security.”
Israeli officials are dismayed by the erosion of the Jan. 30, Quartet decision to make aid conditional on Hamas renouncing violence and recognizing the Jewish state. Hamas has rejected the demand. Russia as a member endorsed this decision. But Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov defended president Vladimir Putin’s invitation to Hamas by arguing: “Hamas is in power . . . as a result of free democratic elections.” Moscow is not happy with all of Hamas`s policies, but the West has no choice but to deal with it. Sooner or later certain countries, including those of the Quartet, will favor contacts with Hamas, he said. In Jerusalem, Putin’s invitation has been called a knife in Israel’s back for which the Russian ambassador should be put on the carpet. . . .
In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan cautioned against hasty judgments and advocated patience while Hamas forms a new Palestinian government.
One Debka story concerns Hamas’s conclusion that only violence works:
“We come to power with gun in hand!” Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal declared at a rally in Qatar Friday night, Feb. 10.
“The Palestinian rifle proved its power to evict the Jews from the Gaza Strip when Israel carried out its evacuation,” Meshaal declared. “Unless we use force, no one will talk to us. At this moment, Palestinian government belongs to the force whose platform pledges warfare.”
DEBKAfile’s political sources describe the rush of events Friday as blowing away the last remnants of the Middle East policies charted in Washington and Jerusalem.
Our Moscow sources report Meshaal made his speech after Russia’s special Middle East envoy Alexander Kalugin personally handed him President Putin’s invitation to visit the Russian capital. He then received a pile of invitations from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Syria. Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan said he justified the Russian-French position. “I too invite Hamas leaders to Ankara,” he said.
In more disturbing news, according to Debka, Abu Mazen has just released 56 convicted terrorists from jail, including 26 members of Islamic Jihad:
Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen suddenly throws open Jericho lock-up and frees 56 convicted terrorists. . .
Among the men freed without prior notice are 26 Islamic Jihad members from northern and central Samaria, who plotted and masterminded suicide bombings in Hadera, Netanya, and Kfar Saba in 2005. Also released were 13 members of the PA General Intelligence Service, loyal to Col. Tewfik Tirawri, and 17 members of the PA Military Police – all of whom participated in terrorist attacks. Abu Mazen thus renews Yasser Arafat`s revolving-door policy for terrorists, while Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni call Hamas a terrorist organization and speak about the need to call Hamas a terrorist organization and fight terrorism.
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