August 4, 2014
MERMRI: Special Dispatch No.5815

Lebanese Journalist: The Arabs Will Not Be Dragged Into A War Whose Timing =

Was Chosen By Hamas' Military Wing

In a July 24 op-ed in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, =

Lebanese journalist Huda Al-Husseini criticized Hamas' conduct in its =

fighting with Israel in the Gaza Strip. She said that Hamas' military wing =

started the war at the time of its choosing, and did so after it was =

politically isolated and sidelined by the resistance axis comprising Iran, =

Syria, and Hizbullah. She added that by fighting Israel, Hamas was seeking =

to embarrass Egypt and other Arab countries by dragging them into the =

conflict =96 but that the Arabs had not taken the bait.

Hamas' policy is inflicting great damage on the Palestinian population, she =

says, because of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, and she adds that the =

population is defenseless because Hamas has focused on excavating tunnels =

for attacking Israel instead of shelters to protect civilians.

The following are excerpts from her op-ed:

Hamas' Policy Is Determined By Its Military Wing

"As long as men exist, wars will exist. As long as Israel, Hamas, the 'Izz =

Al-Din Al-Qassam [Brigades] and Islamic Jihad exist, Gaza's children will =

continue to die. [Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza] Isma'il Haniyeh said: 'We =

have nothing to lose.' Children's body parts and corpses [are strewn =

throughout Gaza], but 'we have nothing to lose.' Women wave white flags, bu=
t =

'we have nothing to lose.' Homes are demolished on top of their residents, =

but 'we have nothing to lose.' The humanitarian situation is catastrophic, =

but 'we have nothing to lose.'

"In every interview, Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev says, 'Let m=
e =

be clear.' But he does not clarify his stammering in light of the killing o=
f =

children. Israel accuses Hamas of placing its rockets among civilians, and =

says that it humanely asks citizens to leave [their homes before bombing =

them] =96 but where can they go?..."
Hamas' Military Wing Sets Hamas Policy

"In the recent campaign, it has become clear that it is the 'Izz Al-Din =

Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing led by Muhammad Deif, that decide=
d =

when this war should begin and that it is they who are rejecting the =

[ceasefire] initiatives. It is they who are determining policy at every =

stage =96 not [Hamas Political Bureau head] Khaled Mash'al and not Isma'il =

Haniyeh. It is only the military wings, that is, [Hamas'] Al-Qassam Brigade=
s =

and [Islamic Jihad's] Al-Quds Brigades, that are the decision-makers.

"The one who took advantage of this situation was Benjamin Netanyahu, since =

in Israel, it is the political leadership that decides on military action. =

Thus, Netanyahu decided to comply with all attempts at a ceasefire, and as =
a =

result he has bought some time, and that is what Israel wants. [Ultimately,=
] =

what Israel needs in all its wars is time and foreign support.

"Netanyahu played his part seriously [as] the Hamas political leadership =

attempted to flee reality, rejecting the Egyptian initiative and pinning al=
l =

its hopes on the Turkey-Qatar axis... At this stage, Netanyahu has played =

his part shrewdly =96 not just because Hamas rejected the ceasefire, [but] =

mainly [because] Netanyahu agreed to it... and herein lies the risk that =

Hamas' military wing will be the one running the bloody game.

"The spark that actually started the current war was the Al-Qassam Brigades=
' =

emotional reaction to Israel's July 5 discovery of an attack tunnel that it =

had dug as part of its strategic plans. The discovery and destruction of =

that tunnel, along with the strategic plan that it represented, and in =

addition to the deaths of two [Hamas] fighters in it, drove the Al-Qassam =

Brigades to respond with a heavy and widespread barrage of rockets, =

including long-range ones. Thus, Hamas' military wing chose when the war =

would start.

As for Israel, when it has an opportunity to hit Hamas' military =

infrastructure, metaphorically referred to as 'the bank of targets,' the =

military ranks have plans made in advance; furthermore, this latest =

opportunity helps it to bring down the Palestinian reconciliation...

"The ground war began. The rocket fire continued, and Israel continued to =

destroy tunnels it uncovered. A number of Arab satellite TV channels =

persuaded Hamas that it had defeated Israel, while disregarding the fact =

that in this war, the Israeli people have begun to lean further right and =

support the Netanyahu government."

The Reasons For The War: Hamas' Isolation And Its Desire To Embarrass Egypt =

And Other Arab Countries

"The Israeli Labor Party lost [power] because of Yasser Arafat, and now, =

thanks to Hamas, support for the Netanyahu government is at an all-time =

high. The Al-Qassam Brigades timed this war to coincide with Hamas' burning =

of all its bridges with its old allies. While once [Hamas] saw the Egypt of =

[president] Muhammad Mursi as an element that defended [it], the current =

[Egyptian] regime led by 'Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi sees Hamas as one of its =

enemies responsible for problems in Sinai.

"Hamas' status in the Arab and Islamic world has gone through a number of =

changes since the onset of the Arab Spring. The movement's support for the =

Syrian rebels against the Bashar Al-Assad regime, and its decision to join =

the MB axis with Qatar, Turkey and (Mursi's) Egypt, let to its expulsion =

from the resistance axis of Iran, Syria, and Hizbullah. In early 2012, Syri=
a =

threw the Hamas leaders out [of Damascus], and to this day they have no =

permanent base...

"Iran expressed its displeasure with Hamas' policy, and cut back on its =

financial support for the movement =96 which [now] faces a grave economic =

crisis. At the same time [in Iran], Islamic Jihad's stock is rising. Iran =

refuses outright to receive Khaled Mash'al, and as a compromise, Mash'al me=
t =

in Doha with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian on May 22, =

2014. Thus, Hamas has lost its credibility among both supporters and =

opponents of the resistance axis...

"Bolstered by the vocal support of Arab [TV] channels, Hamas presented its =

demands for a ceasefire: in the first stage, an opening of the crossings =

with Israel and Egypt and the renewal of the supply of building materials; =

in the longer term, a sea port for trade with Turkey and an airport. By the =

time all this is implemented, the Hamas state will already be established.

"Hamas knows it can do nothing without Egypt, and it chose war in order to =

embarrass Egypt and the rest of the Arab countries. But since the Arab =

Spring, those countries have overcome their so-called 'self-consciousness,' =

and every country wants to defend [its own] destiny...

The Tunnels Cost Hamas Tens Of Millions Of Dollars

"Emotions are running high, and have been for over 60 years... The =

excavations for the tunnels cost Hamas tens of millions of dollars and =

thousands of tons of cement. How much would shelters have cost, if Hamas ha=
d =

thought about protecting civilians?

"Beyond destroying the tunnels, Israel's aims include a desire to embarrass =

Hamas and to make it understand that it is the weaker [side in its =

relationship with Israel]. [Additionally,] Israel will absolutely not occup=
y =

all of Gaza; instead it wants to carry out a limited operation that will =

cost Hamas dearly. [Israel also] wants control of a three-kilometer-wide =

buffer zone [along the Gaza] border, which will give it both a card to play =

in the negotiations for a ceasefire and for the arrangement that will =

follow, and depth that will allow it to create a security zone free of =

Al-Qassam Brigades activity =96 making it easier for Israel to prevent the =

tunnels from being rebuilt.

"The Arab news broadcasts support Hamas, but even though these enthusiastic =

voices are pro-Hamas, no one will let themselves be dragged into a war =

started by [Hamas'] military wing at a time of its choosing with the aim of =

entangling all the Arabs in it, at the expense of Palestinian blood.

"When decisions are left to military men, the latter bring catastrophe upon =

their peoples." =

________________________________________
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