Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., November 25, 2008 Cheshvan 27, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:39 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Hamas leaders in Gaza, abroad deeply divided By Avi Issacharoff Internal Hamas correspondence intercepted by the Palestinian Authority and obtained by Haaretz reveals a deep divide between the organization's leadership abroad and in the West Bank, versus in Gaza. In the documents, the leadership abroad says it does not want "to control Gaza completely while losing the West Bank." Advertisement These leaders claim Hamas in Gaza caused the reconciliation talks with Fatah that had been slated for Cairo to fail, and that their Gaza counterparts thwarted the chances for a Palestinian national unity government by their unwillingness to consider giving up control of the Strip and setting "impossible" conditions. Hamas in Gaza is led by Mahmoud Zahar, Said Siyam, and Halil al-Haya, while the leadership abroad is headed by Khaled Meshal, head of the organization's political wing, and his deputy Musa Abu-Marzuk. Palestinian sources say Hamas in Gaza is demanding that its power in the organization's leadership body, the Shura, be increased from 34 percent to 51 percent. It cites its extensive control over the most important grassroots supporters, and the attempt by leaders abroad and in the West Bank to impose their will on Gaza. The documents reveal that the leadership abroad - which includes Hamas' representatives in Syria, Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere - and the leadership in the West Bank hope to impose a more moderate agenda on the organization in Gaza with respect to dialogue with Fatah. A document sent October 6 from Damascus to the Hamas leadership in the West Bank states the Damascus leaders sense from meetings in Cairo with senior Gaza-Hamas officials that the latter do not want to pursue the dialogue with Fatah. Hamas canceled its participation in the Cairo talks a few days before they were to begin. The document states: "We are including a document that includes all the corrections of the brothers from Gaza to a document we sent them and you with regard to the dialogue. We in the political bureau [in Damascus] have studied the corrections of the brothers and we have a number of objections and comments that we will discuss when we see them [the Gazan leaders] .... "But the most important thing ... is that the 'soul,' as we saw it, is not ready for dialogue and there are impossible conditions being made, and the split [the Hamas takeover of Gaza] has become serious and is not perceived as undesirable .... "In addition is the situation in the West Bank and what we are exposed to in the bloody, ongoing operations [by the PA] intended to destroy the foundation [of Hamas] as revenge for what happened in Gaza. We must weigh this situation properly .... In short, we want to go to dialogue and we want this dialogue to succeed." The document provides a rare glimpse into the way disputes are managed in the Hamas leadership. The Gaza leadership's takeover of the Hamas agenda can be said to be dictating more extreme positions not only vis-a-vis the PA, but also with regard to Israel. This is especially the case following the win in the organization's recent Gaza elections by Hamas' military wing, which opposes any long-term arrangement with Israel. In the month before the opening of the talks that had been planned for earlier this month in Cairo, Hamas held discussions on the document the Egyptians had proposed on reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. The leadership abroad presented its objections to the document, with the goal of making them preconditions for the Hamas-Fatah summit. The preliminary document includes proposals on issues like government posts, elections and the security forces. For example, the Hamas leadership in Gaza objects to the Damascus branch's proposal to allow PA President Mahmoud Abbas to continue in his post, which Fatah thinks he should hold until 2010. Hamas in Gaza believes it should end in 2009. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Spy chain Iran: We smashed espionage network linked to Israel. Poultry dilemma Will U.S. Jews have kosher Turkey this Thanksgiving?

Read & React Yossi Sarid: Is Shas' Rabbi Ovadia Yosef also an ass? Responses: 42 Aide: Ex-IDF chief did not call for Ahmadinejad to be killed Responses: 170 IDF: Retaking Gaza will cost Israel NIS 17 million a day Responses: 127 Report: Gaza militants agree to cease rocket fire if Israel opens crossings Responses: 92 Poll: 70% of Israeli Arab women think slaps are not domestic abuse Responses: 57 More Headlines 22:10 Olmert to Rice: EU, U.S. officials starting to talk with Hamas 02:18 Documents obtained by Haaretz reveal split among Hamas leaders 23:14 Policeman filmed head-butting East Jerusalem residents 01:10 Report: Israel willing to release more prisoners for Shalit 01:09 ANALYSIS / Elections are Gilad Shalit's greatest hope 02:01 Attacks on Israel expected as UN marks Solidarity with Palestinian People Day 02:35 Now you can get the Koran on your cellphone 23:38 Settler leader: Hebron evacuation will be met with force greater than Amona 21:56 Germany pursues arrest of well-known Holocaust denier set free by U.K. court 23:16 Bank of Israel lowers interest rates to record low of 2.5% 16:17 'Scrubs' star Zach Braff falls in love with Tel Aviv 15:42 Iraqi court acquits legislator for making trip to Israel 15:11 Barak: Hezbollah has 42,000 rockets, some can hit Dimona 00:40 Reported cases of domestic abuse among immigrants in Israel at its lowest 23:40 Palestinian meet in Syria highlights refugees' right of return Previous Editions Select Day 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov

Special Offers Advertisement Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Dan Boutique Jerusalem New Dan Hotel in Jerusalem Young, Fun & Distinctively Dan Book Now Online! Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Dial 013 for your long-distance calls and get all your money back US CITIZENS Vote for real change. Request your ballot today! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved