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Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Dror Artzi/JINI)
Last update - 21:58 07/07/2008
Barak outlaws 36 NGOs for Hamas fundraising
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and AP
Tags: West Bank, Hamas, IDF, Israel

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has recently outlawed 36 international non-governmental bodies, charging them with fundraising for Hamas.

Security sources on Monday said that the organizations support and aid Hamas. The sources added that Barak's move integrated and extended current Israeli policy against sponsors of terrorism.

Barak's order seeks to ban a large number of bodies operating abroad to finance Hamas activities in the Palestinian territories.
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Defense establishment data has revealed that in 2007, approximately $120 million were transferred to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The defense establishment added that the money was intended to finance the activities of terrorist organizations in these areas.

The money was said to have originated from a number of countries, including Jordan, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Britain, Canada, the United States, Egypt and the Gulf States.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces shut down three facilities of a Hamas-affiliated charity and a medical center in the West Bank town of Nablus, Palestinian witnesses said Monday.

Witnesses said troops confiscated computers, documents, cash and furniture.

The soldiers also raided offices of the Palestinian Authority's ministry of religious affairs. The IDF had no immediate comment on the Palestinian reports.

The troops shut down a girls school, a sports club and the headquarters of the Solidarity charity. Witnesses said the medical center bears the same name as the charity, but is run by a different charitable organization that once was controlled by Hamas.

The IDF had been expected to step up its campaign against Hamas' civilian infrastructure in the West Bank, including the closure of a large number of Hamas-affiliated charities, confiscation of their property, and searches of computers and documents that detail their activity.

The IDF has been carrying out similar raids in the Hebron, Qalqilyah and Ramallah areas since the beginning of the year, but the campaign will now be expanded to additional parts of the West Bank, in the wake of approval from Israel's legal authorities.

After receiving permission to seize property that provides Hamas-affiliated associations with income, even if they are not directly linked to terrorism, the IDF has shut down a mall in Hebron, confiscated buses and prohibited the opening of a new school in Hebron due to ties with Hamas-linked Islamic associations. Offices and storehouses have also been shut down.

The IDF argues that closing Hamas-affiliated institutions cuts off a crucial source of funding earmarked for terror activities. The move is also aimed at making it difficult for Hamas to increase its influence in the West Bank, in a bid to stem Hamas' rising popularity and keep it from wresting control from the Palestinian Authority.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin have approved the plan to target Hamas' civilian infrastructure.

Over the last few years, Hamas has built an "organizational system that, if necessary, could serve as the basis for a state," a senior IDF official told Haaretz. "It's simply a 'state of associations.' They accumulate a lot of popular support and rely on an enormous infusion of funds from abroad, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year, from bodies in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and Muslim communities in Europe, the United States and South America."

A senior IDF officer said the IDF, which is curbing Hamas' military capability and preventing it from challenging the Palestinian Authority more directly, is the primary obstacle to a Hamas takeover of the West Bank.

"They have knowledge, funds and skilled people, much more so than Fatah," the officer said. "They won the elections in many towns and local authorities, and they are gradually gaining control of more education, health, welfare and religious institutions."

But the officer said the IDF was fighting what he called a "rearguard battle."

"We're talking about strengthening the moderate elements  that is, the Palestinian Authority  but actually the PA has little control over the area. Hamas has taken over all the associations  not just blatantly Islamic bodies, but also those that used to be under PA control. The Palestinian public prefers Hamas, because they are less corrupt and more efficient."

But although the IDF is targeting Hamas-affiliated institutions, the IDF officer notes that "we have not yet declared war on Hamas." He said such a move would need to be undertaken by the state as a whole, rather than "local work" carried out by the IDF and Shin Bet.

Hamas-affiliated institutions that were targeted so far include schools, health centers, charities, and even soup kitchens and orphanages. Dozens of associations were shut down and the food confiscated.

Several dozen indictments have been issued thus far, and some operatives have been convicted and sentenced to jail terms. Police have also begun investigating suspected money-laundering and the transfer of terror funds. Unlike in the past, when seized intelligence information was left in storage for years because there weren't enough experts to translate and analyze it, this time a team of translators was set up to deal with the seized material.

"This campaign is what most disturbs Hamas in the West Bank," said a senior official. "But this is only the beginning of the effort, and we need more activities and more resources. When it comes to these matters, you can't compare the efficiency of the security forces to the level of effectiveness developed by the army and the Shin Bet over the last few years, in everything related to stopping the terror of suicide bombers from the West Bank."

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  • Abbas meets Assad on prospects for Fatah-Hamas reconciliation
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      1.   UMM IS THIS NEW??????? 03:19  |  MOE 07/07/08
      2.   Palestinian political elections and Fatah/Hamas reconciliation. 04:23  |  Maureen Ann 07/07/08
      3.   This is correct though belated move. Hamas 04:49  |  17 07/07/08
      4.   #1. Yes MOE! Israel starts to do the work of FATEH. Abbas only... 04:52  |  Vittorio 07/07/08
      5.   No more nice guys 05:06  |  RW 07/07/08
      6.   Haaretz - Tell Us More 05:10  |  Hamas Headquarters 07/07/08
      7.   seems israel prefers factional fighting among palestinians 05:17  |  bashar 07/07/08
      8.   No Protests From Abbas Yet? 05:42  |  Jeff Northridge 07/07/08
      9.   Jordan is Palestine 05:52  |  Aziz 07/07/08
      10.   it`s getting ugly 05:53  |  RM 07/07/08
      11.   very big mistake 06:08  |  ahmad 07/07/08
      12.   the biggest mistake 06:13  |  ali 07/07/08
      13.   It is time to move past a Paletinian state in the West Bank 06:29  |  David G 07/07/08
      14.   Maureen - the world is proud of Israel 06:30  |  Rachel in USA 07/07/08
      15.   hearts and mnds 06:33  |  marsally 07/07/08
      16.   Basher - Jordan is Palestine 06:44  |  Aziz UK 07/07/08
      17.   ofcourse a by-product 07:01  |  RM 07/07/08
      18.   Hamas and its crazy ideology. 07:10  |  Jean Van Daem 07/07/08
      19.   Israel to step up collective punishment in W. Bank 07:21  |  Sasha 07/07/08
      20.   I thought Gaza was free 07:56  |  wibism 07/07/08
      21.   Enough is ENOUGH! 08:15  |  Dagma 07/07/08
      22.   Hoping it is not too late...... 08:37  |  Dolly 07/07/08
      23.   The question is... 09:03  |  Esther 07/07/08
      24.   ofcourse 09:05  |  rm 07/07/08
      25.   david G-- i will be among the first for israeli citizenship 09:15  |  bashar 07/07/08
      26.   Shucks - Israel`s toothless old Uncle Tom isn`t popular? 09:26  |  Clickfool 07/07/08
      27.   This is collective punishment and state terrorism by Israel 09:35  |  Dutch 07/07/08
      28.   For David G # 8 09:37  |  Clickfool 07/07/08
      29.   The objective is 09:39  |  Fritz 07/07/08
      30.   David G: Your line of thinking is like the terrorists 09:42  |  Tupac 07/07/08
      31.   A lack of Response from, Israel shows Weakness 10:04  |  Dagma 07/07/08
      32.   Jean Van Daem # 9 - Palestinian Refugees CANNOT emigrate 10:16  |  Dagma 07/07/08
      33.   yeah they already robbed Hebron orphans 10:46  |  www.kibush.co.il 07/07/08
      34.   IDF crimes demolishing homes and demolishing charities 10:58  |  Michael 07/07/08
      35.   To: 25#, 27, 30-- wasted paranoia 11:02  |  David G 07/07/08
      36.   thanks for letting Hamas know 11:05  |  sam 07/07/08
      37.   idf... lost its relavance 11:15  |  ravi 07/07/08
      38.   Israel Continues to Find Ways to Destroy Peace 12:02  |  Johan Odin 07/07/08
      39.   Response to #10. 12:04  |  sandra chitayat 07/07/08
      40.   Deleted by moderator 12:05  |  Joe Moer 07/07/08
      41.   A Single State Solution is Becoming The Only Viable Answer 12:11  |  Lev Bronstein 07/07/08
      42.   "IDF seizes computers and cash from charities". Get the loot! 12:20  |  Michael 07/07/08
      43.   Deleted by moderator 12:25  |  American 07/07/08
      44.   GJ israel, show the world what you really stand for 12:27  |  taxpayer 07/07/08
      45.   Maybe the IDF would be better employed 12:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/07/08
      46.   Maureen Anne 12:54  |  Zelkha 07/07/08
      47.   Israel deliberately created Hamas 13:17  |  Dooby Scoo 07/07/08
      48.   Hamas supports terrorists 13:21  |  Baruch Hashem 07/07/08
      49.   Aw Dutch, give it a rest will ya? 13:24  |  Joe Sittizen 07/07/08
      50.   IDF to target Hamas` West Bank civilian network 13:26  |  Micha 07/07/08
      51.   I`ll vote for Lev Bronstein 13:28  |  Joe Sittizen 07/07/08
      52.   #8 Jeff, you astound! 13:32  |  Johnboy 07/07/08
      53.   #32 DAGMA: why no westerners are screaming: discrimination? 13:41  |  AY 07/07/08
      54.   to #15 Masally 13:53  |  Dik 07/07/08
      55.   Wrong target. 13:55  |  John 07/07/08
      56.   Wibism: Gaza is occupied by the Iranian Islamist org., Hamas 13:56  |  AY 07/07/08
      57.   41Lev Bronstein,theoretically a nice solution but in the new one 14:04  |  lakshmi 07/07/08
      58.   yes, yes, blame it on hamas. 14:04  |  D to the a to the v 07/07/08
      59.   Why ? where is the long-term approach? 14:05  |  Clod 07/07/08
      60.   Maureen(or perhaps Murwan?) Ann 14:13  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 07/07/08
      61.   FATAH IS A TRAITOR, DESTROY THEM NOW 14:24  |  indrajaya 07/07/08
      62.   Deleted by moderator 14:32  |  Christian 07/07/08
      63.   IDF targets orphans, clinics and soup kitchens. Way to go IDF! 14:37  |  Michael 07/07/08
      64.   to #9 14:47  |  david 07/07/08
      65.   Deleted by moderator 14:53  |  GABE1 07/07/08
      66.   Israel ressembles the Kinneret: The bottom has not been reached 14:53  |  Andreas 07/07/08
      67.   IDF has presumably decided to murder Gaza truce. 14:54  |  Michael 07/07/08
      68.