Palestinians: Gaza war claim exposed by WikiLeaks is untrue
Cable among hundreds of thousands revealed by WikiLeaks says that Israel tried to coordinate Operation Cast Lead with Fatah and Egypt.
By Barak Ravid and The Associated Press Tags: Israel news WikiLeaksThere were never any actual consultations between us and the Israelis before the Gaza war, a top aid to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday, refuting a WikiLeaks cable that claimed otherwise.
One of the documents included in the over 250,000 diplomatic cables between the United States and its allies which were leaked on Sunday said that Israel tried to coordinate Operation Cast Lead with both Fatah and Egypt.
In a June 2009 meeting between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and a U.S. congressional delegation, Barak claimed that the Israeli government "had consulted with Egypt and Fatah prior to Operation Cast Lead, asking if they were willing to assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas."
"Not surprisingly," Barak said in the meeting, Israel "received negative answers from both."
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Mahmoud Abbas speaking during a press conference in Ramallah, Oct. 28, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
Top Abbas aid Saeb Erekat denied that Israel had notified the Palestinian Authority of the war before it happened.
"We knew about the war because the Israelis were saying there was going to be a war," Erekat said.
Several months before the fighting broke out, Abaas asked Israel's then-prime minister, Ehud Olmert, not to go to war, Erekat said. Abbas told him "he would not go to Gaza on an Israeli tank," Erekat added.
He said the exchange took place in a face-to-face meeting that he himself attended.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said he wasn't surprised to learn of Fatah cooperation with Israel.
"We have said several times that Fatah was implicated in this war, and that they wanted to return to Gaza on the back of Israeli tanks. But this information is behind us now. ... We hope they will appreciate our position and step forward for real reconciliation," Abu Zuhri said.
Hamas and Fatah have held several rounds of reconciliation talks since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in 2007. Earlier this month, the two groups failed to narrow sharp differences on security issues and ended their latest round of talks without setting a date for the next round.
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Now, he's exposed anyway. He can't rid the pals of Hamas and that's where the power lies. ( the power to impose more war on Gaza's civilians. )
"And while there are plenty of Gazans who would prefer Fatah, they do not seem organized or strong enough to become the new rulers, even with the help of former colleagues in exile in Ramallah who say that they would never be willing to ride into Gaza on the back of an Israeli tank." - The Boston Globe, 4 January 2009. There you have it folks. The exact words, that the PA would not ride into Gaza on the back of an Israeli tank. Clearly the PA is telling the truth now.
Israel will turn out to be the source of all Wikileaks leaks ...give it time .
These leaks are looking more and more like another inside job.
And both the Egyptians and the PA refused. So their hands are still fairly clean in this matter. Not always, though. What more surprises can we expect? Wikileaks is indeed very informative.
Only Israeli military operations against Hamas in the West Bank prevent them from expanding control beyond Gaza, lamented Dagan, without which Fatah would fall within one month and Abbas would join his 'mysteriously wealthy' son in Qatar," the cable said. Is there a honest Palestinian leader out there?
Scary thought: what if this leak was planned and engineered by the US government for purposes of indirect diplomacy, disinformation, distraction, etc?
It is up to Fatah to clean their own house no Israel. Their own Incompetence lead them to loose control of the Gaza Strip and if they want Israel to sign a peace deal they will have to clean their own mess by themselves.
There would be no point in Israel proposing it to the US if it didn't want to actually put the idea to Abbas. Israel & the US both wanted the PA to take control of Gaza again and if a deal could have been worked out where Israel would smash Hamas & Abbas comes to fill the void would have suited Israel fine. Abbas though couldn't accept the offer because if it looked like he had collaberated with Israel in a war against fellow palestinians he would have been considered a traitor and probably be dead by now. Abbas doesn't want the palestinians to think that he was even asked to consider betraying his people. This is Wikikeaks not a statement from the Israeli government.
The reality is that most Arab States are against the Palestinians and have been for a long time. Israel is their "buffer" state. Are the Arab States justified, who knows?
The WikiLeaks would indicate that he knew the Gazans were about to be struck and did nothing about it.
Even if Egypt and Fatah were offered a chance to participate, it is good that they did not participate. There is no reason any Arab should assist in such a violent invasion against a whole community of people. The suffering was imposed on children, women and the helpless.
Youre a hundred percent right!!! The suffering was imposed on children, women and the helpless, and thats why israel was determined to put a stop to the rockets. And they were right to do it when they did it when bush was still in office, because obama would have never agreed to stop the missiles being fired anywhere into israel. It was sad though that hamas ran and hid among the innocent civilians, its their MO. They know israel tries to limit the amount of innocent lives killed, so they hide among the children, woman and the helpless. Its not our fault hamas does not care about their people or else they would not have fired rockets into israel in hopes of killing civilians. And you know what??? Sad to say that it will happen again because everytime hamas and hizbullah fight they hide behind civilians and dress as civilians. Don't front man, you know thats the truth!!!! Enough of the BS, grow up and act like men!!!!!
Cast lead was a masacre, simple as that, just one to add to the list of other Israeli atrocities.
If someone as obviously intelligent and respected on the world stage as Abbas can challenge the truth of the communications, then they obviously have no value.
.. while Assange reveals what the /Americans/ are saying about others
Soon after Cast Lead it was reported in Israel (i.e., leaked by officials) that Abbas was a proponent of the operation, in order to destroy his adversary Hamas. Now we learn that Abbas refused to cooperate with Israel, apparently so that he will not be accused by Palestinians of a conspiracy with Israel: Israel will destroy Hamas and Abbas will inherit Gaza. Seems like Abbas is smelling better now (at least to his people).
Then evidently he didn't cooperate. Either that, or the IDF failed to shake Hamas' hold. Which is it?
Fortuna benmayor has sent a highly embarrassing and damaging post, Julian Assange assured. Here it is: Arabs are the kings of double-talk.
Who doesn't?
Not much better than us (even for ourselves) we say a thing in public and do whatever benefits us personally, and not as a whole community. The prime example is Netanyahu, a big reason for the delegitimization of Israel (lack of trust)
Another highly damaging revelation by Fortuna Benmayor: Anti-Semitism is the cause for it, even if it's not trendy or politically correct to say it or to leak it
They only prove that Barak claims Abbas was consulted. It's a big difference when you consider there are other cables in which senior Israelis give inaccurate information to American policymakers.
I see Abbas speaking often in the press but no matter how hard i read or listen all i hear is 'blah blah blah, blah blah' Someone should bulldoze this beached whale back into the sea.
UN Security Council Resolution, 242, the one that passed unanimously and has been the basis for all talks and actual agreements that have come to resolve the Arab Israeli conflict does not mention at all the need to set up a separate political entity in the region nor does it make use of phrases such as "Palestine", "Palestinians" or "Palestinian state". Implicit in 242, which was accepted by ALL relevant parties to the Arab Israeli conflict, assumes that through negotiations the warring parties - Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Israel - will set up "secure and recognized boundaries" and territories - not all - under Israel's control will revert back to the countries that had controlled them prior to the outbreak of hostilities in June 1967.
The definitive adjective in that document is "occupied" and so there is no need for more. If any piece of the land is occupied, that is the land in question. Pretty simple really.
If Israel went Bammmmmm Crashhhhhh into Gaza then the responsibilty for restoring order (and infrastructure) lies with the occupying power, not with the Palestinian Authority. Abbas was quite right to want nothing to do with the AFTERMATH of Cast Lead, and quite right to point out that if the PA is to "take over Gaza" then it has to be done as part of a political reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, and not by riding on the coat tails of Israeli tanks.
and now.. next project is probabliy to breach the computers of all nuclear wepons depots..and ignite them so humans will be wiped out of the galaxy...humans do not deserve to live they are less worthy than shit!
good one lol
good ridence.
This one has folks spinning. As it was obvious in the first days of November 2008 that Israel was going to escalate to a major action, the Palestinians had to know something was up. Erekat's explanation may be true. Barak's account proves that Israel intended to break the ceasefire and start an action before Barak did so. That certainly sounds possible. Everyone is spinning like a whirling dervish. . . .
Israel, and out of all people Sharon, left Gaza. The moment Israel left, rockets started to fall to Israel proper. Operation cast lead might be heavy handed but it was not decided at the spur of the moment. Only after thousands of rockets came downing on all Israeli border towns and further day in day out! Until Hamas takeover the border to/from Egypt was open with EU observers at the border. Than HAMAS attacked the observers and they ran for their lives. Mr Mark you are probably living in the warmth of your house somewhere in EU or USA with no rockets flying upon your countrymen, family and friends. Don't BS me with how many people on the Israeli side died as a result of those attack. If a murderer attacks me and he is a terrible shot shall I spare him damage or defend myself, sometimes even preemptively? I admit Cast Lead was heavy handed and maybe some events are better investigated.In fact have been investigated and still being investigated by Israel as we speak. You can not like the Israeli investigation or the results but I invite anyone that knows to show any single investigation HAMAS did for any atrocities they commited, even to FATAH men!
They only understand the stick. Only but force and physical harm impress them.
seems to me what the wikileaks hinted at - Israel said they're going in and they asked Fatah/Egypt to come along. They both refused. What's the argument?
israel is the only one thats has anything to gain from this leaks
Thank you for recognising that.
Then we know for SURE WikiLeaks is fake.
That the Left, with it's uber-Pavlovian-it's-always-Israel's-fault response should be ignored.
It is clear to anyone that Abbas and his people are working in concert wit the Israelis...the Egyptians had proven more than once that they will cowtow to whatever Israel/USA wants .
Obviously you will cowtow to whatever ACORN and the Hezbollah narco-terrorists from Mexico want