PA: Dozens of Hamas charities dismantled in West Bank
PA accuses charities of serving Hamas' political ends, while pressing forward with crackdown on rival Islamic movement.
By The Associated Press Tags: Hamas Palestinian Authority FatahThe Fatah-led Palestinian Authority announced Monday that it has dismantled dozens of charities run by the rival Hamas group and frozen their accounts, pressing forward with a crackdown on the Islamic militant group.
The move deepened the bitter rivalry between the Palestinian rivals since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah has systematically targeted Hamas power bases in his West Bank stronghold since the Gaza takeover.
Government spokesman Riad Malki described the 92 charity committees as a financial empire for Hamas. He said the committees were quietly shuttered two weeks ago. There was no explanation for the delay in announcing the move.
The committees are formed by prominent local and religious leaders under the supervision of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The committees collect money and distribute it to the poor, usually during religious holidays. Muslims will celebrate their holy day of Eid al-Adha in late December.
Malki said the committees were infiltrated by Hamas activists in previous years of Fatah rule. "They transformed the charity committees into financial empires to serve their political ends and activities," Malki said.
However, Malki declined to say how much cash it froze. The cash will now be passed on to 11 new committees formed by the government.
Following the Gaza takeover, Abbas expelled Hamas from the Palestinian government and installed a new pro-Western Cabinet in the West Bank. Abbas agreed last week to re-launch peace talks with Israel, while the violently anti-Israel Hamas remains entrenched in Gaza.
Abbas' government has arrested dozens of Hamas activists throughout the West Bank and three months ago closed more than 100 charity groups run by Hamas activists.
Abbas is under pressure to crush challenges by Hamas in the West Bank to secure his party's rule, and to show Israel and the West that he is able to implement any peace deal agreed to with Israel.
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It is about time that the PA dismantles the hamas terrorist infrastructure. Which they had promised to do in 1993 by signing the Oslo accords.
"Clearly, Fatah could not succeed under democracy" -You If you think that Hamas in any way represent democracy, you have no idea what democracy is about.
Fighting good institutes of Hamas is just stupid. The study of Jonathan Benthall (2003) showed that 90 % of Hamas budget is spent on welfare and 10 % on resistance. He showed a clear separation between the two sides. After that Hamas decided in 2005 to go the political way and to stop suicide attacks, which resulted in the unity government in 2007. In the past Hamas kept truces during many months while Israeli violence went on. Abbas is president, supposed to represent all Palestinians. His task is to keep also Hamas involved in the political process. His behaviour is far from that, which means he had no right to speak on behalf of all Palestinians in Annapolis. His government never got parliamentory approval. With closing good institutes Abbas is just separating himself further from the majority of Palestinians. It is just stupid.
Heard a lot of ignorant things before, but never has the pal/Arab willingness to never accept responsibility for their own actions and choices, and always always always blame israel for ALL of their problems, been so blatantly apparent as in your statement for the supposed roots of Hamas. Its laughable and absurd. Any number of organizations could have been formed by, for, and because of palestinians and their grievances, Hamas was one of the worst possible outcomes. Love how there are those such as yourself who would justify any philosophy or actions of a group like Hamas as long as their are palestinian grievances. The birth of such an organization is a truly telling example of Arab/extremist Muslim/Pal psychology, consumption by hatred, willingness to take only the easiest, most violent way, and blindness from an extremist version of the faith which defies reason, compromise, or good sense.
Do you have any moderate solutions to palestinian issues, as opposed to extremist ones.? Do you love Hamas for the two-faced thugs they are, all the while not realizing just how much they hurt your people? Do you even recognize the crimes of those you would whole-heartedly defend ? Do you find any way you can to justify and rationalize Hamas philosophy and actions?
Be proud of your ways. A lot of good it will do you and your people. Foolish and pathetic... Dismantling those charities for those two-faced thugs you call Hamas is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself and your kids. A few more presents like that, and you may actually have yourself a secure, prosperous country run by moderates capable of compromise, not by radicals consumed by hate.
He is jut trying to impress Israel and the West. We are talking about a few thousand shekels, and thery were not frozen at all. And, in fact, Hamas pays to the poor, and takes from the poor. Hamas's money comes from tens of thousands of Muslim milionairs and some billionairs throughout the Middle East. Maliki is a lar.
Fatah is acting like Israel's junior partner in perpetuating the occupation. What's next, will they demand that Fatah forces trained by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton and the CIA help them take on Hamas in Gaza? It's a sad day for all the Palestinian people.
Don't worry - I expect they will rustle something up for Hannouka.....!
"Crush challenges by Hamas in the WB to secure his party's rule" - Quite clearly Fatah could not succeed under democracy so old-fashioned tyranny is the best option. "He is able to implement any peace deal agreed" - Abbas is certainly not qualified to negotiate any agreements after the disastrous Oslo Accords.
Sort of a Christmas present for the Palestinian people.
1- Israel started Hamas.. google it, and applaud your ignorance 2- Hamas made the Gaza and West Bank Ghetto bearable (and thus the natives less uppity). 3- Three bucks fixes Sderot-- it's not exactly paradise there, ya know.. come and get my donation.
While occupation of Palastine by Israel still continues, Abbas and his Fatah party is acting more and more like the role Vichy regime of occupied France in WWII. History is never kind to collaborators and those who sell-out their right of self-determination.
These $$$ should go equaly to terror victims only, on all sides. For once, that would be a civilized sign of good will towards peace, justice, humanity and democracy, as well as a right message to all involved.
all funds that were held by the 92 charities should be confiscated by israel. the PALs should not be able to get to use the terror funds. that money should be used by israel in fighting hamas and used to pay for damage caused in sderot.