Abbas Wants Arabs to Bomb Gaza Strip

by Khaled Abu Toameh
March 31, 2015 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5468/arabs-bomb-gaza

Translations of this item:

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is calling on Arab countries to launch a military strike against the Gaza Strip -- even as the PA plans to bring "war crimes" charges against Israel for doing exactly the same thing in the summer of 2014.
The Arabs are allowed to attack the Gaza strip to remove Hamas from power, while Israel is not even allowed to launch airstrikes at those who are firing rockets at its cities.
The PA's call should be brought to the attention of the International Criminal Court if and when Abbas proceeds with his plan to file "war crimes" charges against Israel for its war against Hamas.
This call should also be brought to the attention of Western governments and international human rights organizations that condemned Israel during Operation Protective Edge.
They also need to ask Abbas whether he also plans to file "war crimes" charges against his Arab brethren once they start bombing the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), whose leaders say they are planning to file "war crimes" charges against Israel over its last war with Hamas, is now calling on Arab countries to launch a military strike against the Gaza Strip, similar to the Saudi-led campaign against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

The call to launch an Arab military strike against the Gaza Strip was made by Mahmoud Habbash, a senior advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

Commenting on the Saudi-led military operations in Yemen, Habbash, who also holds the post of Chief Islamic Judge, said in a Friday sermon at a mosque in Ramallah: "Protecting legitimacy in an Arab country is a duty of all Arab leaders. They must take the initiative to strike with an iron fist against those who come out against legitimacy, regardless of the time and place, starting from Palestine. What happened in the Gaza Strip was a [Hamas] coup. There should be no dialogue with those behind the coup and they must be hit with an iron fist."

The following day, Abbas himself hinted that he too would like to see the Arab states launch a military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Addressing the 26^th Arab League Summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, Abbas declared: "I hope the Arab states carry out the same policy that they are in Yemen in the case of all Arab nations that suffer from internal conflicts -- such as Palestine, Syria, Libya and Iraq."

When Israel launched Operation Protective Edge in the summer of last year in response to the firing of rockets at Israeli cities, the Palestinian Authority and its leaders, including Abbas, were quick to condemn Israelis for allegedly perpetrating "war crimes" against Palestinians.

But now the same Palestinian Authority, which condemned Israel over Operation Protective Edge, is calling on Arab armies to launch a military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

For Abbas and his top advisors, it is fine if the Gaza Strip is attacked, so long as Israel is not the attacker. In fact, the PA is inviting the Arab states to do exactly what the Israel Defense Forces did in the summer of 2014: to launch airstrikes against terror bases belonging to Hamas and other radical groups inside the Gaza Strip.

If anything, the appeal to Arab countries to extend their airstrikes from Yemen to the Gaza Strip smacks of hypocrisy.

If the Palestinian Authority openly favors military action against Hamas, why was it opposed to Israel's use of force to destroy the Islamist movement's rocket launchers and ammunition? And why is the PA leadership now planning to file "war crimes" charges against Israel at a time when it, too, is calling on Arab countries to attack the Gaza Strip?

Obviously, the PA believes it is acceptable for an army or armies to attack the Gaza Strip, on condition that it is not the Israel Defense Forces trying to stop Hamas's rocket attacks.

The PA wants the Arabs to attack the Gaza Strip not in order to stop the rocket attacks against Israel. Rather, it wants the Arab armies to help it in its efforts to remove Hamas from power so that the PA will be able to return to the Gaza Strip, from where it was expelled in 2007.

It is not clear at this stage if any Arab countries will accept the Palestinian Authority's invitation to launch a military strike against the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Gulf States are too busy trying to stop Iran and its puppets from seizing control of more Arab countries. They are also too busy fighting the growing threat from the Islamic State terrorist group.

But what is clear, meanwhile, is that the PA is continuing to show its true colors by condemning Israel for using military force against Hamas on the one hand, while urging Arabs to use military force against Hamas on the other hand.

The Palestinian Authority's call for an Arab military strike against Hamas has sparked a wave of protests in the Palestinian territories. Thousands of Palestinians marched in the Gaza Strip, chanting slogans denouncing Abbas and calling on him to step down.

The PA's call for military intervention in the Gaza Strip should be brought to the attention of the International Criminal Court if and when Abbas proceeds with his plan to file "war crimes" charges against Israel for its 2014 war against Hamas. This call should also be brought to the attention of Western governments and international human rights organizations that condemned Israel during Operation Protective Edge.

What they need to know is that Abbas in fact supports military action against Hamas, but has a problem when it is carried out by Israel. Arabs are allowed to attack the Gaza Strip to remove Hamas from power, while Israel is not even allowed to launch airstrikes against those who are firing rockets at its cities. They also need to ask Abbas whether he also plans to file "war crimes" charges against his Arab brethren once they start bombing the Gaza Strip.

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Related Topics: Palestinian Authority

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Comment on this item

15 Reader Comments

Aharon • Apr 4, 2015 at 13:09

The reason Abbas would ask for Arabs to bomb Gaza is to regain power over it.
I explain: The ICC went out of its way by by recognizing "Palestine" as a state, a power it does not legally possess.
Abbas real problem is that, in order to file any action against Israel regarding Gaza, he must actually hold the power there, something he does not.

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Itzik Ben Shahak • Apr 2, 2015 at 12:56

Let us all support Abbas's call to the Arab states to stand against the Iranian threat against moderate states across the Middle East. Let's all wish them good luck. Maybe, they will succeed better than Israel to end Hamas's dictatorship in the Gaza Strip. I wonder if they will also make efforts and warn the civilian population before they lunch their attack.

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Alfred Biegel • Mar 31, 2015 at 15:29

As a high ranking retired US Army Officer, university lecturer and strategic analyst who focuses on issues dealing with Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and scenarios, I must take exception to the thrust of the author's perspectives. The Palestinian Authority (PA) should be praised for finally taking overt measures to defeat the radical jihadi terrorists--namely Hamas. That extremist Islamist organization will not recognize the existence of Israel, will not renounce violence, nor adhere to past agreements made by both Israel and the PLO. After three initiated conflicts with Israel, Hamas has been the linchpin for the destruction and havoc in Gaza. Rather that supporting and embracing this substantial turn of of the PA toward an incurable enemy of Israel--a key condition for the potential renewal of peace talks between Jerusalem and Ramallah, and the testing of a possible reform- minded West Bank Palestinian entity to work toward a two-state solution. Unfortunately, the analysis ignores the positive implications of the PA shift and limits its focus to the negative aspects of the long-standing conflict.

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Sumner • Mar 31, 2015 at 12:50

Go for it.

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robert.davis • Mar 31, 2015 at 12:35

As good as Abbas' idea is, the problem is, which Arab country can do that? Egypt would not take orders from Abbas; Syria or Lebanon are not able to do so. Then who?

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Joachim Neander • Mar 31, 2015 at 11:57

As the Latin saying goes: "Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi ..."

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Linde Barrera • Mar 31, 2015 at 11:53

Thanks to the Gatestone Institute, I am "In with the In Crowd" like the hit 1960s song goes, with respect to what really goes on in the Middle East. My profound gratitude.

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G M Ben-Nathan • Mar 31, 2015 at 11:53

One wants to be serious in discussing a matter of such gravitas as the Palestine Authority and Hamas.

But seriously ..............

One couldn't make it up ! Comedy has taken over.

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AmericanMom • Mar 31, 2015 at 10:12

Seriously? Why am I so surprised every time blatant hypocrisy comes out of the mouths of Muslim leaders? They screamed genocide when Israel responded to rockets but now they want Muslim nations to do the very exact thing??? Now I have heard everything. I am sure this will go over well in Gaza. It will be very interesting to see if a Muslim nation takes him up on it and bombs Gaza. Do you think that there will be demonstrations in the streets in Europe? Doubt it. I will tell you this, the Israeli Defense Forces went out of their way to make sure that civilians would not be harmed. No other nation would be as careful.

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Michael Waugh • Mar 31, 2015 at 10:11

I am no flag carrier for Israel but they are the only country in the Middle East which is a democracy and it is surrounded by dangerous lunatics who would rather die than live peacefully together.

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DockyWocky • Mar 31, 2015 at 09:02

A sign of the totally perverse situation in the Middle East? How much longer can this go on before all hell breaks loose?

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Dafna Yee • Mar 31, 2015 at 07:26

What happened to all those leaders, like President Obama, for instance, who were so eager to endorse the so-called Unity Pact that was supposed to prove there was peace between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas?

Does Abbas even pretend to remember it? Does Obama? How about the European leaders who are so eager to recognize the "State of Palestine" and are using that agreement as "proof" that there is "one entity" which the UN law demands?

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JB Silver • Mar 31, 2015 at 07:25

Thank you, Mr. Abu Toameh, for this enlightening article, as always.

But one must wonder why Abbas sent out this request to the Arab world. Does he not see how hypocritical his statements and actions are? Or does he just not care?

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Ruth • Mar 31, 2015 at 05:58

Yet another great article from Khaled Abu Toameh which should be sent directly to the White House Press Secretary.

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Linda Sofer

Ruth • Apr 1, 2015 at 20:02

Thank you for your very brave and informative reporting.

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