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Strange Motives

What was the logic behind Israel’s assassination of the founder and spiritual leader of Hamas?

By Neve Gordon

Jerusalem—A day after Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin was assissinated, the former director of Israel’s intelligence agency stated that the terrorist threat would certainly increase. Indeed, as protests and riots erupted across the Occupied Territories and the Arab world, Israel went on high alert. Ephraim Halevy, former director of Mossad, argued it would take a while before… return to article

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    “strengthened the legitimacy of Hamasí military wing”

    First of all, I disagree with this article whole-heartedly. Most people are in favor of us killing Osama when we find him, shouldn’t those same people be in favor of this? Wasn’t Israel killing the leader of an organization that wants Israel eliminated?

    And another thing, weren’t Palestinians suicide-bombing before Israel moved into Gaza?

    I have no proof of this, but I think Bush knew about the assassination. Israel is smart enough to know that if it wasn’t for the US then they’d be in a lot of trouble. So why would Israel risk angering Bush?

    United States Posted by brad on Mar 27, 2004 at 9:07 PM

    It is incredibly sad that Yassin is refered to as the “spiritual leader” of Hamas. It is a discredit to the struggle of the Palestinian people and a severe slap at the peaceful (true) religion of Islam.

    Yassin forcefully advocated (as we saw last week) 15 year olds to strap bombs to themselves to murder civilians. That kid was a dupe, seduced by “72 virgins” and heroism. 

    United States Posted by Hat on Mar 30, 2004 at 9:56 AM

    It is *clear* what the motives of the zionists is in all this:  to once and for all drag USA into their conflict with Arabs (and not doubt they are hoping) with Muslims.

    It is clear that the clowns at white house were caught unprepared for this latest atrocity by the zionists.  (Note the flip flop on the response AND the rather unhappy faces of zionist ambassador upon leaving the white house.)

    What israel did was to stab US in the back, and THE ONLY QUESTION the American People should be asking themselves at this point is this:

    IS IT WISE TO LET A VIOLENTLY ARROGANT NATION TO DICTATE TEH FOREIGN POLICY OF UNITED STATES?

    United States Posted by Rasta Far Eye on Mar 30, 2004 at 1:00 PM

    Bush has been repeatedly humiliated by Sharon, and once again he mush take it, as he Bush isnít really in charge at all, neocons are and the religious freaks that back them are.

    Sharon like Bush really doesnít want peace as their status is only bolstered by war. Its who they are.

    United States Posted by Rod Hutchinson on Mar 31, 2004 at 4:06 AM

    Israel is the biggest military power in the Mid East. The generals who rule Israel think that all political problems can be solved by military force. Toward the end of the 21st century, (when most of us are no longer around) someone might ask this question: Who lost Israel? The answer: The arrogance of Israeli leaders and the crass incompetence and stupidity of America’s leaders.

    Canada Posted by Morris on Mar 31, 2004 at 7:13 AM

    please read

    United States Posted by michael on Mar 31, 2004 at 8:48 AM

    I have been watching Sharon closely and I truly think that he is deliberately stirring up the Palestinians in order to have an excuse to continue the occupation. He is a vicious killer, and his hatred is destroying him. My heart goes out to the Palestinian people, and yet I cannot help feeling pity for the monster that Sharon has become.

    United States Posted by Regina Carpenter on Apr 3, 2004 at 8:01 PM

    The fact that Sharon killed this guy in such a showy way (when Yassin could have been shot by a sniper anytime) is fair indication that the focus was geopolitical. Like his marching his armed entourage into the dome years ago, this was a provocation--and another attempt to conflate his situation in the territories with that of the US in Iraq.
    Killing people without so much as a court writ is unconscionable.  Sure the Palestinian bombers do it too, but THEY are not acting at the behest of a coherent, democratic goverment, nor do they receive billions in US aid.
    The reasons are many and complex but Israel is no longer the Israel of my youth.
    It has become its own worst enemy.

    Austin in DC

    United States Posted by ATS on Apr 9, 2004 at 5:01 PM

    Pay close attention to the last ‘reader comments’ by austin in dc, this reflects closest my present views on the situation

    Canada Posted by jen on Apr 10, 2004 at 2:20 PM

    It would be wonderful to call him a spiritual leader, if indeed he was. However, this would be disinjenuous and incorrect. For his entire adult life he advocated killing and terrorism yet did little if none spiritual advising. He was nothing but an activist of murder. We are all better off without him.

    United States Posted by Haynes on Apr 15, 2004 at 5:55 PM

    I think that if a foreign government occupied the US, bulldozed our homes, and enslaved us, we, as a proud people, entitled to human dignity would ALSO resist… and resist violently… earning us the title, no doubt, of “murderers.”

    United States Posted by sinagua on Apr 17, 2004 at 1:39 PM

    Were their suicide bombings before Israel occupied the Gaza strip? Yes, there were. So stop blaming the bombings on the occupation. While it (the occupation) may be counterproductive, the bombings are not the cause of the terrorist attacks. All the occupation does is give Israel another bargaining tool.

    United States Posted by brad on Apr 17, 2004 at 8:15 PM

    Brad, I’m sure your full name is Brad Pitifully Ignorant.

    For your own enlightment and to have your sperm conisdered worthy of harvesting in an intelligent female’s womb, read the news and historical journals outside CNN, FOX, and the likes. Also read columns and articles by Robert Fisk, Charley Reese, Richard Clarke, Paul O’Neil, etc, just to see the other side of the story before you guzzle cheap beer and jump to conclusions.

    Here are couple of latest for your growth:
    http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=2329

    http://www.counterpunch.com/fisk04162004.html

    Just like Israelis and the current American Administration, you are only hurting yourself and your future generations with your ill-informed uneducated rhetoric that you conveniently mistake for patriotism.

    United Arab Emirates Posted by muslim on Apr 18, 2004 at 1:00 AM

    How weary I am of all this spiritualization of vicious bloodshed! Israel is not God’s favorite tribe. Blowing up people at a restaurant does not earn the favor of Allah. Can we finally get past that nonsense? The charismatic personalities who convince people of these absurdities, along with those nations and individuals who pour millions of dollars and tons of weapons into the region, share the blame for every death. The worst pity is how willing people are to accept cultural fairytales as the basis for national policy, not to mention horrifying violence. We can only hope that the Muslim supporters of Hamas and their ilk will come to their senses soon (perhaps a reading of the Quran would help) and withdraw support, and in the meantime, the American populace need to also wake up and figure out that their tax dollars are paying for bitterly oppressive actions by Israel. And all because of the inability to discern myth from history! It’s really damned disheartening.

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on May 4, 2004 at 2:27 AM
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