Report: Israel thwarts Hamas assassination … of Mahmoud Abbas
posted at 1:00 am on May 7, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Debka? World Net Daily?
Hamas’s military wing, the Izza Din Al-Qassem, had planned to kill Abbas at his office in Gaza, [Israeli] intelligence sources said.
Abbas, who became president of the Palestinian Authority last year after the death of Yasser Arafat, was formally warned of the danger by the Israelis and cancelled a planned visit to the territory…
Hamas leaders, who refuse to recognise the state of Israel, suspect Abbas of obstructing their attempts to govern, which have been hampered by a financial boycott from donor nations. “Hamas considers Abbas to be a barrier to its complete control over Palestine and decided to kill him,” said a Palestinian source who was an adviser to Arafat and is a close acquaintance of Abbas…
The sources were unable to say who in Hamas’s secretive leadership had given the order to kill Abbas… Matti Steinberg, a former adviser to the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, said he would be surprised if any decision to kill Abbas had been taken by Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, or Khaled Mashaal, the Damascus-based Hamas leader. “However, such an action by the military wing of Hamas is very plausible,” he added.
Government of the mafia, by the mafia, and for the mafia.
Stories like this are fun, and not just in a chickens-come-home-to-roost way. Is it true? Is it bogus, planted by Israeli intel (with Fatah’s cooperation) to turn world opinion further against Hamas? Is it sort of true, i.e., based on info planted by Hamas with the knowledge that Israel would find out and tip Abbas, thereby putting the fear of god into him? The intrigue is as thick as your imagination can make it.
My imagination is telling me the assassination plan involved a poisoned shoe blade a la Lotte Lenya in “From Russia With Love,” and possibly a crossbow. But that’s just me. Substitute your own details as needed.
Incidentally, guess who Abbas met with tonight.
As you might suspect, the relationship’s turned a bit frosty.
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I’m surprised the Israelis alerted him to the threat to his life! By removing Abbas it would illustrate to the world how brutal the new Hamas government is to anyone standing in their way. And as predicted the Palestinian territory would evolve into chaos on a grand scale.
But maybe they see Abbas as the straw keeping the region from escalating into chaos next door. Once he is gone Hamas could do as they please to both their neighbor and the geninuses who elected them into office!
jasoneverts on May 7, 2006 at 1:24 AM
“Yes Mr. Abbas. I from “The Gaza” a well known Hamas life insurance group. We would like to sell you some protection..er… term life insurance with premiums well under $874,00 a month!”
Da Bear
ursa5000 on May 7, 2006 at 1:29 AM
Holy crap, a crazy terrorist organization tried to kill someone? Hoodathunket?
Savage on May 7, 2006 at 1:34 AM
The last thing Israel wants is a civil war in their backyard. They’d be pulled in one way or the others, and they’re bound to take casualties if that happens. I’d hate to live in Israel right now.
jaleach on May 7, 2006 at 2:58 AM
I suppose we can also conclude that democratically-elected thugs, terrorists, and gangsters are pretty much the same as unelected ones. Then again, they may want to carry our their mandate from the people to ‘eliminate’ corruption…
Lamonte Thomas on May 7, 2006 at 7:32 AM
A civil war couldn’t happen to a more deserving group of people. As mentioned, Israel would probably pay a price, so may want to do what they can to prevent it- if anything.
gmoonster on May 7, 2006 at 1:44 PM
If the story is true, I am not at all surprised that Israel would warn Abbas that his life is in danger from Hamas assassins. After the meeting between Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh, a Hamas member, the financial crisis in Palestine was blamed on the United States and Israel. See the last link in the text above to an U.A.E. newspaper. How long would it take for 1) Hamas to blame the assassination on Israel, and 2) for every newspaper in the free world, including American papers, to trumpet the story that Israel was involved. It is clearly in Israel’s best interest to head off a major crisis.
csjd on May 7, 2006 at 10:38 PM
I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel did warn him..
Tom N on May 7, 2006 at 11:24 PM
Israel wants Abbas to remain in power (not to mention alive) because it keeps some of the pressure off Israel (not much, but it would be true chaos without him). Not to mention this is a sign of good faith on the part of Israel.
Rick on May 8, 2006 at 12:47 PM
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