13-Nov-07: Chaos in Gaza: business as usual

Three more Qassam rockets were fired into Israel earlier this evening, according to a 6:45pm report on Israel Radio.

This time we know why the vastly over-staffed ranks of the Gazan police, army, quasi-armies, secret police, internal security and para-military forces of the Hamas regime were once again somehow unable to intercept and prevent the terror attack. (Preventing terrorism is what the gullible supporters of Hamas in the west never tire of claiming is being done by Hamas all the time.) Unable, because they're occupied with other tasks.

Occupied, you say? With what are they so busy, you ask?

Yesterday, Monday, some 250,000 Fatah supporters gathered in a Gaza City square to mark the third anniversary of the death of the beloved Yasser Arafat, the master terrorist who symbolized both alive and dead the tragic dimensions of the Palestinian Arab story. (Note that in death, as in life, Arafat is yet again accommodated in the super-luxurious surroundings to which he and his family grew accustomed, all of it paid for then and now by his impoverished followers. And presumably funded by the various governments that have provide financial aid to the Arafat regime and its successors for the past decade and a half.)

The rally, according to Associated Press, was largely peaceful. But as with so much else in the world of the Palestinian Arabs, it ended in mayhem as Hamas police opened fire on Fatah protesters throwing stones.

Opened fire? Why would they do that?

Taher Nunu, a Hamas spokesman, said "some elements in the rally created an atmosphere of chaos." He also said speeches "were full of incitement against the government

Clear enough. Now you're presumably thinking the fire directed at their brethren was rubber bullets. After all, the hated Israelis have long used rubber bullets, normally non-lethal but quite effective at suppressing protests and street-violence. But no, rubber bullets were not on the Hamas agenda. The rocks began to fly, so the 'open fire' command was promptly given. Thousands of panicked demonstrators ran for cover, but not fast enough. At least seven Pal-Arab civilians are dead. 85 people (according to some reports, hundreds) were wounded by live ammunition. Palestinian ammunition. A veritable bloodbath.

With the taste of Palestinian Arab blood fresh in their nostrils, the Hamas security forces devoted today, Tuesday, to delivering a second set of punches into the national body. In the aftermath of the Fatah rally and of yesterday's carnage in the streets of Gaza caused by themselves, Hamas rounded up some 400 people (their brothers, cousins and neighbours it need hardly be pointed out) in overnight raids, according to Fatah sources today.

A busy time.

But not too busy for them to fire off more unguided missiles into more homes of more Zionists. After all, a people headed for a brilliant national renaissance needs to keep its priorities sorted out, right? Why don't we give them a state?