I almost never quote FrontPage magazine, but I will make exceptions in the case of straight interview pieces. This is an interview with Ephraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad, on the current situation.
“The real question is whether the Palestine national movement has the power to create a structure of command, control and viable governance,†Halevy states. “Are they capable of setting up a system of governance?†While Halevy won’t predict the outcome, his analysis is that Hamas is now on the horns of a dilemma about the direction they will take. “All timetables have changed,†Halevy asserts, noting that the ruling party would now be pushed to go one way or the other because a faction had chosen to instigate the well-planned tunnel incursion into Israeli territory. “We’ll see all this unfold in the next 24-48 hours,†he predicts.
Halevy paints a scenario where Khalad Mashal, the Damascus based head of Hamas’ military wing could triumph over the so-called civil wing. There’s a “real possibility Mashal will succeed in leading Hamas into a spiral of destruction over this issue,†he asserts. If that should occur, the future will be an even greater question mark than ever, Halevy says.
But the former intelligence head posits that should the Gaza and Ramallah Hamasniks “get it together and overcome the threat from Damascus, Hamas could become a viable partner for negotiations with Israel.†If they resolve the kidnapping, “we’ll be in a new ball game,†Halevy asserts. At that point, Hamas will have some degree of credibility and if they show that they will adhere to some basic norms of how a responsible government acts, it will be possible to deal with them, Halevy maintains.
At the end of the day, Halevy insists, the ball is in the Hamas court. “Hamas has to decide how to resolve the issue of the kidnapped soldier. Israel doesn’t have to do anything. If they resolve it, a new situation will arise.†As far as Halevy is concerned, there’s no place for Israel to support one Hamas faction over another. “We don’t have to save Hamas in any way. This is a test of authority for Hamas leaders.â€
Read the rest.
What’s Hezbollah been doing while the IDF has been concentrating on the south, I wonder.
The IDF raised the alert level in the north following the flyover/wakeup call for Baby Assad.
Yourish.com, your one-stop-shop for IDF questions.
What have you got against FPM?
FPM is one of the most pro Israel magazines out there and is uniformly correct on the dangers of Islamofascism.
It is more pro Israel then Haaretz – that’s for sure.
FrontPage magazine is not a regularly credible source. Pro-Israel bias isn’t what I look for when I quote a source. I look for credibility and accuracy.
That’s why I only rarely quote WorldNetdaily.
World Net Daily and DEBKA File have no credibilty in my eyes but FrontPage has good writers – Robert Spencer, David Horowitz, Alyssa Lappen, Jacob Laskin, Tammy Bruce, Andrew Bostom writing for it.
Obviously since it is partisan its writers tend to be right or right-center but it does not pretend to be a New York Times.
That’s true, they do have good writers on FrontPage. I wonder if I’m not accidentally lumping them in with WND in my mind.
Meryl, FPM’s articles are in another league altogether than WND and certainly Debka.
BTW, I LOVE Tammy Bruce.
Just a reminder, Ephraim Halevy was called to service,when the attempt to kill Mashaal in Jordan, backfired. It was Halevy’s less than bright idea, to appease the “angry king-shit of Jordan” that Israel will throw in the release of Yassin, along with the antidote to save the poisoned Mashaal. A VERY BAD CALL FROM A VERY POMPOUS MAN. Who does have a good sense of humor.
Because I saw the clip, where he had been on Jon Stewart’s Show (to promote his book). And, when Stewart asked him why Saddam not only buried WMD’s, he also buried all his air force planes; Halvey quipped “so they wouldn’t get shot out of the sky.”
Afterwards, Arik Sharon had to approve the missile that fell in Yassin’s lap. And, now we’ve got Mashaal’s t’zuris cming out of damascus.
And, I gotta tell ya, I think, sadly and unfortunately, Gilad Shalit is dead. And, the pali’s don’t know quite how to deal with this so they’ll foot drag for awhile. Hoping the west gets scared of the “angry” arab street.
Amir Peretz, and Dan Halutz, may also be casualties, down the line? I do not know. But Olmert’s headaches, here are home grown. And, just like the distance between Rosh Hashanna, and Yom Kippur, Olmert’s is sealing his political fate this week.
Backing out is not the direction you want to take with an arrow. Trust me.