The Jerusalem Post is reporting serious allegations from the Shin Bet, which Hamas has denied. The Post quotes the Israeli government saying that Hamas is gearing up "terror cells" and suicide bombing operations in the West Bank:
Hamas in Gaza has increased efforts to set up terrorist cells in the West Bank, and ordered new recruits to create and fire rockets at Israel from the West Bank, to kidnap and kill a soldier, and prepare suicide bombings, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said Wednesday...
"[Hamas leader Fathi] Hammad is activating his associates, Hamas members, who work on his behalf, and through the ‘Defenders of Al Aqsa’ group, which was set up by him,” the Shin Bet added...
The intelligence came partly from the questioning of security suspects who have been arrested days before planning to act, the domestic security agency said.
Questioning of security suspects? That's a euphemism for interrogations. Oh and what did those interrogations produce? The Post's report alleges Israel broke up a Defenders of Al Aqsa "terror cell" before it could strike, according to the Shin Bet:
In recent days, Hamas members from the West Bank revealed details on new recruits who were in touch with Hammad’s associates.The terror cell was made up of residents of the villages of Ras Karkar and Siluad, in the Binyamin region of the West Bank. They were recruited to plant an explosive, kidnap a soldier or settler, and manufacture and launch rockets.
Prior to their arrest, the terrorists sent a message to Gaza saying they were ready to act within days. The arrest prevented impending terror attacks, the Shin Bet added.
Which begs the question, under what circumstances did Hamas members reveal details on new recruits to the Shin Bet? Did this have anything to do with the Hamas members caught up in the sweeps reported last month, in which Israeli forces arrested dozens of Hamas members and sympathizers in the West bank including lawmakers during pre-dawn raids? At the time senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said these arrests were aimed at dealing a blow to national reconciliations. But Israel claimed they had stepped up arrests to "prevent a rising tide of low-intensity conflict and civil unrest from turning into an uprising."
And in that same report, back on February 9, we picked up a very similar allegation to Shin Bet's freshest revelation: an impending "terror attack" involving the al-Aqsa Brigade. In the earlier case, that allegation went, virally, from an Israeli military blog to a congressional report on alleged Palestinian activities by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (the born-of-AIPAC think tank):
An Israel military blog that [WINEP's Matthew] Levitt cited in his testimony is crowing that on Jan 27, Israeli soldiers “thwarted a significant terror attack on an Israeli community” — Israelis intercept a hand-written communique with intent to carry out a terror attack at the scene of some Palestinians hurling firebombs.
The alleged communique responsible for this 'revelation' begs its own authenticity, for it states, remarkably "The al-Aqsa Brigade is announcing the operation before its implementation." (photo below). Here's the text:
“The al-Aqsa Brigade takes full responsibility for the terror attack in the Alon Moreh community. The al-Aqsa Brigade is announcing the operation before its implementation. If the operation has failed, it will be repeated additional times in a wider manner — every minute, every hour, every moment — starting today.”
– Al-Aqsa Brigade, Arrows of Freedom Group
Two major terror attacks in less than two months thwarted by Israel, allegedly. One partly revealed by "questioning" that you have to wonder if it didn't involve torture. Another by intercepting a hand written document at the scene of a crime (and then passing the evidence along to the Israel lobby in Washington).
The cycle continues: Israel, which claims it is trying to prevent an uprising, launched arrest raids across West Bank last night, and has been killing Palestinian activists with deadly ammunition. Is Israel preventing attacks, or provoking an uprising? You be the judge.
Ma'an:
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas on Wednesday denied claims by Israel's Shin Bet security agency that it is planning operations against Israel in the West Bank.
Shin Bet said Wednesday that Gaza's Interior Minister Fathi Hammad was behind efforts to launch attacks from the West Bank, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Interior Ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said the Israeli claims were related to a Hamas crackdown on collaborators.
"Accusing the Minister of Interior Fathi Hammad of planning operations in the West Bank is an attempt to avert the eyes of the public off Hamas' campaign against collaborators," Shahwan told Ma'an.
He added that Israel's intelligence agency had telephoned some of its informers in Gaza and told them not to hand themselves in. On Tuesday, Hamas said it had a list of collaborators working in Gaza and offered an amnesty to those who surrendered by April 11.
If there’s an oft-hyped imaginary wave of Palestinian violence coming, then it simply must include a imaginary wave of suicide bombings, non? Otherwise how could anyone take imaginary Palestinian violence seriously?
i think the hasbrats miss that aspect of ol days. but what could be better than a revival of hasbara sans the impending deaths? it’s like the best of both worlds.
Yeah. Unfortunately the provocations are all too real and credible. So far the Palestinians have held true.
Thank you, Annie. It’s hasbara, full steam ahead. Here’s more.
Today, just when Netanyahu finally scrapes together a “coalition”, the AP ‘reports’ this as well:
———————————————
“Israel’s military intelligence chief says Syria’s Assad readying to use chemical weapons
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, March 14, 8:13 AM
JERUSALEM — Israel’s military intelligence chief says Syria’s embattled president, Bashar Assad, is preparing to use chemical weapons.
Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi told a security conference in the coastal town of Herzliya that Assad is stepping up his offensive against rebels trying to oust him.
Kochavi claims Assad is making advanced preparations to use chemical weapons, but has not yet given the order to deploy them.
He did not disclose information about why he thinks Assad is preparing to use them.”…………..
link to washingtonpost.com
He did not disclose information about why he thinks Assad is preparing to use them.”
lol, but that doesn’t matter! because is some israeli general says something it lands in the msm! thanks wapo, what would we do without you?
great question indeed, Annie.
RE: “Israel, which claims it is trying to prevent an uprising, launched arrest raids across West Bank last night, and has been killing Palestinian activists with deadly ammunition. Is Israel preventing attacks, or provoking an uprising? You be the judge.” ~ Annie Robbins
THIS MIGHT HELP YOU JUDGE: “The Dogs of War: The Next Intifada”, By Uri Avnery, Counterpunch, 9/03/11
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – link to counterpunch.org
thank you dickerson. i may not of commented but i noticed your linking to dogs of war earlier. i have a draft up where i grabbed it, you got the hat tip…sometimesit just takes a little time to iron out the crinkles. should be up today..crossing fingers.
P.S. ALSO SEE: “Netanyahu: Stupid Like a Fox?”, By Uri Avnery, Antiwar.com, 06/13/11
SOURCE – link to original.antiwar.com
Nothing like a made up story about Khamas teghogh to whip up fear in Israeli Jews. It must be post election time again. And nothing like the Shin Bet to get the story going. And nothing like a bombing of Gaza to slake the Israeli elite’s lust for pain inflicted on innocent people.
Elections are over in done with and the governing coalition is falling into place tidily. I would argue that these simultaneous panic buttons are being pushed in coordination with President Obama’s visit scheduled for next week , nor would I be surprised if a few false flag explosions took place here and there along with free fire by the IDF at protesting Palestinians. The Netanyahu will round up the usual “Hezbollah linked perpetrators (sic)”, then turn to Obama with that steely look, and exclaim, “You see what a dangerous neighborhood the Jewish people live in”. Back in Washington, the Lobby friendlies will clap, cheer and ramp up the bomb bomb Iran chorus another notch or two….
Actually a scary thought is a false-flag assassination attempt on President Obama by the Israelis. I wouldn’t put it past them for a microsecond.
Thanks to Haaretz for providing the oft recycled fact free story that Iran is working on a nuclear weapon that goes from Tel Aviv to DC and back to Tel Aviv, year after year after year. This is like Cheney leaking to the media lies about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and then citing those false stories by the Times and others as evidence if their existence.
“Pres. Obama: Iran still a year or so away from obtaining nuclear weapon”
link to haaretz.com
Israel can just as easily forge a letter and make it appear to be written from Hamas or Fatah. That being said, Israel looks for an excuse to launch military operations. Yeah, things are heating up in the West Bank, but suicide bombings? Don’t think so. There haven’t even been any suicide bombings since 2005, and even since then, many of the groups have denounced that tactic.
shin bet alleges that hamas is gearing up terror cells & suicide bombing operations in the wb?
translation?
shin bet has developed a plan by which its special forces, after supposedly spotting a terrorist cell in the west bank, go in and capture all the collaborators (er, terrorists)
all this staged for public consumption?
the better to trigger a war upon iran?
complete its sweep of mideast oil?
at the same time eliminating an independent minded opponent?
two birds with one stone?
empire at its finest?
my country right or wrong?
damn global warming?
full speed ahead?
But why? because Palestinian “terror” justifies what? and in whose minds? Given the circumstances some pretty harsh Palestinian responses are inevitable somewhere down the line, what is your fear of violence from the Palestinian side about?
Do you not think that idealizing resistance as sainthood (and oppressor status as evil, thats a digression sorry) is stultifying your ability to support those in search of the legal status “Human Being, first class” which you may or not think is an issue.
I dont find myself on the spot having to support or condemn anything, the demand that i do so seems both totalitarian and irrational, if i treated someone as little better than breathing excrement i wouldnt be surprised to face some violent responses, i would be denying a very easily confirmed aspect of human relations, wouldnt I.
Expecting super human forbearance from Palestinians and imagining its absence speaks to some sort of moral, as against legal, culpability on the part of some nominal entity “Palestinians” and their cause, isnt this for those who have studied it an example of “seemingly benign” racism, “the i just want you to be all you can be” liberal paternalism, the struggle is not going to be won in the living rooms of America, even though that is an important battle ground, Palestinian violence in all its manifestations is an unfortunate but understandable reaction to an impossible situation, and has no impact on the legality of the Palestinian cause or is it one of the factors that need be reflected in any settlement, leaving aside legal proceedings against individuals. If thats how i see it, who has the right to demand any more of me? and what is being demanded of me (and let me be the first to condemn it, whatever it is)
Gamal, the occupation is carrying on too long. But, what does the ordinary Palestinian want as an ending? To destroy Israel, or to live as 2 states with c0-existence a necessity, or 1 Palestinian state with few or no Jews, or 1 (so-called) democratic, bi-national state with an obvious Jewish minority who won’t be treated to dhimmi status as Jews in arab countries have been? What really is the majority opinion-the truth? Again, I haven’t seen anything in print, let alone in behavior, to assume anything but the first option, with a minority of Palestinians (my guess is 15 to 20%)who want the second option.
Why don’t you go to.nablus and talk to a few palestinians? They are no different to hassled americans who want their kids to do well.
RJL, my guess is that Palestinians want to live with Israeli Jews as much as Israeli Jews want to live with Palestinians.
And here you are again, going on and on about the dhimmi status that is no longer the case. Here’s two things for you to learn – first, talk to some Mizrahi in Israel to find out why they are so unhappy with the Israeli state. Second, you might want to recognise that the Palestinians are the new dhimmi and it was Jews who did it to them. I know that you won’t like me mentioning that since you like to win the Suffering Olympics but it’s true. Israel is going to destroy itself with its own insecurities. We don’t have to do anything.
Here’s an idea: talk to them and learn from them, instead of speculating with your feeble knowledge, prejudice and assumptions. Or are you just trying to disingenuously make the same old hasbrat point (more likely)?
Your bigotry is clear that you wouldn’t even consider a single state where everyone is treated equally. Because to do so would be to highlight the evil in your racist position.
Maybe you should check out the polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research instead of speculating with your bigotry language.
RJL “the occupation is carrying on too long. But, what does the ordinary Palestinian want as an ending?”
Far less than their legal rights, as conveyed by their spokesperson in the UN in 2011 link to pages.citebite.com and again in 2012
” To destroy Israel” doesn’t equate with the peace mentioned by their spokesperson link to pages.citebite.com
” or to live as 2 states with c0-existence a necessity” in peace as stated by their spokesperson link to pages.citebite.com
“or 1 Palestinian state with few or no Jews” doesn’t equate with what has been said by their spokesperson link to pages.citebite.com
“or 1 (so-called) democratic, bi-national state with an obvious Jewish minority who won’t be treated to dhimmi status as Jews in arab countries have been?” link to pages.citebite.com
” What really is the majority opinion-the truth?” link to pages.citebite.com
” Again, I haven’t seen anything in print, let alone in behavior, to assume anything but the first option” You’ll have to find a new excuse link to pages.citebite.com
What does Israel actually want other than what it has shown by its illegal actions? All of which ” constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;” link to domino.un.org