Incoming Hamas PM May Be Target
Israel’s defense minister advised the incoming Palestinian prime minister Tuesday to fear for his life if Hamas militants start attacking Israel again….
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz’s warning to Hamas, recently elected to rule the Palestinian Authority, was the first to identify Hamas’ prime minister-designate, Ismail Haniyeh, as a potential target for an Israeli pinpoint attack.
I have never been 100% sure about Israel’s assassination policy. In this case it seems justified. Hamas has yet to renounce violence as a means of achieving their goals or acknowledge in any fashion Israel’s right to exist. Ismail Haniyeh is a legitimate target as far as I am concerned.
Should Hamas change its position on that though, then Israel needs to be careful. A more ‘moderate’ Hamas would doubtless shed more violent members into radical splinter groups. An Israeli attack on Haniyeh in response to an attack by one of these groups would be disasterours. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we have to worry about that for the moment though, as Hamas shows no signs of changing.
In this case, as in every other case the State of Israel has the right, nay, the responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorists. Any normal country would have wiped the palis off the face of the earth by now.
Eitan.