Iran announced in response that it would halt snap inspections of its atomic plants and end a suspension of uranium enrichment if it is reported to the Council.
Ha'aretz sat down with Derakhshan to talk about what drives him, and what he believes the blogosphere can do to advance freedom in Iran.
Israeli intelligence reports also suggest that 'Global Jihad' organisations have already set foot in Gaza, following Israel's August 2005 withdrawal. "It is a matter of time until we see an al-Qaeda attack inside Israel," intelligence sources said.
Harari agrees with our assessment that the reverberations will extend throughout the region. "As we speak there are growing fears not only in Israel but in Jordan, Egypt, and even Syria. The Hamas victory is a Middle East earthquake. Its shock waves will be felt in every town between Casablanca and Baghdad."
Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al presents the Hamas program following landslide victory in the PLC elections. Courtesy of MEMRI.
Israel is scheduled to transfer to the PA some $60 million in taxes and customs revenues it collects for the PA on Friday. Those funds will not be sent. Ehud Olmert said that Israel "has no intention of transferring funds" that will aid terrorists.
UPDATE: Atlas has more info on legislation circulating on Capitol Hill.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy emerged from the same meeting calling for the Security Council to get involved in the dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying EU-Iran talks had hit a dead end.
Jeffrey Bell writes in The Weekly Standard about the threat a nuclear Iran would pose to the world, and how "events are converging to elevate the nuclear crisis with Iran into the central crisis of the Bush presidency."
A recent Fox News poll showed that Americans are growing very concerned over the situation in Iran. 91% of Americans say they are concerned Iran would sell nuclear weapons to terrorists. 80% are concerned Iran would use nukes to attack a neighboring country, and 73% are concerned Iran would attack the U.S. Iran tops the list when respondents are asked to say which country - without being read a list - poses the greatest immediate danger to the U.S.
Next week, in back-to-back summits in London, the West will face the urgent test of responding to the dual threats of an resurging Hamas and a nuclear Iran.
As for Hamas, there are three basic scenarios. The first, to remain openly terrorist and continue calling for Israel’s destruction (unlikely). The second, to change its spots and go liberal (patently absurd). The third and most likely scenario, to recede into the background and hide behind the fig leaf of Mahmoud Abbas and a Westernized prime minister, such as Salam Fayad, while perpetuating its power behind the scenes. We won’t be surprised if some European powers find this prospect tempting.
By controlling power from a distance and remaining terrorist, Hamas would continue enjoying both worlds. While launching an Islamist takeover of Palestinian society via control of the mosques, Imams, education system as well as economic and social welfare ministries, Hamas would hold the terror card as extortion against Israel. The danger is that the illusion of temporary calm, promised by Hamas, would lull the international community into accepting the new situation. Hamas must be made to choose between terror and governance. It cannot have it both ways.
The only limit to Iran's nuclear program is the will of the West to confront it. Iran is watching. The Hamas test will send a critical signal to Tehran. The P5 meeting next week will set the terms for the emergency IAEA board meeting February 2, which will deliberate Iran's referral to the Security Council.
We face critical and immediate tests in the War on Terror. Hamas should be told, in no uncertain terms, to disarm and renounce its genocidal ideology or face the wrath of the civilized world. Tehran should be summoned to the Security Council for a rendezvous with John Bolton.
Time believes that Hamas will be too preoccupied with 'cleaning house' to worry about Israel for the time being.
The Telegraph (UK) writes on the state of political Islam.
The Washington Post is mistaken when it writes that the vote for Hamas was not a vote that embraces extremism and that Hamas will moderate if Israel does not "provoke" them.
The New York Times believes Israel should look in the mirror to see who to blame for the Hamas victory.
The Wall Street Journal is a voice of reason, writing that "no Israeli-Palestinian peace is possible until the Palestinians have leaders who really want to live in peace with Israel."
The New Republic examines the future of Palestinian foreign policy.
Fourteen security prisoners in Israeli jails are believed to have been elected to the 132-seat parliament, while one inmate of a Palestinian prison was also successful.
66 National Seats:
- Hamas: 30 seats (45.5%)
- Fatah: 27 seats (41%)
66 District Seats:
- Hamas: 46 seats (69.7%)
- Fatah: 16 seats (24.2%)
The Quartet consulted today on the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. It congratulates President Abbas and the Palestinian people on an electoral process that was free, fair and secure. The Quartet calls on all parties to respect the results of the election and the outcome of the Palestinian constitutional process so that it may unfold in an atmosphere of calm and security.
The Palestinian people have voted for change, but it is the view of the Quartet that their aspirations for peace and statehood, as articulated by President Abbas in his statement following the closing of polls yesterday, remain unchanged. The Quartet reiterates its view that there is a fundamental contradiction between armed group and militia activities and the building of a democratic state. A two-state solution to the conflict requires all participants in the democratic process to renounce violence and terror, accept Israel's right to exist, and disarm, as outlined in the Roadmap.
"Today, it became known that the PA elections have resulted in a victory for Hamas. There is no doubt that - from Israel's point-of-view - a new situation has been created.
In the Roadmap, the PA committed itself to dismantling all of the terrorist organizations operating in its area. Israel has upheld the Roadmap and has demanded - and continues to demand - that PA Chairman Abu Mazen implement the obligation to dismantle the terrorist organizations and their infrastructures.
Approximately one year ago, the PA decided to hold elections for its Legislative Council and to enable the main terrorist organization - Hamas - to take part in these elections. At the same time, the PA and its Chairman made a commitment - both to us and to the international community - that a condition for Hamas's participation in these elections was that upon their conclusion the PA would work to disarm Hamas and turn it from a terrorist organization into a political organization, in accordance with its requirements under the Roadmap.
The international community agreed to reverse the order and allow the PA to hold the elections before the dismantling of the terrorist organizations. We demand that the PA and its Chairman honor this commitment in the shortest timeframe and both disarm Hamas and the other terrorist organizations and dismantle their other abilities to perpetrate acts of terrorism.
The State of Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian administration if its members include an armed terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel; in any case, Israel will continue to fight terrorism with a heavy hand, everywhere.
Hamas has been declared to be a terrorist organization by most of the international community. The international community will not accept a situation in which a terrorist organization takes part in an administration that seeks to enjoy international legitimacy.
Acting Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni will be in contact with international leaders ahead of the upcoming Quartet meeting and the upcoming meeting of European Union foreign ministers, which are due to take place next week. Israel will demand that the entire international community compel the PA and its Chairman to implement the commitment to eliminate Hamas as a terrorist organization that calls for Israel's destruction."
"Israel will not conduct any negotiation with a Palestinian government, if it includes any (members of) an armed terror organization that calls for Israel's destruction," Olmert's office said in a statement.
Do not mistake tactical flexibility for strategic change. Hamas will be perfectly happy to talk with Israel, to negotiate with Israel. It is willing to negotiate with Israel out of the deeply held belief that it can negotiate you out of existence. If the negotiations do not achieve that result today, they may do so tomorrow, and if negotiations alone do not achieve that result, then Hamas will be wise enough to retain other assets -- or the potential to acquire those other assets -- to do the job by other means. Please do not hand over the keys to the realm to this organization in the belief that it has become domesticated -- in the mistaken idea that because their politicians are not corrupt, that because they can pick up the garbage and fix the potholes, that they somehow are moderate. I believe Hamas's strategy may be to get Israelis so addicted to the tahdiye, the calm, that Israelis will not interfere with the Islamist takeover of the PA. Hamas believes you are fools, and this is profoundly dangerous. Hamas has no reason for being other than the destruction of the Jewish state; if that were not its prime motivation, it would simply revert to being the Muslim Brotherhood, from which it came.
Just as predicted, there is violence now between Fatah and Hamas. The trouble started after Hamas members hoisted a green Hamas flag at the entrance to the Palestinian parliament in Ramallah, and Fatah supporters tried to tear it down. Shooting briefly erupted during the melee, witnesses said. The crowd of about 3,000 Hamas backers cheered and whistled as activists on the roof of the parliament raised the Hamas banner again. It was the first confrontation between Hamas and Fatah since Hamas won parliamentary elections on Wednesday.
"We have acted and implemented the election with full transparency... The outcome of the election should be respected by Palestinians and it should be respected by the international community," he said.
A situation may arise in which the Hamas government would lead a certain policy, while the elected Palestinian chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, who determines the Palestinian Authority's foreign policy, would continue to negotiate with Israel and the international community.
Another possible situation is that Abbas would resign and new elections for PA chairman would take place within 60 days, during which the parliament chairman will temporarily replace the PA Chairman.
"She told President Abbas the U.S. administration will continue to back him and his policies," presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. "She listened to his point of view and they agreed to continue contacts."
UPDATE (1/25 @ 2:32PM): Israel's Channel 2 reports that Fatah will win 43% and Hamas 32%. The Palestinian Central Election Commission put turnout at 73%. Voting was extended by two hours until 9:00PM local time (2:00PM Eastern time) in East Jerusalem.
UPDATE (1/25 @ 3:05PM): Reuters is reporting a new exit poll that has Fatah winning 45% and Hamas 42%.
UPDATE (1/25 @ 3:49PM): A revised an-Najah University poll shows Fatah at 46% and Hamas at 40%. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research has Fatah at 42% and Hamas 35%. A
Dan Gillerman, Israel's ambassador to the UN, said the conference was "proof of what a global threat Iran really is. I fear that the only reason Iran is showing so much interest in the Holocaust is because they may be preparing another Holocaust and it is up to the world and the United Nations to prevent that from happening."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke with Lebanon's prime minister on Tuesday to discuss disarming Hezbollah, which receives support from Syria and Iran for terrorist operations against Israel. The U.S. has long classified Shiite Muslim Hezbollah as a terrorist group and Syria is a fixture on its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
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