While the world was condemning Israel for the deaths of 9
terrorists on board one of several ships poised to violate the
legal blockade of Gaza — established to reduce the shipment of
missiles, weapons and military construction materials from Iran
in preparation for another effort to wipe Israel off the map —
Hamas’s security forces were raiding
several non-governmental organizations in the Gaza Strip and
seizing their equipment. According to the Jerusalem
Post,
After conducting a thorough search of the offices of the
organizations….Hamas security agents confiscated files,
documents, computers, fax machines
and other equipment.
The agents also informed the managers and workers of the
organizations of the Hamas government’s decision to close them
down indefinitely.
They did not provide any reasons behind this
decision.
Maybe Hamas failed to provide a justification because it was too
busy shutting down other human rights groups in Gaza. The day
after Hamas destroyed the operations of groups such as the Sharik
Youth Institution, Bonat Al-Mustaqbal (Future Builders) Society,
the South Society for Women’s Health, and the Women and Children
Society it “stormed the offices of another two NGOs, the
Palestinian Mini Parliament and the National Reconciliation
Committee. They confiscated the keys to their doors and ordered
them closed.”
In other words, Hamas was establishing a blockade
preventing NGOs from distributing aid. Anticipating that Israel
will be pressured to lift its defensive blockade, Hamas is
eliminating the independent groups in Gaza that now receive
support from the United Nations, the European Union and other
legitimate institutions. This plan, it appears, was done in
concert with groups who organized the flotilla, including Free
Gaza, the International Solidarity Movement and Foundation for
Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). These
institutions have all done business with Al-Qaeda, Hamas and
terrorist organizations in the Sudan. All to end humanitarian
crises, of course.
Even before the floating lynch mob left Turkey, as
reported by Hani Almadhoun
in the Huffington Post, “Hamas
militants forced the Palestine Bank to allow the newly
elected chairman of ‘Friends of the Patient Society,’ a Gaza
charitable organization that provides medical services, to
withdraw
$270,000. The bank’s manager was held at gunpoint as he
counted the money. In response, the Palestine Bank has closed all
of its branches in Gaza.”
According to Almadhoun, a Gaza native, “Hamas recently
imposed a new board of directors on Friends of the Patient and
issued a demand for the organization’s funds. Hamas officials
claim they are only enforcing the law as adjudicated by a Gaza
judge.… This started two years ago when Hamas became the de facto
government in Gaza…. With Hamas sympathizers on the boards of
NGOs, Hamas supporters are assured assistance and Hamas ensures
loyalty by appearing that it is in full control of all social and
humanitarian organizations in Gaza.”
Hamas is also “encouraging its supporters to start
organizations with secular names that appeal to international
donors in an attempt obscure the pipeline of support to their
sympathizers. This makes it difficult to vet legitimate charities
in Gaza when international donors want to avoid funneling aid
through Hamas or its proxies.” Free Gaza is one such
organization.
In the Sudan, the terrorist-backed government shut down
international relief organizations in similar fashion. In March
2009, security
forces “seized computers, vehicles, medical records and
life-saving drugs” and employees of 16 NGOs who
were running the relief effort in Sudan were expelled. The
Sudanese government plans to funnel materials to Hamas and Iraq’s
remaining anti-government terror cells.
All the Hamas needs now to increase the flow of cash and
materials that go uninspected is for the West to pressure Israel
to lift the blockade.
Lucky for them, the Obama administration is once again
using international outcry about Israeli actions to pressure the
Jewish state into ending the blockage.
However, Hamas’s brutal attack on NGOs does provide Israel
a chance to put counter-pressure on the Obama Administration and
world opinion. It should agree to continue to ease the blockade,
by allowing ships to divert to Ashdod, only if the NGOs recently
attacked by Hamas are reopened and if international organizations
are willing to accept responsibility for the inspection of
transfer of material into Gaza. Israel should offer to increase
the flow of materials only if they go to legitimate NGOs in Gaza
with the cooperation of trusted international
intermediaries.
This would force the Gaza-obsessed “international
community” to respond to the human rights violations of Hamas.
Offering to revamp the blockade to support independent NGOs could
expose the hypocrisy of Israel’s critics.
Why? Because Hamas and its international supporters will
reject that offer. In the propaganda war of perception, that
would make them look more interested in increasing the power of
Hamas and eliminating Israel than in helping people. In this
case, perception meshes with reality.
